Cafe Buildout
The Cafe Buildout Checklist: 47 Things You Need Before Opening Day
Most cafe opening failures are not caused by bad coffee or bad location. They are caused by operational gaps discovered on opening day when fixing them is expensive, stressful, and visible to your first customers. This checklist covers the 47 things you need locked down before you open.
Permits and Legal
- Business entity registered (LLC recommended)
- EIN obtained from IRS
- Business license issued by local municipality
- Food handler permit for all staff
- Food service establishment permit from health department
- Certificate of occupancy for your space
- Fire inspection passed and certificate issued
- Signage permit if applicable
- Seller permit and sales tax license
- Music license (BMI and ASCAP if playing background music)
Equipment
- Commercial espresso machine installed, leveled, and calibrated
- Dedicated espresso grinders dialed in for your house blend
- Batch brew drip machine installed and tested
- Water filtration system installed -- critical for espresso quality and machine longevity
- Commercial refrigerator for milk storage
- POS system configured with full menu and pricing
- Credit card processing active and tested
- Receipt printer operational
- Blender for blended drinks
- Ice machine operational and producing sufficient volume
Contact our wholesale team for equipment recommendations and coffee program support before your buildout is finalized -- decisions made early save significant cost later.
Coffee Program
- Wholesale coffee supplier contracted with delivery schedule confirmed
- Espresso blend selected and dialed in on your machine
- Batch brew coffee selected and recipe locked
- Decaf option sourced and tested
- Staff trained on espresso dial-in and maintenance
- Milk temperature standards defined and communicated
- Drink recipes documented and posted at each station
Our SUMMIT Espresso Blend is designed for the high-volume, consistent daily espresso program that a cafe requires. Our wholesale program includes staff training support and ongoing technical guidance.
Operations
- Opening and closing procedures documented
- Staff scheduling system active
- Inventory tracking system in place
- Par levels established for all high-velocity items
- Supplier contacts for emergency reorders documented
- Cleaning schedule posted at each station
- Cash handling procedures documented
- Emergency contacts posted (plumber, electrician, espresso machine service)
Marketing
- Google Business Profile claimed and complete
- Instagram and Facebook pages active with opening day content posted
- Opening day promotion or event planned
- Email capture mechanism in place
- Local press outreach completed
- Loyalty program configured
Final Pre-Opening Check (48 Hours Before)
- Full soft opening run completed with staff
- All equipment running at operating temperature for 48 hours
- Espresso dialed in and signed off by most experienced barista
- Opening day par inventory stocked
- All staff confirmed for opening day
- Opening day promotion materials posted
The cafes that open smoothly treated the checklist as the minimum, not the destination. Know your list, complete it, then go one level deeper on everything that touches the customer experience. -- PURE EARTH COFFEE
Key Takeaways
- Permits and legal (business license, food service, certificate of occupancy) must be complete before opening day
- Water filtration for espresso machines is non-negotiable -- it protects the machine and the flavor in every cup
- Coffee program (blend, dial-in, staff training) must be locked before opening week, not day one
- Google Business Profile and social media must be active before opening -- customers search before they visit
- Complete a full soft opening run 48 hours before opening day -- problems found then cost nothing; on day one they cost everything
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