Mastering the HOS702 Project: An Expert Guide to Your Restaurant Concept Portfolio

For Bachelor of Hospitality Management students, particularly those at esteemed institutions like William Angliss Institute, the HOS702 Project Restaurant assignment is more than just another paper. It is a capstone hospitality project, a synthesis of every skill you have acquired—from culinary theory and service design to financial acumen and strategic marketing. It is a core part of the Hospitality Courses a hospitality project designed to test your real-world readiness.

This assignment, typically weighted at 50% of your grade, asks you to create a comprehensive Restaurant Concept Portfolio. It is not a theoretical essay; it is a business blueprint. You are required to present a portfolio of work that “shows and justifies a food and beverage concept that integrates operational practice to achieve successful results.” This is the blueprint for your entire hospitality project.

Many students excel at the “concept” (the brand, the mood board) but falter at the “integration.” Their financials do not speak to their menu, their staffing plan does not align with their service style, and their layout creates operational bottlenecks. This is where many students seek to bridge the gap between theory and a high-distinction submission.

This guide, written by academic and SEO experts at MAAS Edtech, will walk you through the entire process, using a real-world example (a “Taste of Hue” Vietnamese restaurant concept) to demonstrate how to move from a “good idea” to a “viable, high-distinction portfolio.” We will dissect the project requirements, from the initial brief to the complex financial spreadsheets, ensuring every choice you make is justified, integrated, and professional.

Part 1: Deconstructing Your Hospitality Project Portfolio Requirements

Before you design a menu or draft a floorplan, you must first act as a consultant analyzing a client’s brief. Your lecturer is the client, and the assignment brief is the contract.

1.1. Decoding Your Hospitality Project Brief: Keywords and Core Expectations

Your HOS702 brief demands a portfolio demonstrating a “clearly justified and thought-out concept” for your hospitality project. This portfolio must integrate:

• Concept & Target Market: The “what” and “for whom.”
• Layout & Design: The physical space.
• Equipment: The tools to execute the menu.
• Menu: The core product.
• Finances: The proof of viability (P&L, Establishment Costs).
• Marketing: The customer acquisition strategy.
• Organisational Structure & Staffing: The human engine.
• Business Type & Legal Compliance: The real-world framework.

The most important word in the entire brief is “integrates.” A common pitfall is to treat these as separate “check-list” items. A student might create a beautiful mood board, a separate menu, and fill in the financial spreadsheets with guesses. This will not achieve a high grade for this hospitality project. Integration means:

• Your Menu dictates your Equipment list (e.g., if you have Bún Bò Huế on the menu, you need stock pots, noodle cookers, and refrigeration for beef).
• Your Equipment list dictates your Layout (e.g., the kitchen’s “hot line” must be designed for flow).
• Your Layout (e.g., 50 seats) and Service Style (e.g., full table service) dictate your Staffing (e.g., you need more FOH staff for table service than for QR ordering).
• Your Staffing (the roster) is the single largest driver of your Financials (Labour Cost).

Every decision must create a ripple effect that is documented in the other sections..

1.2. Anatomy of a High-Scoring Hospitality Project: What Lecturers Look For

Lecturers, especially at William Angliss Institute, are industry veterans. They are not just grading your academic writing; they are assessing your readiness to manage a real hospitality project or venue. This is where professional help can provide a critical edge, ensuring your hospitality project proposal meets these exacting standards.

Here is what they look for beyond the checklist:

1. Justification, Not Just Description: Do not just state your concept. Justify it. Using our case study, “Taste of Hue,” a weak student says: “The concept is a Vietnamese restaurant.” A high-distinction student says: “The concept, ‘Taste of Hue,’ is a mid-scale casual dining restaurant in Footscray, specialising in authentic Royal Hue cuisine. This concept is strategically positioned to capture two key target markets: local Vietnamese families seeking authentic heritage flavours and second-generation young professionals (20-35) drawn to the brand’s cultural story and modern aesthetic.”
2. Financial Realism: Lecturers will immediately check your financial templates. They know industry benchmarks. If your P&L sheet shows a 60% Gross Profit but your Labour Cost is only 10% of revenue, they know you haven’t costed your roster. This is the most common and critical failure in this type of hospitality project. Your lecturer’s feedback will often sound like this: “Financials are not clearly presented (COGS %, Labour %, Gross Profit %)… Roster details are missing… ROI cannot be validated.”
3. Operational Cohesion: This links back to “integration.” Does your floorplan make service efficient? If you have a 50-seat restaurant (as per our “Taste of Hue” example at 200m2), but the bar is at one end, the kitchen at the other, and the toilets in the middle, your staff will be running marathons, service will be slow, and your labour costs will be high for no reason. Your layout must serve the menu and the service style.

Part 2: Your Hospitality Project’s Foundational Research & Strategy to Reality: Foundational Research & Strategy

With the brief decoded, your next step is research. This is not just finding academic articles on “management”; it is practical, market-based research.

2.1. The Concept & Target Market: Your Hospitality Project’s “Why”

Your concept is the North Star of your hospitality project. Let’s refine the “Taste of Hue” example.

• Concept: Authentic Royal Hue cuisine.

• Unique Selling Proposition (USP): “Experience the flavours of Hue—refined and distinct from other regions in Vietnam.”

• Target Market 1: Young Urban Professionals / Gen Z (20-35).

• Target Market 2: Multicultural Families (30-50).

• Location: Footscray, Australia.

• Justification: This is a strong start. The lecturer’s feedback on this concept was positive: “visually appealing and culturally grounded… draws effectively on Vietnamese heritage and location context in Footscray.” Why? Because Footscray has a dense population of the target demographic, and the “authenticity” angle serves as a powerful marketing tool. Your research should include demographic data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) for your chosen suburb, as well as a competitor analysis (what other Vietnamese restaurants are nearby? What is their price point?).

2.2. The Service Style & Experience: Your “How”

This is a critical decision that many students forget to state explicitly. How do guests order and receive food? Your lecturer will ask: “Determine and explicitly state whether the concept uses table service, counter service, or QR ordering.”

Let’s analyse the options for “Taste of Hue,” a 50-seat venue open 9 am-3 pm and 5 pm-8 pm, Tuesday to Sunday.

1. Full Table Service: Aligns with the “refined” Hue concept. Creates a premium experience. Downside: Requires a high number of FOH staff (hosts, servers, bussers), dramatically increasing your labour costs.
2. Counter Service: Efficient for a fast-casual lunch (9 am-3 pm). Lowers labour costs significantly. Downside: Can feel “cheap” and may not align with the desired dinner experience (5 pm-8 pm) or justify a higher menu price.
3. QR Code Ordering: A modern hybrid. Guests are seated, but order and pay via phone. Requires only “food runners.” Downside: Can feel impersonal and may not suit the “Multicultural Families” target market (who may be less tech-savvy).

The Integrated Solution (A+): A hybrid service model.

• Lunch (9 am-3 pm): “Fast-Casual Counter Service.” Guests order at the counter for takeaway or a quick dine-in, targeting local workers and students. This requires minimal FOH staff.
• Dinner (5 pm-8 pm): “Relaxed Table Service.” Guests are seated, and servers take orders. This creates the “refined” experience for families and date-night professionals, justifying higher-spend menu items.

This decision directly impacts your roster (Part 3) and your financials (Part 4).

2.3. Legal Requirements for Your Restaurant Project

This section proves your hospitality project concept can exist in the real world. You must identify the key legal hurdles in Australia (specifically Victoria, for William Angliss Institute). This often requires navigating complex legal texts, a common challenge for students.

• Business Structure: Sole Trader, Partnership, or Proprietary Limited Company (Pty Ltd). A Pty Ltd is the most professional choice, as it separates you (the owner) from the business’s legal and financial liabilities.
• Registration: Australian Business Number (ABN) and Australian Company Number (ACN).
• Permits (Local Council): A “Food Business Registration” from the local council (e.g., Maribyrnong City Council for Footscray).
• Licensing (State): A “Liquor Licence” from Liquor Control Victoria (LCV). You must decide which type (e.g., “Restaurant and Cafe Licence”) and justify it. This also impacts your menu (beverage cost) and service (RSA-certified staff).
• Compliance: A “Food Safety Supervisor” certificate. Adherence to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.

Part 3: Designing the Operational Blueprint for Your Hospitality Project

This is the “integration” hub where your concept becomes a physical, operational reality.

3.1. The Menu: Your Hospitality Project’s Core Financial Tool

Your menu is not just a list of dishes; it is the central control document for your entire business. Your brief requires a full, costed menu for this hospitality project.

Menu Design: It must reflect your “Taste of Hue” brand. The visual design (logo, fonts, paper) should match the “warm, cultural” mood board from your portfolio.

Menu Engineering & Costing: This is where you use the Costings.csv template. You must cost at least three representative dishes (as per the template), but a high-distinction student will cost all core items.

• Food Cost (COGS): Your lecturer feedback notes the student estimated a 40% food cost. You must prove this. If your Bún Bò Huế costs $6.00 in raw ingredients (beef, noodles, broth, herbs) and you sell it for $18.00, your food cost for that item is ($6.00 / $18.00) = 33.3%.
• Gross Profit (GP): The industry benchmark for GP (Revenue – COGS) is 60-70%. Your 40% food cost target gives you a 60% GP, which is realistic but tight. A 25% beverage cost (from your .pptx) is excellent.
• Pricing Strategy: Your prices must be competitive for Footscray but high enough to cover your costs (labour, rent) and achieve your target profit (ROI).

A sample menu for a ‘Taste of Hue’ Vietnamese restaurant, showing dishes like Bun Bo Hue and Banh Khoai, reflecting the brand’s authentic concept.

3.2. Layout & Design Scheme: The “Flow”

You must provide a moodboard and a floorplan. The lecturer’s feedback is key: “ensure all visuals, menu design, and layout plans appear as an integrated package.”

• Moodboard: Your “Taste of Hue” .pptx shows a strong moodboard—warm, natural materials, cultural elements. This is your brand’s “feeling.”
• Floorplan (The Blueprint): This must be a to-scale diagram of your 200m2, 50-seat venue. It must be functional.
  • Guest Flow: Where do guests enter? Where do they wait? Where do they order (if counter service)? Where are the toilets?
  • Staff Flow (The “Work Triangle”): This is critical. The path from the kitchen “pass” to the tables must be short and clear. The path from tables back to the dishwashing area must be separate.
  • Integration Example: If you have the hybrid service model, your floorplan must have a dedicated counter for ordering/takeaway (for lunch service) and a clear, well-organised seating plan for table service (for dinner service). The kitchen layout itself must support the menu (e.g., dedicated stations for Pho/Noodles, Grills, and Cold Rolls).

A functional 200m2 50-seat restaurant floorplan for the HOS702 hospitality project, showing an efficient kitchen layout, bar, and guest flow for a hybrid service model

3.3. Organisational Structure & Staffing: The “Engine”

This is the single most critical element for financial integration, and the one most students fail. Your lecturer’s feedback was explicit: “Roster details are missing: this is a key omission.”

This task blends operational planning with human resource management. Our experts identify this as the number one failure point in hospitality projects. You cannot complete the financials for your hospitality project without a fully costed weekly roster.

Creating Your Organisational Chart

Start simple. This chart defines the hierarchy and reporting lines for your hospitality project.

• Level 1: Owner / Venue Manager (You – Full-Time Salary)
• Level 2: Head Chef (Full-Time Salary)
• Level 3: Sous Chef (Full-Time), FOH Supervisor (Part-Time)
• Level 4: Casual Staff (Chefs, Kitchen Hands, FOH Servers, Barista)

Building and Costing Your Roster (Indicative Roster.csv)

This is where you integrate your operational plan (hours, service style) with your financial plan (labour costs).

• Step 1: Map Your Hours. You are open Tues-Sun, 9 am-3 pm (6 hrs) and 5 pm-8 pm (3 hrs). That’s 9 hours of service per day. But staff work outside these hours (prep/setup from 7 am, close/clean until 10 pm).
• Step 2: Staffing per Shift (Based on Service Style).
  • Lunch (Tues-Fri, 9-3): Needs 1x Manager, 1x Chef, 1x Kitchen Hand, 1x FOH Counter/Barista. (Low traffic).
  • Dinner (Tues-Thurs, 5-8): Needs 1x Manager, 1x Head Chef, 1x Kitchen Hand, 2x FOH Servers. (Medium traffic).
  • Weekend (Fri-Sun, all day): Needs peak staffing. 1x Manager, 1x Head Chef, 1x Sous Chef, 2x Kitchen Hands, 3x FOH Servers. (High traffic).
• Step 3: Cost the Roster. This is where you use the Indicative Roster.csv and the (updated 2025) award rates. You must calculate the total weekly wage bill.
  • Example Calculation:
  • 2x Full-Time (Manager, Head Chef) @ ~$80,000/year salary each (incl. super) = $3,076 / week
  • Casuals: Let’s estimate 150 hours of casual work per week (covering all shifts) at a blended average rate of $35/hour (incl. weekend penalty rates). 150 * $35 = $5,250 / week.
  • Total Weekly Wages: $3,076 + $5,250 = $8,326
  • Total Annual Wages: $8,326 * 52 = $432,952

This $432,952 figure is the engine of your P&L. Now, and only now, can you tackle the financials.

Part 4: Technical Excellence: Mastering Your Hospitality Project Financials

Welcome to the most technical—and most important—part of your hospitality project portfolio. You are provided with a complete budget template. Your job is to fill it with justified, integrated data. Your lecturer will check this first. Getting these spreadsheets right is a common hurdle, and many students seek help to ensure accuracy.

4.1. The Three Pillars of Restaurant Finance: COGS, Labour, Rent

Your restaurant’s success essentially hinges on controlling three key expenses.

• First, Cost of Goods Sold (COGS): 28-35% of revenue.
• Second, Labour Costs: 25-35% of revenue.
• Finally, Rent: 6-10% of revenue.

Consequently, if these three costs combined exceed 75% of your revenue, you are in the ‘danger zone.’ As a result, there is little-to-no profit left for your hospitality project.

4.2. Deep Dive: Establishment Costs (Establishment Costs.csv)

Next, this is your start-up cost. The template guides you:

• Regarding Restaurant Fitout: Your .pptx estimates $180,000, whereas your template Establishment Costs.csv suggests $225,000. This is a realistic figure for a 200m2 venue. Crucially, you must justify this with a quote (e.g., from a real fit-out company).
• Furthermore, Equipment: Your .pptx estimates $53,000. This must be itemised based on your menu (e.g., Combi Oven: $15,000; Walk-in Coolroom: $10,000; Coffee Machine: $5,000; POS System: $2,000, etc.).
• In addition, Initial Stock & Cash: You need food, drinks, and cash in the till before you make your first sale. Your template estimates $\sim\$73,000$.
• Ultimately, Total Establishment Cost: The template example reaches $416,796. This is the total loan or investment you need. Moreover, this number is the ‘I’ (Investment) in ‘ROI.’

4.3. Deep Dive: The Profit & Loss (P&L) (Profit & Loss.csv)

This is your operating budget. Will you make money or lose money each year?

Step 1: Calculate Total Income (Income Calculation .csv)

Your .pptx and Income Calculation sheet provide the basis.

• Diners: 60 pax/day @ $40 avg. spend = $2,400
• Takeaway: 20 pax/day @ $30 avg. spend = $600
• Total Daily Revenue: $3,000
• Operating Days per Year: 6 days/week * 52 weeks = 312 days
• Total Annual Income (Revenue): $3,000 * 312 = $936,000

(Note: Your .pptx calculated $1,092,000, which implies 364 operating days. Our 312-day calculation is more realistic for a Tues-Sun operation. You MUST justify your final number.)

Let’s use $936,000 as our Total Annual Income.

Step 2: Calculate COGS & Gross Profit

• Total Income: $936,000 (100%)
• COGS: You must use your own costings. Let’s assume you balanced your menu to achieve a blended 35% COGS.
• COGS = $936,000 * 0.35 = $327,600
• GROSS PROFIT: $936,000 – $327,600 = $608,400 (65% GP)
• This is a healthy Gross Profit$327,600 = $608,400 (65% GP)
• This is a healthy Gross Profit.

Step 3: Calculate Expenditure (OpEx)

This is where your roster calculation becomes vital.

• Labour (Wages): From our roster calculation in Part 3.3, our Total Annual Wages = $432,952.
• On-Costs (Superannuation): You must add ~11-12% (Super) + WorkCover + Payroll Tax. This adds ~15% to your wage bill.
  • Total Labour Cost = $432,952 * 1.15 = $497,894
• Rent: A 200m2 space in Footscray might be $80,000/year.
• Utilities (Gas, Electric, Water): The template estimates ~$28,829. This is reasonable.
• Other Costs: Marketing, insurance, consumables, bank fees, etc. (Estimate ~$50,000).

Step 4: Calculate Net Profit & Labour %

• Gross Profit: $608,400
• Total Expenditure (OpEx): $497,894 (Labour) + $80,000 (Rent) + $28,829 (Utilities) + $50,000 (Other) = $656,723
• NET PROFIT (EBITDA): $608,400 – $656,723 = -$48,323 (A LOSS!)

For 90% of students, this is the ‘moment of truth’. You have proven that your initial hospitality project concept (service style, opening hours) is not financially viable.

4.4. The Bottom Line: Justifying Your Hospitality Project’s ROI

Your job now is to fix the model. Your report must explain this discovery and propose a solution.

How to Fix the Model (The Justification) Your report should state: “Our initial financial model (Appendix A) revealed a net loss of $48,323, driven by a non-viable labour cost of 53.2%. This was caused by a full table-service model across all opening hours. To achieve profitability, we have revised the operational plan (Appendix B).”

The Revisions: Creating a Profitable Model

• Change Service Model: Move to a 100% “Premium Counter & QR Order” model.
• Roster Revision: New calculation: 2x FT ($3,076/wk) + 70 Casual hours ($2,450/wk) = $5,526/wk.
• New Total Labour Cost: $5,526 * 52 * 1.15 (On-Costs) = $330,236.

Rerunning the P&L (The Solution)

Now, let’s run the P&L again with the new, leaner labour cost:

• Gross Profit: $608,400
• New Total OpEx: $330,236 (Labour) + $80,000 (Rent) + $28,829 (Utilities) + $50,000 (Other) = $489,065
• NEW NET PROFIT (EBITDA): $608,400 – $489,065 = $119,335

Now, your lecturer is impressed. You have used the tools to solve a real-world business problem.

Finally: Calculate Your Return on Investment (ROI) Your lecturer’s feedback states: “expected restaurant ROI typically ranges between 4–10%.”

• ROI = Net Profit / Establishment Cost
• ROI = $119,335 / $416,796 = 28.6%

This is an excellent ROI. You can confidently state in your report: “The revised model, detailed in Appendix B, projects a first-year Net Profit of $119,335. This represents a robust ROI of 28.6%, significantly exceeding industry benchmarks and demonstrating a highly viable hospitality project concept.”

Part 5: Assembling Your Final Hospitality Project: Storytelling & Professionalism

You have the data. You have the concept. Now, you must package it professionally. Your lecturer’s feedback was: “ensure all visuals, menu design, and layout plans appear as an integrated package.”

5.1. The Report Component: Your Hospitality Project’s Strategic Narrative

Your 1600-word hospitality project report is not a summary of your spreadsheets. It is the strategic narrative that justifies every choice and connects every document. Use the “TEEL” (Topic, Evidence, Explanation, Link) method for your key paragraphs.

Example Paragraph (TEEL): (T) The financial viability of ‘Taste of Hue’ is contingent on a tightly controlled labour model, which we project at 35.3% of revenue. (E) As demonstrated in the P&L (Appendix B), our initial model resulted in a 53.2% labour cost and a net loss, which was operationally unacceptable. (E) This was rectified by redesigning the service model from full-table service to a premium counter/QR system, which, as shown in the revised roster (Appendix C), reduced weekly FOH casual hours by 80. (L) This single strategic shift, which aligns our service style with the fast-casual market, directly results in a projected net profit of $119,335 and a viable 28.6% ROI.

5.2. Professional Polish and a Final Submission Checklist

This is where you earn marks for professionalism.

• Coherent Design: Does the logo and font on your Menu match your Moodboard and the cover page of your Report?
• Clear Referencing: Are your spreadsheets (Appendices) clearly labelled and referenced in your report? .
• Readability: Are your financials clean? Do the totals add up? (Your lecturer noted “current totals do not roll up accurately” in the initial feedback—this is a fatal error).
• File Formats: Submit your portfolio as a single PDF (Report + Appendices) and your working Excel spreadsheets, as required by the brief.

Your Submission-Ready Checklist:

• ] Does my hospitality project report justify my concept with market research?
• [ ] Does my floorplan match my service style?
• [ ] Does my menu inform my equipment list and my COGS calculation?
• [ ] Have I created a full weekly roster based on my opening hours?
• [ ] Are the total costs from my roster exactly the same as the “Wages” line in my P&L?
• [ ] Have I calculated my Labour % and COGS %? Are they realistic?
• [ ] Have I calculated my final Net Profit and ROI?
• [ ] Does my report tell the story of how I integrated all these elements to create a profitable hospitality project?

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5.3. How MAAS Edtech Can Provide Expert Feedback on Your Hospitality Project

The HOS702 Project Restaurant is a complex, high-stakes hospitality project. This is where MAAS Edtech’s expert help becomes your strategic partner.

Why struggle with the parts you find most difficult? Our team of PhD-level academics and industry experts (many from top Australian universities) are here to ensure your portfolio is flawless.

• Stuck on the Financials? Your lecturer will find errors in your spreadsheets. Our experts will personally audit your P&L, Establishment Costs, and Roster. We will fix the broken formulas, align your numbers with industry benchmarks, and ensure your ROI is realistic and justified.
• Roster and Staffing Giving You a Headache? This is a task.Our HRM specialists will first build your roster, then calculate your exact annual labour cost (including on-costs and penalty rates), and ultimately justify your staffing structure based on your service model.
• Report Lacks Professional Polish? Your 1600-word report needs to be a persuasive business proposal. Our experts will help you craft a powerful narrative, ensuring your “integration” is perfectly articulated and every claim is backed by the data in your appendices.
• Worried About the “Whole Package”? We offer a comprehensive review of your entire HOS702 hospitality project portfolio. We will check your branding, your layout’s functionality, your menu’s profitability, and your report’s professionalism. We don’t just ‘do’ your assignment; we elevate your work to a High Distinction standard.

Do not leave your 50% grade to chance. Contact MAAS Edtech today. Let our experts provide the targeted feedback and professional support you need to turn your “Taste of Hue” concept into an A+ portfolio.