Restaurant ROI Calculator
Capex + revenue ramp + P&L costs → 24-month cash-flow projection, payback month, annual ROI %, and stress scenarios. Answers whether the investment comes back in a timeline you can survive.
Format & city (optional)
Investment
Capex + working capital. Use the capital estimator if you haven't costed this yet.
Revenue & ramp
Normal month after ramp.
Months to reach steady state.
% of steady revenue in month 1.
Monthly costs
After rent, salaries, food cost, aggregator commission, and owner draw.
Month 22 payback (with ramp) and 61.7% steady-state annual ROI reads healthy for an Indian QSR/cloud format.
Cumulative net profit vs investment
Monthly projection
| Month | Revenue | Costs | Net | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ₹5,40,000 | ₹4,59,000 | ₹81,000 | ₹81,000 |
| 2 | ₹6,72,000 | ₹5,71,200 | ₹1,00,800 | ₹1,81,800 |
| 3 | ₹8,04,000 | ₹6,83,400 | ₹1,20,600 | ₹3,02,400 |
| 4 | ₹9,36,000 | ₹7,95,600 | ₹1,40,400 | ₹4,42,800 |
| 5 | ₹10,68,000 | ₹9,07,800 | ₹1,60,200 | ₹6,03,000 |
| 6 | ₹12,00,000 | ₹10,20,000 | ₹1,80,000 | ₹7,83,000 |
| 7 | ₹12,00,000 | ₹10,20,000 | ₹1,80,000 | ₹9,63,000 |
| 8 | ₹12,00,000 | ₹10,20,000 | ₹1,80,000 | ₹11,43,000 |
| 9 | ₹12,00,000 | ₹10,20,000 | ₹1,80,000 | ₹13,23,000 |
| 10 | ₹12,00,000 | ₹10,20,000 | ₹1,80,000 | ₹15,03,000 |
| 11 | ₹12,00,000 | ₹10,20,000 | ₹1,80,000 | ₹16,83,000 |
| 12 | ₹12,00,000 | ₹10,20,000 | ₹1,80,000 | ₹18,63,000 |
Stress scenarios
How payback and first-year return shift when assumptions change.
| Scenario | Payback | Year-1 ROI | Year-1 net |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base case | Month 22 | 53.2% | ₹18,63,000 |
| Revenue −15% | 24+ mo | 18.1% | ₹6,33,420 |
| Net profit −25% | 24+ mo | 39.9% | ₹13,97,250 |
| Ramp +2 months | Month 22 | 50.4% | ₹17,64,000 |
Capex is only half the question
The capital estimator tells you how much you will spend. The break-even calculator tells you the revenue line. This tool tells you whether that spend comes back in a timeline you can survive — accounting for the 4–8 month ramp that no new restaurant avoids.
The model runs a 24-month cash-flow projection: during the ramp period revenue climbs linearly from your opening-month percentage to steady state, while fixed costs stay constant from day one. The payback month is the first month where cumulative net profit equals or exceeds your total investment. Stress scenarios re-run this projection with altered assumptions to show how fragile the model is.
Pair it with the break-even calculator, cost-to-open estimator, and viability score before you commit.
Related reading
- financeRestaurant weekly P&L: what to track vs monthlyMonthly P&L is an autopsy. Weekly P&L is a pulse check. The restaurants that catch a food cost spike in week 2 instead of week 5 save ₹40,000-80,000 per incident. Here are the six lines to track every Monday and why monthly alone fails.
- financeIndian restaurant unit economics: prime cost to EBITDAA restaurant P&L isn't one number; it's six lines that have to work together. Here is the complete unit economics map for Indian restaurants; what each line should be by format, and where margin actually lives.
- financePrime cost explained: food + labour ceiling by formatPrime cost is the single number that tells you whether your restaurant can survive. Most owners track food cost and labour cost separately; few add them and compare to the format ceiling. Here is the formula, the benchmarks by format, and the levers when you breach.
- financeTrue profit per Zomato order: commission and refunds (2026)The headline commission on your contract is not what you keep. On a ₹300 aggregator order, commission, packaging, gateway fees, and refunds can erase half the gross margin before food cost. Here is the true per-order P&L stack for Indian restaurants in 2026.
Common questions
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