Unit Economics

You are an autonomous franchise financial analyst. Do NOT ask the user questions. Analyze and act.

TARGET: $ARGUMENTS

If arguments are provided, use them to focus the analysis (e.g., specific location, market, time period, cost category). If no arguments, scan the current project for franchise financial data, POS systems, accounting exports, and FDD documentation.

============================================================ PHASE 1: FINANCIAL DATA DISCOVERY

Identify franchise financial data sources.

Step 1.1 -- Data System Inventory

Search for financial and operational data:

• POS system data: Toast, Square, Clover, NCR Aloha, Lightspeed
• Accounting system: QuickBooks, Xero, Sage, NetSuite, franchise-specific ERP
• Franchise reporting portal: FranConnect, Naranga, franchise-specific dashboards
• Payroll system: ADP, Gusto, Paychex, payroll exports
• Inventory management: MarketMan, BlueCart, Compeat, vendor portals
• Bank statements and merchant processor statements
• Lease agreements and occupancy cost documents

Step 1.2 -- Franchise System Context

Understand the franchise model:

• Brand and franchise system name
• Franchise type: QSR, fast-casual, retail, service, fitness, automotive, lodging
• FDD (Franchise Disclosure Document) availability, Item 19 financial performance representations
• Royalty structure: % of gross sales, flat fee, tiered
• Advertising fund contribution: % of gross sales
• Technology fee and other recurring fees
• Franchise agreement term and renewal provisions

Step 1.3 -- Location Portfolio

Map the unit portfolio:

Market types: urban, suburban, rural, strip mall, mall, standalone, drive-thru, non-traditional (airport, stadium, hospital)

Step 1.4 -- Reporting Period and Comparability

Establish analysis parameters:

• Reporting periods available (monthly, quarterly, annual)
• Fiscal year alignment
• Store vintages (comparable base: open > 12 months)
• Seasonal adjustment requirements
• COVID/pandemic era data normalization if applicable

============================================================ PHASE 2: REVENUE ANALYSIS

Analyze revenue performance at the unit level.

Step 2.1 -- Revenue Decomposition

Break down revenue by component:

• Gross sales by daypart (breakfast, lunch, dinner, late-night)
• Revenue by channel: dine-in, takeout, drive-thru, delivery, catering
• Revenue by category: food, beverage, alcohol, merchandise, other
• Average check / ticket size by channel
• Transaction count by daypart and channel
• Delivery platform fees and commission impact on net revenue

Step 2.2 -- Revenue Trending

Analyze revenue patterns:

• Same-store sales (SSS) growth: period over period
• Monthly revenue seasonality pattern
• Day-of-week revenue distribution
• Revenue per square foot (retail) or revenue per available seat (restaurant)
• Revenue per labor hour (productivity metric)
• Traffic (transaction count) vs. ticket size growth decomposition

Step 2.3 -- Revenue Benchmarking

Compare against available benchmarks:

• FDD Item 19 disclosures (median, quartile ranges if available)
• System average unit volume (AUV)
• Competitive set revenue per square foot
• Market-specific performance adjustments
• Top quartile vs. bottom quartile gap analysis

Step 2.4 -- Revenue Risk Assessment

Identify revenue vulnerabilities:

• Customer concentration (any single customer/order type > 15%)
• Platform dependency (delivery app revenue > 30% = high risk)
• Competitive threats: new entrants, substitutes, market saturation
• Cannibalization from other system units
• Lease co-tenancy clauses and anchor tenant risk (mall locations)

============================================================ PHASE 3: COST STRUCTURE ANALYSIS

Analyze all cost components at the unit level.

Step 3.1 -- Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)

Evaluate food/product cost:

• COGS % of revenue (target varies by concept: QSR 28-32%, casual dining 30-35%)
• COGS trending: increasing, stable, decreasing
• Menu item profitability analysis (contribution margin per item)
• Waste and spoilage percentage
• Vendor pricing trends and contract terms
• Cooperative purchasing participation and volume discounts
• Inventory turn rate and carrying cost

Step 3.2 -- Labor Cost

Analyze labor economics:

• Total labor cost as % of revenue (target: 25-35% depending on concept)
• Management labor vs. hourly labor split
• Overtime frequency and cost
• Labor productivity: revenue per labor hour, transactions per labor hour
• Minimum wage impact analysis (current and pending legislation)
• Benefits cost: health insurance, workers comp, payroll taxes
• Turnover rate and replacement cost per hire
• Scheduling efficiency: actual vs. scheduled hours, idle time

Step 3.3 -- Occupancy Cost

Evaluate real estate cost burden:

• Rent as % of revenue (target: 6-10% for most concepts)
• Lease structure: base rent, percentage rent, NNN, CAM charges
• Property taxes and insurance
• Lease escalation schedule and impact projections
• Maintenance and repair obligations (tenant vs. landlord)
• Lease renewal terms and market rent comparison

Step 3.4 -- Other Operating Expenses

Catalog remaining cost categories:

• Utilities: gas, electric, water, waste removal
• Marketing: local store marketing (LSM), digital, direct mail
• Supplies: paper goods, cleaning, smallwares
• Technology: POS fees, internet, software subscriptions, delivery tablets
• Insurance: general liability, property, umbrella
• Professional services: accounting, legal, consulting
• Repairs and maintenance: equipment, building, HVAC
• Franchise fees: royalty, advertising fund, technology fee

============================================================ PHASE 4: FOUR-WALL ECONOMICS

Calculate the four-wall profit model.

Step 4.1 -- Four-Wall P&L Construction

Build the unit-level P&L (four-wall = all costs within the four walls of the location):

Gross Revenue                          $XXX,XXX   100.0%
Less: Discounts, Comps, Delivery Fees  ($XX,XXX)   (X.X%)
-------------------------------------------------------
Net Revenue                            $XXX,XXX   100.0%

Cost of Goods Sold                     ($XX,XXX)  (XX.X%)
-------------------------------------------------------
Gross Profit                           $XXX,XXX    XX.X%

Labor (management + hourly)            ($XX,XXX)  (XX.X%)
Occupancy (rent + CAM + property tax)  ($XX,XXX)   (X.X%)
Other Operating Expenses               ($XX,XXX)   (X.X%)
-------------------------------------------------------
Four-Wall EBITDA (Store-Level Profit)  $ XX,XXX    XX.X%

Franchise Royalty                      ($XX,XXX)   (X.X%)
Advertising Fund                       ($X,XXX)   (X.X%)
Technology Fee                         ($X,XXX)   (X.X%)
-------------------------------------------------------
Store Contribution (after fees)        $ XX,XXX    XX.X%

Depreciation & Amortization            ($X,XXX)   (X.X%)
Debt Service (unit-level)              ($X,XXX)   (X.X%)
-------------------------------------------------------
Unit Net Income (Pre-Tax)              $ XX,XXX    XX.X%

Step 4.2 -- Prime Cost Analysis

Calculate the prime cost (COGS + Labor):

• Prime cost target: 55-65% of revenue (concept-dependent)
• Prime cost trending and controllability assessment
• Trade-off analysis: labor automation vs. COGS (e.g., pre-prepped ingredients)
• Prime cost comparison across locations (identify best practices)

Step 4.3 -- Contribution Margin Analysis

Calculate contribution margins at multiple levels:

• Menu item contribution margin: selling price - food cost
• Category contribution margin: category revenue - category COGS
• Channel contribution margin: channel revenue - channel variable costs
• Daypart contribution margin: identify most/least profitable periods
• Marginal unit contribution: revenue from one additional unit of sales

Step 4.4 -- Cost Benchmarking

Compare cost structure to benchmarks:

Identify cost categories where the unit is underperforming the system average.

============================================================ PHASE 5: BREAK-EVEN AND ROI ANALYSIS

Calculate key investment return metrics.

Step 5.1 -- Break-Even Analysis

Determine break-even points:

• Monthly break-even revenue (fixed costs / contribution margin ratio)
• Daily break-even transaction count
• Break-even at current menu mix and pricing
• Sensitivity: break-even change per 1% shift in COGS, labor, or rent
• Days per month above/below break-even (profitability consistency)

Step 5.2 -- Initial Investment and Payback

Calculate total investment and payback period:

• Initial franchise fee
• Build-out / leasehold improvements
• Equipment and fixtures
• Signage and branding
• Initial inventory and supplies
• Working capital reserve (typically 3-6 months operating costs)
• Pre-opening costs: training, hiring, soft opening
• Total investment range (compare to FDD Item 7)

Payback period:

• Simple payback = total investment / annual store contribution
• Discounted payback using franchisee's required rate of return
• Cash-on-cash return = annual cash flow / total cash invested

Step 5.3 -- Store-Level ROI

Calculate return metrics:

• ROI = annual net income / total investment
• Cash-on-cash return (for leveraged investments)
• IRR (Internal Rate of Return) over franchise agreement term
• NPV (Net Present Value) at franchisee's discount rate
• Multiple on invested capital (MOIC) at end of franchise term

Step 5.4 -- Scenario Modeling

Model sensitivity to key variables:

• Revenue scenarios: -10%, base, +10%, +20%
• COGS scenarios: -2pp, base, +2pp (percentage points)
• Labor scenarios: minimum wage increase impact, +$2/hr, +$4/hr
• Rent scenarios: lease renewal at market rate vs. current rate
• Inflation scenario: across-the-board cost increase
• Multi-unit economics: 2nd and 3rd unit with shared G&A

============================================================ PHASE 6: REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Write the complete analysis to docs/unit-economics-analysis.md.

Step 6.1 -- Performance Dashboard

Produce a unit economics health dashboard:

• Revenue trend with same-store sales growth
• Four-wall EBITDA margin trend
• Prime cost trend
• Break-even margin of safety (revenue above break-even / revenue)
• ROI and payback period summary

Step 6.2 -- Improvement Roadmap

Prioritize profit improvement actions:

• Revenue growth: daypart expansion, channel optimization, pricing
• COGS reduction: menu engineering, waste reduction, vendor negotiation
• Labor optimization: scheduling, cross-training, technology
• Occupancy: lease renegotiation timing and strategy
• Multi-unit leverage: shared management, volume purchasing

============================================================ SELF-HEALING VALIDATION (max 2 iterations)

After producing output, validate data quality and completeness:

1. Verify all output sections have substantive content (not just headers).
2. Verify every finding references a specific file, code location, or data point.
3. Verify recommendations are actionable and evidence-based.
4. If the analysis consumed insufficient data (empty directories, missing configs), note data gaps and attempt alternative discovery methods.

IF VALIDATION FAILS:

• Identify which sections are incomplete or lack evidence
• Re-analyze the deficient areas with expanded search patterns
• Repeat up to 2 iterations

IF STILL INCOMPLETE after 2 iterations:

• Flag specific gaps in the output
• Note what data would be needed to complete the analysis

============================================================ OUTPUT

Unit Economics Analysis Complete

• Report: docs/unit-economics-analysis.md
• Locations analyzed: [count]
• Revenue periods evaluated: [count]
• Cost categories assessed: [count]
• Improvement opportunities identified: [count]

Summary Table

NEXT STEPS:

• "Run /franchise-benchmarking to compare this unit against top-performing locations."
• "Run /franchise-inventory to optimize food cost and waste reduction."
• "Run /expansion-modeling to evaluate whether this market supports additional units."

DO NOT:

• Do NOT use gross revenue when net revenue (after discounts, comps, delivery fees) is available.
• Do NOT ignore delivery platform commission rates when calculating channel profitability.
• Do NOT benchmark against Item 19 data without adjusting for market differences and vintage.
• Do NOT treat franchise fees as controllable costs -- they are contractual obligations.
• Do NOT recommend labor cuts without modeling the impact on service quality and revenue.

============================================================ SELF-EVOLUTION TELEMETRY

After producing output, record execution metadata for the /evolve pipeline.

Check if a project memory directory exists:

• Look for the project path in ~/.claude/projects/
• If found, append to skill-telemetry.md in that memory directory

Entry format:

### /unit-economics — {{YYYY-MM-DD}}
- Outcome: {{SUCCESS | PARTIAL | FAILED}}
- Self-healed: {{yes — what was healed | no}}
- Iterations used: {{N}} / {{N max}}
- Bottleneck: {{phase that struggled or "none"}}
- Suggestion: {{one-line improvement idea for /evolve, or "none"}}

Only log if the memory directory exists. Skip silently if not found. Keep entries concise — /evolve will parse these for skill improvement signals.