Shifting demographics and changing lifestyles are driving the surge in food-service businesses. Today’s busy consumers don’t have the time or the inclination to cook—they want tasty, nutritious meals without dishes to wash. More and more singles, working parents, and seniors are demanding greater convenience and are looking to restaurants and food services to fill that need.

There’s plenty of room for more food businesses, but for a successful startup you need more than just good recipes. You also need to know about planning, capitalization, inventory control, and payroll management. The staff of Entrepreneur has put together everything you need to know to start, run, and grow the successful restaurant or food service of your dreams.