Vellore Pizza Co. — Financial Plan
Key modelling assumptions, the projected income statement, balance sheet and cash flow, the revenue and EBITDA-margin trajectory, the store-economics build and the capital and funding plan.
Section 11 · Business Plan
Financial Plan
Key modelling assumptions, the projected income statement, balance sheet and cash flow, the revenue and EBITDA-margin trajectory, the store-economics build and the capital and funding plan.
This section presents the Company’s integrated five-year financial
projections — the projected income statement (profit and loss), balance
sheet and cash flow statement — together with the key assumptions, unit
economics and sensitivity analysis that underpin them. The three
statements are fully integrated and internally consistent: the balance
sheet balances by construction in every year, with cash flowing through
from the income statement and cash flow statement.
11.1 Key Modelling Assumptions
The projections are built bottom-up from unit-level store economics,
rolled up across the corporate and franchise rollout schedule. The
principal assumptions are set out below and are deliberately framed to
be defensible against category benchmarks.
| Assumption | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Mature corporate store revenue | ~R27.0m p.a. | 450 orders/day × R165 × ~360 days |
| Mature franchise system sales | ~R22.0m p.a. | Smaller average formats |
| New-store revenue ramp | 72–80% yr 1 | Maturation curve to ~95–98% |
| Food cost | 30.5% of store rev. | Category benchmark, commissary-protected |
| Franchise royalty | 6% of net sales | Within SA 8–11% all-in norm |
| Marketing levy | 2% of net sales | Ring-fenced brand fund |
| Initial franchise fee | R165,000 | SA pizza-franchise norm |
| Corporate store capex | R4.4m | Flagship fit-out + equipment |
| Commissary capex (FY1) | R42.0m | Central production facility |
| Technology capex (FY1) | R24.0m | App, POS, dispatch, data |
| Senior debt / rate | R130m @ 13% | Amortising facility |
| Corporate tax rate | 27% | SA statutory rate (with loss c/f) |
11.2 Capital Structure & Use of Funds
The Company seeks total funding of R330 million,
comprising R200 million of new equity and a R130 million senior debt
facility. The use of funds prioritises the revenue-generating and
margin-protecting assets — the corporate store estate, the commissary
and the technology platform — while reserving adequate working capital
and a contingency buffer to absorb the planned FY1 operating loss and
rollout timing risk.
| Use of funds | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate store build-out | R123.2m | 37.3% |
| Central commissary | R42.0m | 12.7% |
| Technology platform | R24.0m | 7.3% |
| Working capital | R60.0m | 18.2% |
| Brand & launch marketing | R55.0m | 16.7% |
| Contingency reserve | R25.8m | 7.8% |
| Total | R330.0m | 100.0% |
11.3 Projected Income Statement (Profit & Loss)
The projected income statement reflects the Company’s front-loaded
investment profile. FY1 records a planned operating loss as the
commissary, technology platform and initial estate are funded ahead of
revenue. The business turns EBITDA-positive in FY2 and
net-profit-positive in FY2 as well, with margins expanding
steadily thereafter as the higher-margin franchise and commissary
streams scale and corporate overhead is leveraged across a larger
base.
| R’m unless stated | FY1 | FY2 | FY3 | FY4 | FY5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate store sales | R86.4m | R225.7m | R313.9m | R388.8m | R449.8m |
| Franchise royalties | R2.9m | R17.3m | R50.5m | R98.2m | R150.5m |
| Marketing levy | R1.0m | R5.8m | R16.8m | R32.7m | R50.2m |
| Franchise fees | R1.0m | R3.3m | R5.6m | R6.6m | R6.6m |
| Commissary supply | R0.0m | R15.4m | R52.0m | R105.3m | R165.6m |
| Total revenue | R91.2m | R267.5m | R438.9m | R631.7m | R822.7m |
| Cost of goods sold | (R26.4m) | (R77.8m) | (R125.9m) | (R179.7m) | (R233.3m) |
| Gross profit | R64.8m | R189.7m | R313.0m | R452.0m | R589.4m |
| Operating expenses | (R70.2m) | (R140.8m) | (R205.9m) | (R276.7m) | (R346.7m) |
| EBITDA | (R5.4m) | R48.9m | R107.1m | R175.3m | R242.7m |
| Depreciation & amort. | (R12.7m) | (R15.2m) | (R17.7m) | (R19.7m) | (R21.7m) |
| EBIT | (R18.0m) | R33.7m | R89.4m | R155.6m | R221.1m |
| Interest | (R16.9m) | (R14.6m) | (R11.7m) | (R8.3m) | (R4.4m) |
| Profit before tax | (R34.9m) | R19.2m | R77.7m | R147.3m | R216.7m |
| Taxation | (R0.0m) | (R0.0m) | (R16.7m) | (R39.8m) | (R58.5m) |
| Net profit / (loss) | (R34.9m) | R19.2m | R61.0m | R107.5m | R158.2m |
| EBITDA margin | -5.9% | 18.3% | 24.4% | 27.7% | 29.5% |
| Net margin | -38.3% | 7.2% | 13.9% | 17.0% | 19.2% |
11.4 Projected Balance Sheet
The projected balance sheet reflects the build-up of property, plant
and equipment (the corporate estate, commissary and technology), a
modest working-capital position consistent with the cash-generative
nature of QSR, and the progressive amortisation of senior debt.
Shareholders’ equity grows from the initial R200 million share capital
through retained earnings as the business becomes profitable. The
balance sheet balances exactly in every year.
| R’m unless stated | FY1 | FY2 | FY3 | FY4 | FY5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASSETS | |||||
| Property, plant & equipment | R88.6m | R93.6m | R96.1m | R92.2m | R86.4m |
| Inventory | R2.0m | R5.9m | R9.7m | R13.9m | R18.1m |
| Trade & other receivables | R1.3m | R7.8m | R22.7m | R44.2m | R67.7m |
| Cash & cash equivalents | R205.9m | R196.8m | R219.3m | R284.4m | R396.0m |
| Total assets | R297.7m | R304.0m | R347.8m | R434.7m | R568.2m |
| EQUITY & LIABILITIES | |||||
| Share capital | R200.0m | R200.0m | R200.0m | R200.0m | R200.0m |
| Retained earnings | (R34.9m) | (R15.8m) | R45.2m | R152.7m | R310.8m |
| Total equity | R165.1m | R184.2m | R245.2m | R352.7m | R510.8m |
| Senior debt | R130.0m | R112.0m | R90.0m | R64.0m | R34.0m |
| Trade & other payables | R2.6m | R7.8m | R12.6m | R18.0m | R23.3m |
| Total liabilities | R132.6m | R119.8m | R102.6m | R82.0m | R57.3m |
| Total equity & liabilities | R297.7m | R304.0m | R347.8m | R434.7m | R568.2m |
11.5 Projected Cash Flow Statement
The cash flow statement demonstrates the Company’s transition from
cash consumption during the FY1 build-out to strong, self-sustaining
cash generation from FY3 onward. Operating cash flow turns positive in
FY2 and grows rapidly; investing cash flow reflects the FY1 commissary
and technology build followed by maintenance and expansion capex;
financing cash flow captures the FY1 equity and debt inflows and the
subsequent debt amortisation. The Company maintains a positive cash
balance throughout, never requiring additional capital beyond the
initial raise under the base case.
| R’m unless stated | FY1 | FY2 | FY3 | FY4 | FY5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net profit / (loss) | (R34.9m) | R19.2m | R61.0m | R107.5m | R158.2m |
| Add: depreciation & amort. | R12.7m | R15.2m | R17.7m | R19.7m | R21.7m |
| Less: working capital change | (R0.7m) | (R5.2m) | (R13.9m) | (R20.3m) | (R22.4m) |
| Operating cash flow | (R22.9m) | R29.1m | R64.8m | R106.8m | R157.5m |
| Capital expenditure | (R101.2m) | (R20.2m) | (R20.2m) | (R15.8m) | (R15.8m) |
| Investing cash flow | (R101.2m) | (R20.2m) | (R20.2m) | (R15.8m) | (R15.8m) |
| Equity raised | R200.0m | R0.0m | R0.0m | R0.0m | R0.0m |
| Debt drawn | R130.0m | R0.0m | R0.0m | R0.0m | R0.0m |
| Debt repaid | (R0.0m) | (R18.0m) | (R22.0m) | (R26.0m) | (R30.0m) |
| Financing cash flow | R330.0m | (R18.0m) | (R22.0m) | (R26.0m) | (R30.0m) |
| Net change in cash | R205.9m | (R9.1m) | R22.6m | R65.0m | R111.7m |
| Closing cash balance | R205.9m | R196.8m | R219.3m | R284.4m | R396.0m |
11.6 Store Unit Economics
The economics of a single mature delivery-focused store — the
building block of the entire model — are summarised below. At
approximately R27 million in annual revenue and a store-level EBITDA
margin of 24–27%, a mature store generates roughly R6.5–7.3 million in
store EBITDA, supporting a payback period of three to four years on the
corporate fit-out investment. These figures are consistent with
high-performing delivery-led pizza units in the South African
market.
| Unit metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Daily orders | ~450 |
| Average basket size | R165 |
| Annual revenue (mature) | ~R27.0m |
| Food cost | 30.5% |
| Store EBITDA margin | 24–27% |
| Store fit-out (flagship) | R4.4m |
| Payback period | 3–4 years |
11.7 Sensitivity & Scenario Analysis
The base case is subjected to sensitivity analysis on the variables
to which it is most exposed. The tornado chart below ranks the impact on
FY5 EBITDA of plausible movements in each key driver. The model is most
sensitive to average basket size and to the
pace of store rollout — both of which are partly within
management’s control through pricing, menu engineering, marketing and
disciplined site selection — and to food cost, which
the commissary strategy is specifically designed to contain.
| Scenario | FY5 revenue | FY5 EBITDA | Commentary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downside | ~R690m | ~R175m | Slower rollout, basket pressure, higher cheese |
| Base case | R822.7m | R242.7m | Central assumptions as modelled |
| Upside | ~R960m | ~R300m | Faster franchising, higher app share, cost discipline |
11.8 Financing Structure & Lender Considerations
The proposed R130 million senior debt facility is sized
conservatively relative to the Company’s projected cash generation and
asset base. The facility is assumed to amortise over the forecast period
at a 13% interest rate, with the Company maintaining a positive cash
balance and a net-cash position throughout owing to the concurrent R200
million equity injection. Interest cover strengthens rapidly from FY2 as
EBITDA scales, and the net-debt-to-EBITDA ratio remains comfortably
within the range typically acceptable to commercial lenders for a
cash-generative, asset-backed QSR platform.
The Company anticipates that a lender would seek customary covenants
— including minimum interest cover, maximum net leverage, and
limitations on additional indebtedness and distributions — together with
security over the corporate store assets and the commissary. The
projected ratios in Appendix F demonstrate substantial headroom against
typical covenant thresholds across the forecast period under the base
case. The contingency reserve within the use of funds provides an
additional buffer against rollout timing risk, protecting the Company’s
ability to service debt even under the downside scenario.
Conservative leverage: equity-led capital structure;
net-cash position maintained throughout. Asset backing: security available over corporate
estate and commissary. Cash generative: operating cash flow positive from
FY2; strong interest cover thereafter. Buffered: contingency reserve absorbs rollout timing
and the planned FY1 loss.
Confidential — this business plan is provided to prospective investors and lenders for evaluation purposes only and may not be reproduced or distributed without the written consent of Vellore Pizza Co. (Pty) Ltd.