Opening a Restaurant Checklist

The path to a restaurant’s grand opening can feel overwhelming. From finding a location and getting permits to sourcing ingredients and hiring staff, a clear plan may help you stay organized, prioritize what needs to happen next and move toward opening day with more confidence. Use this checklist for opening a restaurant as a starting point for turning your concept into a fully operational business.

T-Minus 12 Months

A year before opening is a good time for big-picture planning. At this stage, focus on the major decisions that will shape your restaurant, from your concept and business plan to your legal structure and location. Finalizing these elements early can help guide the rest of your opening timeline.

Define Your Concept

Chances are, you have an idea of what your restaurant will be, but now is the time to nail down the details. Start by researching the market and customer base. This information can help you:

• Decide on a cuisine
• Choose a service style
• Develop a menu
• Plan the look and feel of the space

Tailoring your concept to the market helps you create a restaurant that appeals to your target customers while giving them a clear reason to choose you over the competition.

Develop a Business Plan

A restaurant business plan is a roadmap for getting your operation up and running. It usually includes detailed information that you can use to guide early decisions, align your team, and share with potential investors or lenders.

Your business plan should reflect the restaurant you want to build. Typically, your business plan provides a description of your concept, operations plan, market analysis, key team members, funding strategy and financial outlook.

Determine Your Business Structure

According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), the business structure you choose influences your operations, taxes, and the risk to your personal assets. New restaurants often choose one of the following structures:

• Sole proprietorship: A sole proprietorship means there’s no separation between your business and personal assets. If you don’t register as another type of business, your restaurant is automatically considered a sole proprietorship.
• Partnerships: Restaurants with two or more owners may choose a partnership. Liability, control, and tax responsibilities can vary depending on the type of partnership, so it’s important to understand how the structure affects each owner.
• Limited liability company (LLC): Setting up an LLC may protect your personal assets if your restaurant faces debts or lawsuits. Many restaurant owners consult an attorney or accountant before choosing a structure, since each option comes with different legal and tax considerations.

Select a Site

Choosing a location can take longer than many new restaurateurs expect, especially if you’re considering building out a space to meet your specific needs. But even if you’re looking at turnkey spaces, you still need to consider if the location is accessible, practical, and affordable.

Your location can also determine which zoning laws, taxes, licenses, and permits apply to your business. Before signing a lease or purchasing a space, confirm that the site can legally support the type of restaurant you plan to open.

T-Minus 6 Months

Six months before opening, start turning your plans into action. This is the time to secure the funding you need and begin the licensing and permitting process, because approvals can take time and requirements vary by location.

Secure Financing

Many new restaurant owners need to look for funding beyond their personal savings. Some may qualify for a loan from a bank or credit union, while others might explore SBA-backed loans, private investors, crowdfunding platforms, or financial support from their friends and family.

Apply for Permits and Licenses

Permits and licenses may vary based on the type of restaurant you’re opening and local or state laws. These are some of the more common licenses and permits restaurants need:

• Business license
• Certificate of occupancy
• Food service licenses
• Food safety certification
• Liquor license
• Sign permit
• Building health permit
• Employee health permit
• Music license
• Dumpster placement permit

Check with your local city or county business licensing office and the local health department for information about what’s required in your area. You might also try your local Small Business Development Center, an SBA resource partner that offers free or low-cost startup guidance.

T-Minus 90 Days

With 90 days to go, many of your plans should start becoming visible and operational. Focus on ordering key equipment, building awareness for your opening, and choosing the vendors and systems that will support daily service.

Choose Your Vendors

Now is a good time to identify and establish relationships with the vendors your restaurant will rely on. Food and beverage suppliers are a key place to start, but you may also need vendors for equipment, furnishings, linens, packaging, cleaning supplies, and ongoing maintenance.

Selecting restaurant technology early, including a point of sale (POS) system and reservation platform, like Resy, can also help you prepare for your opening day. Having these systems in place before you open gives your team time to set up workflows, test service processes, and train staff before your first guests arrive.

Order Kitchen Equipment

Basic kitchen equipment may take several weeks to order, deliver and install, so start early and ask vendors for lead times. If you need specialized tools, such as multi-purpose workstation equipment or custom-designed electronics, consider ordering even earlier to help keep your opening timeline on track.

While you’re at it, order your smallwares, such as pots, pans, knives, storage containers, utensils, glassware, and service pieces. Testing these tools will help you spot what’s missing and make adjustments before you open to the general public.

Ramp Up Your Digital Marketing

Digital marketing can help you reach potential guests before your grand opening. Start with a website that reflects your restaurant’s brand and gives diners the basics, including your hours, location, menu, and reservation information. Having those details live can help potential guests understand what to expect and feel more confident planning a visit.

Next, set up your social media accounts and claim or update your Google Business Profile. Posting weekly updates on your progress can help generate excitement as opening night gets closer.

T-Minus 60 Days

Two months before opening is a good time to refine the details guest may notice first. Prepare for the soft launch, start hiring staff, and install signage to build awareness for opening night.

Prepare Your Soft Launch

A soft launch where you invite a limited number of friends and family is a good way to work out the kinks before you open. Preparing for it now can help you establish a supply chain management system that factors in cost, availability of raw materials, and transportation. That way, you’ll have everything you need for opening night with no last-minute delays.

Assemble and Equip Your Staff

Make an appointment with your bookkeeper for payroll and staff paperwork. Start filling staff positions and outlining training procedures, including establishing a dress code or ordering uniforms, if necessary. Create separate job postings for each open position, outlining responsibilities and required skills. Remember to list all the benefits of working for you.

Install Signage

Generate excitement about your restaurant opening by installing your restaurant’s exterior logo. Be sure to put up a flier announcing your grand opening date and instructions or a QR code for making early-bird reservations.

T-Minus 30 Days

Now is the time to shift your focus to the systems, people, and processes that shape the guest experience. Use this final month to train your team, troubleshoot your technology and prepare for a soft launch.

Install and Test Your Technology

If you adopt restaurant technology early, you’ll likely have already established relationships with customer service teams. Many software providers like Resy offer support resources that can help with installation, testing, and troubleshooting if problems come up.

Train Your Staff

Begin practicing service and menu tastings with your team and onboarding them with relevant POS and reservation platforms. This is also the ideal time to create your staff schedules.

Place Your Food Orders for the Soft Launch

Work with your back-of-house team to ensure you have enough ingredients for potential mishaps but not so much that you’ll generate food waste. Encourage your chefs to devise multiple ways to utilize ingredients—for instance, they could use carrot tops to make carrot top pesto or citrus rinds for cocktail garnishes.

T-Minus 7 Days

One week before opening, your restaurant should be ready for a real-world trial run. Use a soft launch to test service, gather feedback and create early buzz before welcoming the public.

Host a Soft Launch for Family and Friends

One week before your grand opening, host a soft opening for friends, family, and industry insiders to test your service staff’s mettle and get honest feedback on the menu.

A restaurant’s soft launch is typically also the time to begin media previews. Consider inviting local writers, neighborhood partners, and community influencers who can help introduce your restaurant to a wider audience. Their early posts and recommendations may help build awareness and momentum before you officially open to the public.

T-Minus 0 Days

Opening day is the moment all your planning has been leading toward. Focus on setting your team up for a smooth first service, staying attentive to guest feedback, and taking time to recognize how far you’ve come.

Grand Opening

Opening night will likely be hectic, but you still need to pay attention to the little details. You might want to arrive early and hold a pre-shift team meeting to set the tone and assign roles. That may also give you a chance to check that the dining room, kitchen, and technology are ready well before guests arrive.

Encourage your staff to gather feedback throughout the night by listening for common guest comments, asking simple questions about the experience, and noting any recurring issues with service, timing, or the menu. After service, hold a team debrief to capture what went well and what needs attention before the next shift.

Most importantly, take a moment to enjoy the culmination of your hard work. All the planning you’ve done up to this moment will continue to pay off as you navigate your first month of service.

After the Grand Opening: How to Keep Momentum Going

In the first days and weeks of service, review guest feedback, staff observations and operational data so you can identify what’s working and where adjustments are needed. You could use customer relationship management (CRM) tools to capture guest preferences, track special occasions, and follow up in ways that encourage repeat visits.

Your booking and reservation system can also help in the weeks after launch. Look for patterns in demand that might mean you need to adjust staffing levels, operating hours, and table availability so your restaurant runs more efficiently.

Finally, keep your marketing efforts active after your grand opening. Continue sharing updates, promoting menu highlights, engaging with guests online, and reminding your community why they should come back. Consistent visibility can help turn a strong opening into steady momentum.

FAQs About Opening a Restaurant

How far in advance should I start planning a restaurant opening?

Opening a restaurant often takes 12 months or more, depending on your concept, location, and buildout needs. Licensing, permitting, construction, and equipment installation can extend your timeline, so it’s helpful to start planning as early as possible.

What should be on a checklist before opening a restaurant?

At minimum, your checklist for opening a restaurant should include:

• Developing a concept and menu
• Creating a business plan
• Finding vendors
• Selecting a location
• Applying for licenses and permits
• Ordering equipment
• Setting up a POS system and reservation platform
• Hiring and training staff
• Promoting your restaurant

What are some good restaurant grand opening ideas?

One idea for a grand opening is to host an event for local media, neighborhood partners, influencers and other guests who can help spread the word. A tasting menu or sampler party could give guests an opportunity to try a bit of everything.

Local partnerships can also be a good way to introduce your restaurant to the community. You might collaborate with nearby businesses, host a preview night for neighbors, or create a reservation-only tasting experience.

The Takeaway

Opening a restaurant takes time, planning, and a steady eye on the details. Using a checklist as a flexible guide could help keep you organized as you choose your concept, find a location, secure financing, order equipment, and train staff. With the right plan in place, you can start your restaurant and welcome guests on stronger footing.