sample of an fast food business plan

12+ SAMPLE Fast Food Business Plan in PDF | MS Word | Google Docs | Apple Pages

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Formal Fast Food Business Plan

• Mission statement
• Vision statement
• Overall concept
• Possible cost
• Possible ROI (return on investments)
• What will be the overall costs for your business?
• How will you choose your target market?
• How much will your product cost?
• What will be the best name for your business?
• What can be your brand marketing strategy ?
• How will you manage your financial projections?
• How can you build the pool of workers?
• How can you have a great menu design?
• How can you gain profit?
• What can be the contents of your business plan?

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Fast Food Business Plan Template [Updated 2024]

Fast Food Business Plan Template

If you want to start a Fast Food business or expand your current Fast Food business, you need a business plan.

The following Fast Food business plan template gives you the key elements to include in a winning Fast Food restaurant business plan. It can be used to create a takeout restaurant business plan, a quick service restaurant business plan or a traditional fast food plan.

You can download our Fast Food Business Plan Template (including a full, customizable financial model) to your computer here.

Below are links to each of the key sections of a Fast Food restaurant business plan sample:

I. Executive Summary II. Company Overview III. Industry Analysis IV. Customer Analysis V. Competitive Analysis VI. Marketing Plan VII. Operations Plan VIII. Management Team IX. Financial Plan

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Fast Food Business Plan Outline

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McDonald's hopes a $5 Meal Deal will win back inflation-weary customers

But putting the plan into action will depend on whether franchisees get on board.

McDonald’s wants to introduce a $5 meal deal in an effort to win over cash-strapped consumers .

Related Content

Bloomberg, citing anonymous sources with knowledge of the situation, reported that the bundle may consist of a McChicken or a McDouble with fries and a drink.

That strategy, however, may be difficult for the fast food chain to put into place, at least in the U.S., in part because McDonald’s relies tremendously on a franchised business model. About 93% of its restaurants are operated by franchisees.

It isn’t the first time the company has attempted to launch the $5 deal, according to the unnamed sources, who told the publication the chain fell short of getting approval after some franchisees said they worried they would lose cash on the initiative.

In March, the company said it would make its burgers bigger , up its chicken supply, and refine its coffee experience, all in a bid to get consumers back.

In states like California, where a new law introduced in April raised the minimum wage to $20 an hour, chains like McDonald’s are struggling to keep prices low .

McDonald’s value proposition also comes at a time when the chain, and other food giants, are dealing with high inflation and waning consumer demand .

But that hasn’t kept McDonald’s from pushing its value plan idea into international markets , according to CEO Chris Kempczinski.

“What we don’t have in the U.S. right now is a national value platform at the same time that our competitors are out there with the national value platform,” said Kempczinski during the company’s first quarter earnings call last month.

“So the opportunity for us in the U.S., I think, is to get more aligned as a system around a strong national value proposition, that we can then use our media scale to drive high consumer awareness on it,” he added.

McDonald’s did not respond to a request for comment.

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• Mediterranean Diet Meal Plans

7-Day Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan for Heart Health, Created by a Dietitian

Improve heart health and enjoy the flavors of the Mediterranean diet in this 7-day meal plan. Follow along to get started.

Emily Lachtrupp is a registered dietitian experienced in nutritional counseling, recipe analysis and meal plans. She's worked with clients who struggle with diabetes, weight loss, digestive issues and more. In her spare time, you can find her enjoying all that Vermont has to offer with her family and her dog, Winston.

Why This Meal Plan Is Great for You

• Mediterranean Diet & Heart Health
• Foods to Focus On
• Meal Prep Tips

Chicken Milanese: RACHEL MAREK. High-Protein Black Bean Breakfast Bowl: Ali Redmond.

The Mediterranean diet consistently ranks as one of the healthiest diets for the wide variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, proteins and other nutrient-dense foods it encourages. This flexible eating style has numerous health benefits and is more customizable than a restrictive eating plan, which makes it easier to incorporate in your routine. In the past, the focus of the Mediterranean diet has been on the traditional cuisine of larger countries like Italy, France, Spain and Greece. In reality, the Mediterranean region is very large and includes 22 countries spanning three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa. We’re refocusing our understanding of the Mediterranean diet and being more inclusive of all the countries (and flavor!) that this beautiful region has to offer. 

In this heart-healthy meal plan, we incorporate the principles of the Mediterranean diet by focusing on veggie-forward meals, fruits and a wide variety of proteins, healthy fats and whole grains. To support a healthy ticker, we limited saturated fat and sodium while including at least 33 grams a day of heart-healthy fiber . One principle of the Mediterranean diet is to cook and enjoy more meals at home, which research indicates can bring numerous health benefits. Consuming home-cooked meals at least five times in a week has the strongest correlation to improved health outcomes, including reducing cholesterol and decreasing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In this plan, we set the calories at 1,500 calories per day and included modifications for 1,200 and 2,000 calories per day to accommodate different calorie needs . As with all meal plans, this is meant to serve as a framework for a healthy eating plan. Make adjustments as needed to fit your taste preferences and routine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, definitely. Meal plans are meant to be enjoyed and to simplify your routine. If there’s a different option you prefer, feel free to make the swap. We have plenty of nutritious Mediterranean diet recipes to browse for inspiration. Depending on your household size, you could also opt for leftovers when you have them. In this plan, we set the calories at 1,500 calories per day and aimed for at least 70 grams of protein and at least 33 grams of heart-healthy fiber. To promote heart health, we capped the sodium at 1,500 milligrams per day and capped the saturated fat at no more than 12 grams per day, with a higher saturated fat allowance on days we include fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon.

Absolutely. If you prefer to eat the same breakfast or lunch each day, that works. Each breakfast is roughly 350 to 400 calories and each lunch is about 300 to 400 calories. The meals are similar enough in calories that a simple swap can still help you meet your nutrition goals. That said, if you’re closely tracking calories, you’ll want to make sure to make adjustments in the rest of your routine.

The Mediterranean diet is a nutrient-rich style of eating that focuses on a wide variety of healthy foods. Because of its focus on plant-based foods, it tends to be high in fiber, which is an important nutrient for heart health. It also emphasizes cooking more meals at home, which brings many health benefits, including a reduced sodium intake compared to eating more meals out.

Can the Mediterranean Diet Improve Heart Health?

Research links adherence to the Mediterranean diet with improved cardiovascular outcomes and a reduced risk of death from heart-related causes. Specifically, a high intake of vegetables, legumes and nuts combined with a high intake of monounsaturated fats and a lower intake of saturated fats was associated with lower all-cause mortality. And, a high vegetable intake was significantly associated with lower cardiovascular-related mortality. The American Heart Association endorses the Mediterranean-style diet as a heart-healthy eating plan that aligns with their recommendations. Check out 7 Ways to Follow the Mediterranean Diet for Better Health for more tips on how to incorporate Mediterranean diet habits into your routine. 

Heart-Healthy Foods to Focus On:

• Whole grains (bulgur, quinoa, oats, freekeh, brown rice, whole wheat and more)
• Nuts and natural nut butters
• Olive oil, avocado oil, sesame oil and other monounsaturated fats
• Dairy, especially fermented dairy like yogurt and kefir
• Herbs and spices

How to Meal-Prep Your Week of Meals:

• Make Triple-Berry Blended Oats to have for breakfast on Days 2 through 5.
• Prepare Chopped Salad with Chickpeas, Olives & Feta to have for lunch on Days 2 through 4.

Ali Redmond

Breakfast (396 calories)

• 1 serving High-Protein Black Bean Breakfast Bowl

A.M. Snack (131 calories)

• 1 large pear

Lunch (409 calories)

• 1 serving Green Goddess Wrap
• 1 (5.3-oz.) container low-fat plain strained (Greek-style) yogurt

P.M. Snack (59 calories)

• 1 medium peach

Dinner (526 calories)

• 1 serving Crispy Salmon Rice Bowl  

Daily Totals: 1,521 calories, 65g fat, 13g saturated fat, 74g protein, 175g carbohydrate, 39g fiber, 1,467mg sodium

Make it 1,200 calories: Change A.M. snack to 1 plum, omit yogurt at lunch and change dinner to 1 serving Sheet-Pan Chili-Lime Salmon with Potatoes & Peppers .

Make it 2,000 calories: Add ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds to A.M. snack, add 2 Tbsp. sliced almonds and ¼ cup blueberries to lunch, and add 1 cup edamame in pods to P.M. snack.

Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco

Breakfast (390 calories)

• 1 serving Triple-Berry Blended Oats

A.M. Snack (192 calories)

• ½ cup blackberries
• 1 Tbsp. chia seeds

Lunch (351 calories)

• 1 serving Chopped Salad with Chickpeas, Olives & Feta  
• 1 medium apple

P.M. Snack (206 calories)

• ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds

Dinner (384 calories)

• 1 serving Chicken Milanese with Arugula-Cherry Tomato Salad
• ½ cup cooked quinoa

Daily Totals: 1,522 calories, 67g fat, 11g saturated fat, 80g protein, 160g carbohydrate, 38g fiber, 1,147mg sodium

Make it 1,200 calories: Omit yogurt and chia seeds at A.M. snack and change P.M. snack to ¼ cup blueberries.

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 3/4 cup nonfat plain kefir to breakfast, add 2 servings Blueberry-Pecan Energy Balls to A.M. snack, and add 2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter to the apple at lunch.

A.M. Snack (180 calories)

• 1 cup edamame, in pods

P.M. Snack (183 calories)

• ¾ cup low-fat plain strained (Greek-style) yogurt

Dinner (415 calories)

• 1 serving Spinach-Mushroom Frittata with Avocado Salad

Daily Totals: 1,518 calories, 66g fat, 12g saturated fat, 76g protein, 170g carbohydrate, 40g fiber, 1,354mg sodium

Make it 1,200 calories: Change A.M. snack to 1 plum and change P.M. snack to 1 clementine.

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter to the apple at lunch and add ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds and 1 medium orange as an evening snack.

Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

P.M. Snack (125 calories)

• 1 cup nonfat plain kefir
• 1 clementine

Dinner (463 calories)

• 1 serving Stuffed Cabbage Soup
• 2 cups mixed greens
• 1 serving Balsamic Vinaigrette

Meal-Prep Tip: Reserve one serving Stuffed Cabbage Soup to have for lunch tomorrow.

Daily Totals: 1,505 calories, 69g protein, 12g saturated fat, 70g protein, 164g carbohydrate, 37g fiber, 1,318mg sodium

Make it 1,200 calories: Change A.M. snack to ½ cup sliced strawberries and omit side salad at dinner.

Make it 2,000 calories: Add ¾ cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt to breakfast, add ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds to P.M. snack, and add ½ an avocado, sliced, to dinner.

Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell

A.M. Snack (152 calories)

• 1 medium orange

Lunch (300 calories)

P.m. snack (105 calories).

• 1 medium banana

Dinner (537 calories)

• 1 serving Slow-Cooker Marry Me Chicken with Barley

Daily Totals: 1,483 calories, 51g fat, 12g saturated fat, 80g protein, 184g carbohydrate 33g fiber, 1,320mg sodium

Make it 1,200 calories: Change A.M. snack to 1 plum and change dinner to 1 serving Anti-Inflammatory Chicken & Beet Salad .

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 (5.3-oz.) container low-fat plain Greek yogurt to breakfast, add 2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter to P.M. snack, and add 1 serving Massaged Kale Salad to dinner.

Photographer: Greg DuPree, Prop stylist: Shell Royster, Food stylist: Emily Hall

Breakfast (343 calories)

• 1 cup low-fat plain strained (Greek-style) yogurt
• 3 Tbsp. chopped almonds
• ½ cup sliced strawberries

A.M. Snack (162 calories)

• ¾ cup nonfat plain kefir

Lunch (402 calories)

P.m. snack (180 calories), dinner (398 calories).

• 1 serving Creamy Pesto Shrimp with Gnocchi & Peas

Daily Totals: 1,488 calories, 58g fat, 11g saturated fat, 86g protein, 172g carbohydrate, 34g fiber, 1,215mg sodium

Make it 1,200 calories: Omit banana at lunch and change A.M. snack to ¼ cup blueberries.

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 serving Peanut Butter & Chia Berry Jam English Muffin to breakfast, add 1 medium orange to P.M. snack, and add 1 serving Traditional Greek Salad to dinner.

Photography: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Kelsey Moylan, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco

Lunch (358 calories)

P.m. snack (237 calories), dinner (416 calories).

• 1 serving Perfect Pan-Seared Chicken Breasts
• 1 serving Cabbage Caesar Salad

Daily Totals: 1,485 calories, 74g fat, 12g saturated fat, 90g protein, 131g carbohydrate, 31g fiber, 1,468mg sodium

Make it 1,200 calories: Change A.M. snack to ½ cup blueberries and omit almonds at P.M snack.

U.S. News and World Reports. U.S. News Reveals the 2024 Best Diets .

European Environment Agency. Mediterranean Sea region briefing - The European environment — state and outlook 2015 .

Mills S, Brown H, Wrieden W, White M, Adams J. Frequency of eating home cooked meals and potential benefits for diet and health: cross-sectional analysis of a population-based cohort study . Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act . doi:10.1186/s12966-017-0567-y

Fan H, Wang Y, Ren Z, et al. Mediterranean diet lowers all-cause and cardiovascular mortality for patients with metabolic syndrome . Diabetol Metab Syndr . doi:10.1186/s13098-023-01052-7

American Heart Association. What is the Mediterranean Diet?

Related Articles

Don't worry, your Shake Shack burger shouldn't get any more expensive this year

• Shake Shack doesn't currently plan to increase prices again this year, CFO Katie Fogertey said.
• Overall, menu prices went up in the mid-single digits in the quarter, she said.
• Californian prices rose by 7%, driven by the state's new $20-an-hour wage for fast-food workers.

Shake Shack says it could freeze prices for the remainder of the year.

Some diners have said that rising prices at fast-food and fast-casual chains are putting them off. At earnings calls this week, executives from chains including McDonald's and Starbucks said that customers were increasingly focused on value.

Shake Shack raised menu prices by about 3% in mid-March, CFO Katie Fogertey told investors on Thursday.

The burger and frozen custard chain had already also raised menu prices for delivery through its app and website by 5% in January, she said. This had pushed up prices on third-party delivery orders, where Shake Shack charges a 15% premium compared to ordering through the company directly, she said.

Overall, menu prices went up in the mid-single digits in the quarter, Fogertey said.

Related stories

"We have no current plans to further increase price this year," she said.

Shake Shack CEO Randy Garutti said that some of its lower-income customers were "probably trading down from time-to-time," though he didn't say whether they were switching to cheaper chains or cooking at home instead.

The price increases this year were introduced to address food and wage inflation, Fogertey said. She said that the March rises came from a roughly 7% price increase in California, with prices elsewhere going up by between 2% and 2.5%, which she said was "very consistent with historical pricing practices" at the chain.

California boosted the minimum wage for fast-food workers to $20 an hour on April 1 , up from the state's general minimum wage of $16. The new legislation applies to limited-service chains with at least 60 locations across the US.

Many restaurants have pushed some of their higher payrolls onto diners by raising menu prices, like at Shake Shack. Some have also tried to cut their costs by stopping hiring , turning to automation and technology like digital order kiosks , or delaying renovations .

Shack Shack's same-restaurant sales were up 1.6% year-over-year in the quarter, a huge slump compared to the 10.3% jump in same-restaurant sales from 2022 to 2023. It attributed the drop in the rate of growth of comparable sales to a 2.1% fall in traffic, believed to have been mainly caused by poor weather.

The company estimated that it missed out on about $3 million in sales due to weather as customers dined out less and its restaurants cut their hours or even temporarily closed.

Is fast food too expensive? Email this reporter at [email protected].

Watch: We bought all the fast-food chicken sandwiches in the US and UK to compare the differences

• Main content

Fast Food Business Plan Template

Fast food operations plan.

While the earlier sections of your business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes  include all of the tasks involved in running your fast food business such as serving customers, training employees, procuring supplies, keeping the store clean, etc.

Long-term goals  are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to serve your 10,000th customer, or when you hope to reach $X in sales. It could also be when you expect to hire your Xth employee or launch a new location.

FAST FOOD BUSINESS PLAN OUTLINE

• Fast Food Business Plan Home
• 1. Executive Summary
• 2. Company Overview
• 3. Industry Analysis
• 4. Customer Analysis
• 5. Competitive Analysis
• 6. Marketing Plan
• 7. Operations Plan
• 8. Management Team
• 9. Financial Plan
• 10. Appendix
• Fast Food Business Plan Summary

Start Your Fast Food Plan Here

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Follow these tips to quickly develop a working business plan from this sample.

1. Don't worry about finding an exact match

We have over 550 sample business plan templates . So, make sure the plan is a close match, but don't get hung up on the details.

Your business is unique and will differ from any example or template you come across. So, use this example as a starting point and customize it to your needs.

2. Remember it's just an example

Our sample business plans are examples of what one business owner did. That doesn't make them perfect or require you to cram your business idea to fit the plan structure.

Use the information, financials, and formatting for inspiration. It will speed up and guide the plan writing process.

3. Know why you're writing a business plan

To create a plan that fits your needs , you need to know what you intend to do with it.

Are you planning to use your plan to apply for a loan or pitch to investors? Then it's worth following the format from your chosen sample plan to ensure you cover all necessary information.

But, if you don't plan to share your plan with anyone outside of your business—you likely don't need everything.

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A Plan to Remake the Middle East

While talks for a cease-fire between israel and hamas continue, another set of negotiations is happening behind the scenes..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

From New York Times, I’m Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily.

[MUSIC CONTINUES]

Today, if and when Israel and Hamas reach a deal for a ceasefire fire, the United States will immediately turn to a different set of negotiations over a grand diplomatic bargain that it believes could rebuild Gaza and remake the Middle East. My colleague Michael Crowley has been reporting on that plan and explains why those involved in it believe they have so little time left to get it done.

It’s Wednesday, May 8.

Michael, I want to start with what feels like a pretty dizzying set of developments in this conflict over the past few days. Just walk us through them?

Well, over the weekend, there was an intense round of negotiations in an effort, backed by the United States, to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza war.

The latest ceasefire proposal would reportedly see as many as 33 Israeli hostages released in exchange for potentially hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

US officials were very eager to get this deal.

Pressure for a ceasefire has been building ahead of a threatened Israeli assault on Rafah.

Because Israel has been threatening a military offensive in the Southern Palestinian city of Rafah, where a huge number of people are crowded.

Fleeing the violence to the North. And now they’re packed into Rafah. Exposed and vulnerable, they need to be protected.

And the US says it would be a humanitarian catastrophe on top of the emergency that’s already underway.

Breaking news this hour — very important breaking news. An official Hamas source has told The BBC that it does accept a proposal for a ceasefire deal in Gaza.

And for a few hours on Monday, it looked like there might have been a major breakthrough when Hamas put out a statement saying that it had accepted a negotiating proposal.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the ceasefire proposal does not meet his country’s requirements. But Netanyahu says he will send a delegation of mediators to continue those talks. Now, the terms —

But those hopes were dashed pretty quickly when the Israelis took a look at what Hamas was saying and said that it was not a proposal that they had agreed to. It had been modified.

And overnight —

Israeli troops stormed into Rafah. Video showing tanks crashing over a sign at the entrance of the city.

— the Israelis launched a partial invasion of Rafah.

It says Hamas used the area to launch a deadly attack on Israeli troops over the weekend.

And they have now secured a border crossing at the Southern end of Gaza and are conducting targeted strikes. This is not yet the full scale invasion that President Biden has adamantly warned Israel against undertaking, but it is an escalation by Israel.

So while all that drama might suggest that these talks are in big trouble, these talks are very much still alive and ongoing and there is still a possibility of a ceasefire deal.

And the reason that’s so important is not just to stop the fighting in Gaza and relieve the suffering there, but a ceasefire also opens the door to a grand diplomatic bargain, one that involves Israel and its Arab neighbors and the Palestinians, and would have very far-reaching implications.

And what is that grand bargain. Describe what you’re talking about?

Well, it’s incredibly ambitious. It would reshape Israel’s relationship with its Arab neighbors, principally Saudi Arabia. But it’s important to understand that this is a vision that has actually been around since well before October 7. This was a diplomatic project that President Biden had been investing in and negotiating actually in a very real and tangible way long before the Hamas attacks and the Gaza war.

And President Biden was looking to build on something that President Trump had done, which was a series of agreements that the Trump administration struck in which Israel and some of its Arab neighbors agreed to have normal diplomatic relations for the first time.

Right, they’re called the Abraham Accords.

That’s right. And, you know, Biden doesn’t like a lot of things, most things that Trump did. But he actually likes this, because the idea is that they contribute to stability and economic integration in the Middle East, the US likes Israel having friends and likes having a tight-knit alliance against Iran.

President Biden agrees with the Saudis and with the Israelis, that Iran is really the top threat to everybody here. So, how can you build on this? How can you expand it? Well, the next and biggest step would be normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

And the Saudis have made clear that they want to do this and that they’re ready to do this. They weren’t ready to do it in the Trump years. But Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, has made clear he wants to do it now.

So this kind of triangular deal began to take shape before October 7, in which the US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia would enter this three way agreement in which everyone would get something that they wanted.

And just walk through what each side gets in this pre-October 7th version of these negotiations?

So for Israel, you get normalized ties with its most important Arab neighbor and really the country that sets the tone for the whole Muslim world, which is Saudi Arabia of course. It makes Israel feel safer and more secure. Again, it helps to build this alliance against Iran, which Israel considers its greatest threat, and it comes with benefits like economic ties and travel and tourism. And Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been very open, at least before October 7th, that this was his highest diplomatic and foreign policy priority.

For the Saudis, the rationale is similar when it comes to Israel. They think that it will bring stability. They like having a more explicitly close ally against Iran. There are economic and cultural benefits. Saudi Arabia is opening itself up in general, encouraging more tourism.

But I think that what’s most important to the Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is what he can get from the United States. And what he has been asking for are a couple of essential things. One is a security agreement whose details have always been a little bit vague, but I think essentially come down to reliable arms supplies from the United States that are not going to be cut off or paused on a whim, as he felt happened when President Biden stopped arms deliveries in 2021 because of how Saudi was conducting its war in Yemen. The Saudis were furious about that.

Saudi Arabia also wants to start a domestic nuclear power program. They are planning for a very long-term future, possibly a post-oil future. And they need help getting a nuclear program off the ground.

And they want that from the US?

And they want that from the US.

Now, those are big asks from the us. But from the perspective of President Biden, there are some really enticing things about this possible agreement. One is that it will hopefully produce more stability in the region. Again, the US likes having a tight-knit alliance against Iran.

The US also wants to have a strong relationship with Saudi Arabia. You know, despite the anger at Mohammed bin Salman over the murder of the Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi, the Biden administration recognizes that given the Saudis control over global oil production and their strategic importance in the Middle East, they need to have a good relationship with them. And the administration has been worried about the influence of China in the region and with the Saudis in particular.

So this is an opportunity for the US to draw the Saudis closer. Whatever our moral qualms might be about bin Salman and the Saudi government, this is an opportunity to bring the Saudis closer, which is something the Biden administration sees as a strategic benefit.

All three of these countries — big, disparate countries that normally don’t see eye-to-eye, this was a win-win-win on a military, economic, and strategic front.

That’s right. But there was one important actor in the region that did not see itself as winning, and that was the Palestinians.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

First, it’s important to understand that the Palestinians have always expected that the Arab countries in the Middle East would insist that Israel recognize a Palestinian state before those countries were willing to essentially make total peace and have normal relations with Israel.

So when the Abraham Accords happened in the Trump administration, the Palestinians felt like they’d been thrown under the bus because the Abraham Accords gave them virtually nothing. But the Palestinians did still hold out hope that Saudi Arabia would be their savior. And for years, Saudi Arabia has said that Israel must give the Palestinians a state if there’s going to be a normal relationship between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Now the Palestinians see the Saudis in discussions with the US and Israel about a normalization agreement, and there appears to be very little on offer for the Palestinians. And they are feeling like they’re going to be left out in the cold here.

Right. And in the minds of the Palestinians, having already been essentially sold out by all their other Arab neighbors, the prospect that Saudi Arabia, of all countries, the most important Muslim Arab country in the region, would sell them out, had to be extremely painful.

It was a nightmare scenario for them. And in the minds of many analysts and US officials, this was a factor, one of many, in Hamas’s decision to stage the October 7th attacks.

Hamas, like other Palestinian leaders, was seeing the prospect that the Middle East was moving on and essentially, in their view, giving up on the Palestinian cause, and that Israel would be able to have friendly, normal relations with Arab countries around the region, and that it could continue with hardline policies toward the Palestinians and a refusal, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said publicly, to accept a Palestinian state.

Right. So Michael, once Hamas carries out the October 7th attacks in an effort to destroy a status quo that it thinks is leaving them less and less relevant, more and more hopeless, including potentially this prospect that Saudi Arabia is going to normalize relations with Israel, what happens to these pre-October 7th negotiations between the US, Saudi Arabia, and Israel?

Well, I think there was a snap assumption that these talks were dead and buried. That they couldn’t possibly survive a cataclysm like this.

But then something surprising happened. It became clear that all the parties were still determined to pull-off the normalization.

And most surprisingly of all, perhaps, was the continued eagerness of Saudi Arabia, which publicly was professing outrage over the Israeli response to the Hamas attacks, but privately was still very much engaged in these conversations and trying to move them forward.

And in fact, what has happened is that the scope of this effort has grown substantially. October 7th didn’t kill these talks. It actually made them bigger, more complicated, and some people would argue, more important than ever.

We’ll be right back.

Michael, walk us through what exactly happens to these three-way negotiations after October 7th that ends up making them, as you just said, more complicated and more important than ever?

Well, it’s more important than ever because of the incredible need in Gaza. And it’s going to take a deal like this and the approval of Saudi Arabia to unlock the kind of massive reconstruction project required to essentially rebuild Gaza from the rubble. Saudi Arabia and its Arab friends are also going to be instrumental in figuring out how Gaza is governed, and they might even provide troops to help secure it. None of those things are going to happen without a deal like this.

Fascinating.

But this is all much more complicated now because the price for a deal like this has gone up.

And by price, you mean?

What Israel would have to give up. [MUSIC PLAYING]

From Saudi Arabia’s perspective, you have an Arab population that is furious at Israel. It now feels like a really hard time to do a normalization deal with the Israelis. It was never going to be easy, but this is about as bad a time to do it as there has been in a generation at least. And I think that President Biden and the people around him understand that the status quo between Israel and the Palestinians is intolerable and it is going to lead to chaos and violence indefinitely.

So now you have two of the three parties to this agreement, the Saudis and the Americans, basically asking a new price after October 7th, and saying to the Israelis, if we’re going to do this deal, it has to not only do something for the Palestinians, it has to do something really big. You have to commit to the creation of a Palestinian state. Now, I’ll be specific and say that what you hear the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, say is that the agreement has to include an irreversible time-bound path to a Palestinian state.

We don’t know exactly what that looks like, but it’s some kind of a firm commitment, the likes of which the world and certainly the Israelis have not made before.

Something that was very much not present in the pre-October 7th vision of this negotiation. So much so that, as we just talked about, the Palestinians were left feeling completely out in the cold and furious at it.

That’s right. There was no sign that people were thinking that ambitiously about the Palestinians in this deal before October 7th. And the Palestinians certainly felt like they weren’t going to get much out of it. And that has completely changed now.

So, Michael, once this big new dimension after October 7th, which is the insistence by Saudi Arabia and the US that there be a Palestinian state or a path to a Palestinian state, what is the reaction specifically from Israel, which is, of course, the third major party to this entire conversation?

Well, Israel, or at least its political leadership, hates it. You know, this is just an extremely tough sell in Israel. It would have been a tough sell before October 7th. It’s even harder now.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is completely unrepentantly open in saying that there’s not going to be a Palestinian state on his watch. He won’t accept it. He says that it’s a strategic risk to his country. He says that it would, in effect, reward Hamas.

His argument is that terrorism has forced a conversation about statehood onto the table that wasn’t there before October 7th. Sure, it’s always in the background. It’s a perennial issue in global affairs, but it was not something certainly that the US and Israel’s Arab neighbors were actively pushing. Netanyahu also has — you know, he governs with the support of very right-wing members of a political coalition that he has cobbled together. And that coalition is quite likely to fall apart if he does embrace a Palestinian state or a path to a Palestinian state.

Now, he might be able to cobble together some sort of alternative, but it creates a political crisis for him.

And finally, you know, I think in any conversation about Israel, it’s worth bearing in mind something you hear from senior US officials these days, which is that although there is often finger pointing at Netanyahu and a desire to blame Netanyahu as this obstructionist who won’t agree to deals, what they say is Netanyahu is largely reflecting his population and the political establishment of his country, not just the right-wingers in his coalition who are clearly extremist.

But actually the prevailing views of the Israeli public. And the Israeli public and their political leaders across the spectrum right now with few exceptions, are not interested in talking about a Palestinian state when there are still dozens and dozens of Israeli hostages in tunnels beneath Gaza.

So it very much looks like this giant agreement that once seemed doable before October 7th might be more important to everyone involved than ever, given that it’s a plan for rebuilding Gaza and potentially preventing future October 7th’s from happening, but because of this higher price that Israel would have to pay, which is the acceptance of a Palestinian state, it seems from everything you’re saying, that this is more and more out of reach than ever before and hard to imagine happening in the immediate future. So if the people negotiating it are being honest, Michael, are they ready to acknowledge that it doesn’t look like this is going to happen?

Well, not quite yet. As time goes by, they certainly say it’s getting harder and harder, but they’re still trying, and they still think there’s a chance. But both the Saudis and the Biden administration understand that there’s very little time left to do this.

Well, what do you mean there’s very little time left? It would seem like time might benefit this negotiation in that it might give Israel distance from October 7th to think potentially differently about a Palestinian state?

Potentially. But Saudi Arabia wants to get this deal done in the Biden administration because Mohammed bin Salman has concluded this has to be done under a Democratic president.

Because Democrats in Congress are going to be very reluctant to approve a security agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia.

It’s important to understand that if there is a security agreement, that’s something Congress is going to have to approve. And you’re just not going to get enough Democrats in Congress to support a deal with Saudi Arabia, who a lot of Democrats don’t like to begin with, because they see them as human rights abusers.

But if a Democratic president is asking them to do it, they’re much more likely to go along.

Right. So Saudi Arabia fears that if Biden loses and Trump is president, that those same Democrats would balk at this deal in a way that they wouldn’t if it were being negotiated under President Biden?

Exactly. Now, from President Biden’s perspective, politically, think about a president who’s running for re-election, who is presiding right now over chaos in the Middle East, who doesn’t seem to have good answers for the Israeli-Palestinian question, this is an opportunity for President Biden to deliver what could be at least what he would present as a diplomatic masterstroke that does multiple things at once, including creating a new pathway for Israel and the Palestinians to coexist, to break through the logjam, even as he is also improving Israel’s relations with Saudi Arabia.

So Biden and the Crown Prince hope that they can somehow persuade Bibi Netanyahu that in spite of all the reasons that he thinks this is a terrible idea, that this is a bet worth taking on Israel’s and the region’s long-term security and future?

That’s right. Now, no one has explained very clearly exactly how this is going to work, and it’s probably going to require artful diplomacy, possibly even a scenario where the Israelis would agree to something that maybe means one thing to them and means something else to other people. But Biden officials refuse to say that it’s hopeless and they refuse to essentially take Netanyahu’s preliminary no’s for an answer. And they still see some way that they can thread this incredibly narrow needle.

Michael, I’m curious about a constituency that we haven’t been talking about because they’re not at the table in these discussions that we are talking about here. And that would be Hamas. How does Hamas feel about the prospect of such a deal like this ever taking shape. Do they see it as any kind of a victory and vindication for what they did on October 7th?

So it’s hard to know exactly what Hamas’s leadership is thinking. I think they can feel two things. I think they can feel on the one hand, that they have established themselves as the champions of the Palestinian people who struck a blow against Israel and against a diplomatic process that was potentially going to leave the Palestinians out in the cold.

At the same time, Hamas has no interest in the kind of two-state solution that the US is trying to promote. They think Israel should be destroyed. They think the Palestinian state should cover the entire geography of what is now Israel, and they want to lead a state like that. And that’s not something that the US, Saudi Arabia, or anyone else is going to tolerate.

So what Hamas wants is to fight, to be the leader of the Palestinian people, and to destroy Israel. And they’re not interested in any sort of a peace process or statehood process.

It seems very clear from everything you’ve said here that neither Israel nor Hamas is ready to have the conversation about a grand bargain diplomatic program. And I wonder if that inevitably has any bearing on the ceasefire negotiations that are going on right now between the two of them that are supposed to bring this conflict to some sort of an end, even if it’s just temporary?

Because if, as you said, Michael, a ceasefire opens the door to this larger diplomatic solution, and these two players don’t necessarily want that larger diplomatic solution, doesn’t that inevitably impact their enthusiasm for even reaching a ceasefire?

Well, it certainly doesn’t help. You know, this is such a hellish problem. And of course, you first have the question of whether Israel and Hamas can make a deal on these immediate issues, including the hostages, Palestinian prisoners, and what the Israeli military is going to do, how long a ceasefire might last.

But on top of that, you have these much bigger diplomatic questions that are looming over them. And it’s not clear that either side is ready to turn and face those bigger questions.

So while for the Biden administration and for Saudi Arabia, this is a way out of this crisis, these larger diplomatic solutions, it’s not clear that it’s a conversation that the two parties that are actually at war here are prepared to start having.

Well, Michael, thank you very much. We appreciate it.

On Tuesday afternoon, under intense pressure from the US, delegations from Israel and Hamas arrived in Cairo to resume negotiations over a potential ceasefire. But in a statement, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made clear that even with the talks underway, his government would, quote, “continue to wage war against Hamas.”

Here’s what else you need to know today. In a dramatic day of testimony, Stormy Daniels offered explicit details about an alleged sexual encounter with Donald Trump that ultimately led to the hush money payment at the center of his trial. Daniels testified that Trump answered the door in pajamas, that he told her not to worry that he was married, and that he did not use a condom when they had sex.

That prompted lawyers for Trump to seek a mistrial based on what they called prejudicial testimony. But the judge in the case rejected that request. And,

We’ve seen a ferocious surge of anti-Semitism in America and around the world.

In a speech on Tuesday honoring victims of the Holocaust, President Biden condemned what he said was the alarming rise of anti-Semitism in the United States after the October 7th attacks on Israel. And he expressed worry that too many Americans were already forgetting the horrors of that attack.

The Jewish community, I want you to know I see your fear, your hurt, and your pain. Let me reassure you, as your president, you’re not alone. You belong. You always have and you always will.

Today’s episode was produced by Nina Feldman, Clare Toeniskoetter, and Rikki Novetsky. It was edited by Liz O. Baylen, contains original music by Marion Lozano, Elisheba Ittoop, and Dan Powell, and was engineered by Alyssa Moxley. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly.

That’s it for The Daily. I’m Michael Barbaro. See you tomorrow.

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• May 8, 2024   •   28:28 A Plan to Remake the Middle East
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• May 6, 2024   •   29:23 R.F.K. Jr.’s Battle to Get on the Ballot
• May 3, 2024   •   25:33 The Protesters and the President
• May 2, 2024   •   29:13 Biden Loosens Up on Weed
• May 1, 2024   •   35:16 The New Abortion Fight Before the Supreme Court
• April 30, 2024   •   27:40 The Secret Push That Could Ban TikTok
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• April 26, 2024   •   21:50 Harvey Weinstein Conviction Thrown Out
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Hosted by Michael Barbaro

Featuring Michael Crowley

Produced by Nina Feldman ,  Clare Toeniskoetter and Rikki Novetsky

Edited by Liz O. Baylen

Original music by Marion Lozano ,  Elisheba Ittoop and Dan Powell

Engineered by Alyssa Moxley

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube

If and when Israel and Hamas reach a deal for a cease-fire, the United States will immediately turn to a different set of negotiations over a grand diplomatic bargain that it believes could rebuild Gaza and remake the Middle East.

Michael Crowley, who covers the State Department and U.S. foreign policy for The Times, explains why those involved in this plan believe they have so little time left to get it done.

On today’s episode

Michael Crowley , a reporter covering the State Department and U.S. foreign policy for The New York Times.

Background reading :

Talks on a cease-fire in the Gaza war are once again at an uncertain stage .

Here’s how the push for a deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia looked before Oct. 7 .

From early in the war, President Biden has said that a lasting resolution requires a “real” Palestinian state .

Here’s what Israeli officials are discussing about postwar Gaza.

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The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson and Nina Lassam.

Michael Crowley covers the State Department and U.S. foreign policy for The Times. He has reported from nearly three dozen countries and often travels with the secretary of state. More about Michael Crowley

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