Carinderia business plan template for the Philippines

Plan at a glance

[Carinderia name] will serve home-style ulam and rice from [time] to [time] at [address], near [landmark: a jeepney terminal, factory gate, school or market]. Seating for [number]. Take-out in [container type]. Owner and head cook: [name]. Staff: [number] helpers.

Funds needed: ₱____. Uses: kitchen equipment and LPG setup ₱____, tables, chairs and the display counter ₱____, lease deposit ₱____, permits ₱____, first week of ingredients ₱____, reserve ₱____. Sources: owner ₱____, [lender] ₱____ to be repaid at ₱____ per month.

Menu, kitchen and the daily cycle

A carinderia's margin depends on cooking the right amount. Plan the menu around dishes that hold well in the display counter and use overlapping ingredients: [ulam 1], [ulam 2], [ulam 3], [vegetable dish], [soup], plus rice and drinks. Rotate [number] dishes by day of the week so regulars do not get bored.

Water. The food establishment rules require an adequate and potable water supply, from a public or private system. Write where your water comes from and how it is stored. Some LGUs go further: Morong, Rizal lists a monthly bacteriological water test from a DOH-accredited laboratory among its sanitary permit requirements for eateries and carinderias. Budget the lab fee as a monthly line if your town asks for it.^[3,5]

1. 4:00 to 6:00amMarket run to [palengke] for meat, fish and vegetables. Rice and dry goods delivered weekly by [supplier].
2. 6:00 to 10:30amCook breakfast dishes and the first batch of lunch ulam. Display by [time].
3. 11:00am to 1:30pmLunch rush. Refill trays from the kitchen in small batches so food stays hot and fresh.
4. 2:00 to 6:00pmCook a smaller dinner batch. Record dishes that ran out early and dishes left over.
5. ClosingStore or discard leftovers safely, clean the kitchen and counter, count cash, and write tomorrow's market list.

Customers and nearby eateries

Work through these questions on foot. Your answers become the market section.

Example fill-in. "Our spot is [distance] from [landmark], where about [number] workers pass between 11am and 1pm (our count on [dates]). Nearby eateries: [eatery 1], ulam ₱____, rice ₱____; [eatery 2], ulam ₱____. Both run out of [dish] by 12:30. We will serve [gap] and keep lunch going until [time]."

• Who eats near your spot at lunch: drivers, workers, students, market vendors?
• How many pass by from 11am to 1pm? Count on three weekdays.
• What do the nearest eateries charge for one ulam and one rice?
• Which dishes sell out first at those eateries, and when?
• Do people want to sit, or mostly take out?

Which permits does a carinderia need?

On the food side, no one may operate a food establishment for public patronage without a sanitary permit from the city or municipal health office, and the fee is set by local ordinance. Every person employed in the carinderia needs a health certificate from the local health authority, renewed at least yearly or as often as local ordinance says.^[3,4]

A carinderia does not need an FDA License to Operate for its cooked meals. FDA's licensing order leaves restaurants, canteens and street food to local governments.^[6]

Money: start-up, monthly costs and break-even

The published amounts are already in: DTI ₱500 for city scope plus ₱30, BIR ₱0. Fill in the rest from receipts, quotes and your market list.^[1,2]

Sales line. Plates per day [number] × average plate ₱____ + drinks ₱____ = ₱____ per day × [number] days = ₱____ per month. Food cost per plate ₱____. Gross margin ____%.

Break-even. Fixed costs per month ₱____ ÷ margin per plate ₱____ = [number] plates per month.

• Start-up: stoves, pots, LPG tanks and regulator ₱____
• Start-up: display counter, tables and chairs ₱____
• Start-up: refrigerator or freezer ₱____
• Start-up: DTI business name ₱500 + ₱30 stamp tax; BIR ₱0
• Start-up: sanitary permit, health certificates, barangay clearance, mayor's permit ₱____ (set locally)
• Monthly: rent ₱____, LPG ₱____, water ₱____, electricity ₱____
• Monthly: helpers' pay ₱____, owner's pay ₱____
• Monthly: water laboratory test ₱____ (if your LGU requires it)
• Daily: market purchases ₱____

What could go wrong

Plan your response before it happens.

• Too much leftover food. Cook in smaller batches and keep a daily sold-out and leftover log.
• Meat and vegetable prices jump. Keep two or three cheaper dishes on the menu and adjust portions before raising prices.
• A customer gets sick. Health certificates current, cold storage for raw meat, clean water, written cleaning routine.
• The head cook is ill. Write recipes down and train one helper on the top five dishes.

Carinderia registration and permit costs

Questions people ask

Does a carinderia need an FDA license?

No, not for cooked meals served on site or as take-out. The FDA licensing order leaves restaurants, canteens and street food to local governments, which issue the sanitary permit.

Do I need to test my water?

The sanitation rules require a potable water supply. Some LGUs, like Morong, Rizal, also ask eateries for monthly bacteriological tests from a DOH-accredited lab. Ask your health office.

Do my family helpers need health certificates?

The Sanitation Code says no person may be employed in a food establishment without a health certificate. If they handle food or serve, plan for one each.