02 · Open
Coordinate the work between the lease and first service.
Build a realistic opening path across location, design, equipment, vendors, hiring, training and local approvals.
Work before commitment
Turn decisions into a controlled opening path.
Opening work has dependencies. A clear plan separates decisions, tasks, approvals, testing and true readiness.
Create an opening timeline with real dependencies
An opening plan is not a long checklist. It is a dependency map showing which decisions block design, hiring, training, vendor setup and approvals.
Evaluate a restaurant location as an operating system
A location must support demand, access, production, utilities, deliveries, waste, staff movement and the full cost of occupancy.
Build the equipment plan from the menu and throughput
Equipment should follow the production system. Begin with products, processes, batch sizes, peak volume, holding limits and cleaning requirements.
Choose vendors by operational fit, not feature count
The right vendor reduces friction in the actual restaurant. Evaluate implementation, support, data access, failure modes and total switching cost.
Hire for the operating model you can actually support
Pre-opening hiring should translate the service model into clear roles, decision rights, schedules, training outcomes and management capacity.
Design a soft opening as a controlled test
A soft opening should test specific systems at intentionally limited volume. It is not a discounted grand opening.
Treat opening day as the beginning of stabilization
The goal is controlled, recoverable service with clear leadership and a disciplined learning loop, not a flawless performance.
Working plan