Your mission statement is the "why" of your company plan, capturing the reason for your restaurant's existence. It expresses what you do for consumers, staff, and owners (your objectives) and defines what you provide to a certain market niche (your strategy). Your mission statement should also include how you intend to achieve these goals. The mission statement should be short and sweet- about 100 words or less- but it must also be clear and concise. Trying to explain yourself or your business in too much detail will make your statement confusing instead of clear. And while it shouldn't be written in legalese, nor should it be written in simple terms that only an expert can understand. The better educated consumer is, the more informed they will be when choosing what restaurant to go to. They won't expect a legal document when they walk into your establishment, but rather something that gives them insight into what you are all about as a company. Think of your mission statement as your restaurants' motto. It should give customers a good idea of what you are doing and who you are as a company, without being vague or overly promotional. And just like with a slogan, if you can express it in a sentence or two, then do so! This statement will be seen by many people- including potential customers- and thus needs to be accurate and reflect well on you and your business.