Checklist for opening a Restaurant 

Sort all your ideas and thoughts on paper and write a business plan to set you up for success. A solid business plan includes an executive summary with your business name and brand, your business model and company overview, your market analysis, your operations plan including your staff and POS system, as well as a financial analysis.  

You can use a business plan template for your specific restaurant niche to help you outline the most important elements of your own specific restaurant business plan.

Following your market analysis, choose a location that fits your restaurant style, identity, and target audience.

Whether you take over a previous restaurant location or rent a place that has to undergo renovations to function as an eatery, make sure to be cohesive with your style and brand. Remember that you can renovate and decorate on a budget by buying second hand and going for a simple and clean look.  

To run a restaurant, you need to source your ingredients from a good food supplier. Check and compare your local suppliers to get the best quality food for the lowest possible price. Try to find a vendor that provides all or almost all the ingredients you need. This way you can keep your ordering simple, save delivery fees and get discounts for buying in bulk.

Also consider which items on your menu you can buy pre-made and which ones you want to cook from scratch.

Finding the right kind of staff and keeping them is one of the most crucial steps to get your restaurant started and keep it running well.

Calculate your staff need well and decide which roles need to be filled in your restaurant team to run your business efficiently. Make sure you have enough hands-on deck when rush hours hit but be careful not to overstaff your shifts as well.

Hold interviews and look for people who identify with your brand’s mission and will contribute to your desired atmosphere and vibe. Decide on the wages of each role and establish a system to manage the payrolls, health insurance and other paperwork that you will need to handle for your staff.

Once you have established your team, make sure to train each employee well for their ascribed position.

You will want to launch your marketing campaign a few months in advance to opening your restaurant. Create your ideal customer personas and personalize your advertisements to their characteristics. Create awareness for your new restaurant and get your target audience in the surrounding area of your location excited about your grand opening.   

Marketing your restaurant is important before you open but will always stay an important factor in your success. 

Depending on your restaurant style and your target audience, you should provide a delivery service option for customers that want to buy your food but cannot make the time to come and sit in your restaurant due to busy work schedules or sheer inconvenience.

You’ll want your restaurant to either have its own delivery service strategy in place, or for it to be registered at a third-party delivery service provider that will deliver the ordered food for you. This way, you won’t miss out on those extra orders coming in.

Once you have checked all the boxes mentioned above, it is time to open your restaurant! This is by far the most exciting part of your business journey up until now, after all your hard work and preparation.

To make the most of your grand opening to the public, consider hosting a soft opening first. This practice is widely known among restauranteurs. You invite your own and your staff’s friends and family, or any other limited crowd of choice to a soft opening party, where you can offer a special limited menu. This allows you and your team to practice for the real deal in a safe space, and smooth out any hiccups that might occur. This will also help your staff be more relaxed and feel better prepared for your real grand opening. You will also be able to gain some precious feedback from your soft opening guests that you can still implement before you open your restaurant to the public.

Finally, your grand opening is your time to attract your local customer crowd, impress them and make them want to come back for more. This day needs to be planned far in advance to be as successful as possible. The right marketing strategy, preparing your staff, hosting a soft opening, as well as planning the time, date and special offers for that day are all important factors to consider beforehand. Outdoor signage, window lettering and music can all be used for your benefit to draw people in on the day of your grand opening.

Making your restaurant dreams come true

This is our ultimate Checklist for opening your restaurant - if you checked all these points, you are ready to open your restaurant and run your business successfully. If you follow all our tips and tricks for how to open a restaurant and trust the process, you will be best equipped to make your restaurant dreams come true!