Opening
Cafe opening checklist for a calm first service
This cafe opening checklist covers the system that has to work on day one: menu, hardware, payments, loyalty, WhatsApp, the QR menu, staff practice and the first reports. Fit-out and hiring matter too, but they will not save a till that rings the wrong milk price.
How to use this list
Do the steps in order. Messaging templates and the app review both wait on other people, so start those as soon as the menu is stable. A soft open with the real menu is worth more than a perfect launch on sample items.
Lock the menu and modifiers
Write every drink with sizes, milks, shots and prices. Include allergens and the items that will sell out. Import that menu into the POS before you design loyalty around it.
Connect hardware and payments
Pair tablets, receipt and kitchen printers, the cash drawer and the card terminal. Place a full test order, including a split payment and a reprint.
Set the loyalty rules
Choose stamps, points or tiers and write the rule in one sentence. Import old paper-card balances if you are moving shops onto digital cards.
Verify WhatsApp and SMS
Verify the WhatsApp Business account, submit templates, and register the SMS sender. Send each template to a staff phone before customers can trigger it.
Publish the QR menu
Print table and takeaway QR codes that point at the live menu. Mark a test item 86’d and confirm it disappears on the link.
Train on the real menu
Baristas should practise the drinks you sell, including an offline order, a reward redemption and a void. We stay on call through the first live service when Cafemanagee does the setup.
Read the first week of reports
Check hourly sales, best sellers, voids and reward redemptions after each day. Fix modifier mistakes in week one, while the team still remembers why a button felt wrong.