March 2026 22 min read

The 180-Point Restaurant Launch Checklist

"Opening a restaurant is easy. Staying open is hard. This list is the difference between a grand opening that leads to a legacy, and one that leads to a liquidation sale."

180

Critical Steps

12+

Months Planning

£450K

Avg. Capex (UK)

200%

Higher Success

The restaurant industry is infamous for its 60-80% failure rate within the first three years. But here's a secret: failure isn't usually about the food. It's about a thousand tiny papercuts in the planning phase. This 180-point checklist is your tourniquet.

Concept & Financials (Items 1-25)

The math behind the magic: 5-year P&L and ROI projections.

01. Unique Selling Proposition (USP) defined
02. Detailed Target Audience Personas
03. Competitor Analysis (Direct & Indirect)
04. 5-Year Financial P&L Projection
05. ROI Calculation (Target 24-36 months)
06. Break-even Analysis (Daily/Weekly)
07. Pre-opening Budget (Legal, Marketing, Rent)
08. Capex Budget (Equipment, Fit-out)
09. Working Capital Reserve (6 months min)
10. Funding Secured (Equity, Loans, Grants)
11. Investor Agreement / Shareholder structure
12. Business Bank Account Setup
13. Accountant Appointed (Hospitality specialist)

14. Bookkeeping System (Xero/Quickbooks)
15. VAT Registration (Flat rate or standard?)
16. Payroll System Integration
17. Tronc Policy & Structure (Legal necessity)
18. Insurance Broker Consulted
19. Public & Employer's Liability Ins.
20. Business Interruption Insurance
21. Director’s & Officer’s Insurance
22. Trademark & Intellectual Property check
23. Company Registration (Companies House)
24. Registered Office Address set
25. HMRC Food Business Registration

Property & Legal (Items 26-50)

The "Freeholder" Trap

"Ensure your lease specifically allows for external extraction. We've seen owners invest £100k in kitchens only to be blocked from installing a chimney by a stubborn upstairs landlord."

26. Lease Term & Break Clauses (Year 3/5)
27. Rent Review Pattern defined
28. Service Charge & Business Rates Audit
29. Planning Permission (Use Class E)
30. Alcohol Licence (Premises & Personal)
31. Pavement Licence (Outdoor seating)
32. Music Licence (PPL PRS)
33. Late-Night Refreshment Licence (after 11pm)
34. Gas Safety Certificate (CP12)
35. Electrical Safety Certificate (EICR)
36. Water Pressure & Drainage Audit
37. Asbestos Survey (for older buildings)
38. Fire Risk Assessment (FRA)

39. Disability Access Audit (Equality Act)
40. Extraction System Sound/Odour reports
41. Commercial Kitchen Flow Design
42. Interior Design & Moodboards
43. Lighting Design (Warmth & Zoning)
44. Acoustic Treatment (Noise management)
45. HVAC/Air-con installation
46. Main Contractor Appointment
47. Building Control Liaison
48. Health & Safety File (CDM 2015)
49. Waste Management Contract
50. Pest Control Contract (Pre-opening)

Kitchen & Operations (Items 51-75)

Optimized workflow: the engine room of a successful restaurant.

51. Heavy Equipment (Ovens, Ranges, Grills)
52. Refrigeration (Walk-ins & Under-counter)
53. Freezer Storage Capacity Check
54. Prep Stations (Stainless & Food Grade)
55. Rational/Combi Oven (The engine room)
56. Commercial Pass design (Heated)
57. Dishwasher (Commercial pass-through)
58. Extraction Hoods & Fire Suppression
59. Grease Traps & Interceptors
60. Hot Cupboards & Plate Warmers
61. Dry Goods Racking & Organisation
62. Cleaning & Chemicals (COSHH storage)
63. HACCP Plan Implementation
64. Safer Food Better Business (SFBB) kit
65. Daily Temp Log system (Digital/Physical)
66. Probe Thermometer calibration
67. Opening/Closing SOPs (Laminated)
68. Knife Safety & Sharpening protocol
69. Smallwares (Pans, Knives, Gastros)
70. Bar Equipment (Shakers, Glassware)
71. Coffee Programme (Machine, Grinder)
72. Inventory Management System
73. Waste Tracking (Food waste reduction)
74. Uniforms & PPE Policy
75. Staff Changing & Storage area

Menu & Suppliers (Items 76-100)

Crafting the experience: from recipe costing to perfect execution.

76. Core Food Menu (Q1 focus)
77. Recipe Costing Cards (Theoretical vs Actual)
78. Target GP% per Category (Food/Drink)
79. Wine List & Pairing Strategy
80. Cocktail Menu & Prep sheets
81. Soft Drinks & Low-abv range
82. Allergen Matrix (14 allergens)
83. Calorie Labelling (Legal compliance)
84. Supplier Selection (Quality vs Price)
85. Credit Application forms (x5 key suppliers)
86. Delivery Window Agreement
87. Butchery/Meat supplier audit
88. Fish/Seafood sourcing (MSC cert?)
89. Fruit & Veg (Seasonal calendar)
90. Dry Goods & Staples wholesale
91. Bakery/Bread (Fresh daily delivery)
92. Coffee Roaster Partnership
93. Alcohol Wholesaler (Full Range)
94. Specialist Purveyors (Cheese, Oil)
95. Linen/Napkin/Apron Hire
96. Menu Print proofing & Quality check
97. Signature "Hero" Dish development
98. Kids Menu / Dietary Menu Options
99. Takeaway Packaging (Eco-friendly)
100. QR Menu fallback system

Front of House & Tech (Items 101-125)

Seamless tech integration: enhancing the guest journey before they arrive.

101. EPOS System (Lightspeed/Toast/Oracle)
102. Kitchen Display Systems (KDS)
103. Reservation System (OpenTable/TheFork)
104. Integrated Payment Terminals
105. Table Management software
106. Guest WiFi (Data capture enabled)
107. Background Music System (Zones)
108. Indoor Plant/Decor maintenance
109. Furniture (Chairs, Tables, Booths)
110. Crockery, Cutlery & Tableware audit
111. Service Station Organisation
112. Glassware (Wine, Water, Rock, Highball)
113. Bill Folders & Card holders
114. Hostess Desk & Phone setup
115. Cloakroom system (Numbered tags)
116. POS Hardware placement audit
117. Handheld Ordering devices
118. CCTV & Security Alarm system
119. Air-con/Heating remote controls
120. Digital Signage (if applicable)
121. CRM Integration for Marketing
122. Loyalty Programme Integration
123. Telephone Auto-attendant setup
124. Staff Performance Tracking tool
125. Feedback Tool (QR Review push)

People & Training (Items 126-150)

Culture & Consistency: aligning the team with 'The EDC Way'.

126. Head Chef Recruitment
127. General Manager Recruitment
128. Kitchen Brigade (Sous, CDPs, Commis, KP)
129. FOH Team (Servers, Runners, Host)
130. Employment Contracts (Signed & Filed)
131. Right to Work documentation check
132. Staff Handbook (Policies & Culture)
133. Induction Programme (Day 1-3)
134. Health & Safety Training
135. Food Hygiene Certification (L2 min)
136. Allergy Training (Mandatory)
137. Product Knowledge (Food & Wine)
138. Service Standards (Sequence of Service)
139. Upselling Techniques training
140. Conflict Resolution training
141. Opening/Closing Sidework lists
142. Staff Rota & Scheduling software
143. Tip/Tronc Policy communication
144. Holiday & Absence policy
145. Employee Recognition Reward scheme
146. Uniform Fittings & Distributions
147. Personal Development Plans (PDPs)
148. Health & Safety Induction log
149. Employee Well-being support
150. Initial Staff Training Schedule

Marketing & Launch (Items 151-180)

From social media teasers to the grand opening night, marketing is how you ensure Year 1 success.

Grand Opening: the culmination of 180 points of precision.

151. Brand Identity (Logo, Fonts, Colours)
152. Professional Photography (Food/Interiors)
153. Responsive Website (Booking integrated)
154. Google Business Profile (Local SEO)
155. Instagram/Facebook Page setup
156. TikTok/Reels Content Strategy
157. Email Marketing Database setup
158. Press Release writing & Distribution
159. Influencer Invite List (x20 local)
160. Community Outreach (Local businesses)
161. Launch Event Plan & Invitations
162. Soft Launch (50% off training period)
163. Friends & Family Night
164. Grand Opening Social Media Push
165. Review Generation Strategy (Day 1)
166. Paid Ad Campaigns (Meta/Google)
167. Branded Collateral (Loyalty, Cards)
168. PR Stunt/Launch Activation
169. Content Creator Briefs
170. Video Case Study Capture
171. CRM Automation setup
172. Neighbour Liaison/Gift Drop
173. Media Preview Event
174. Launch Performance Report (Week 1)
175. Ongoing Content Calendar (Month 1-3)
176. Competitor Secret Shopping
177. Post-Launch Marketing Audit
178. Monthly Performance Business Review
179. Ongoing Local Sponsorship/Support
180. Master Project Closure Document

Ready to bring your concept to life?

Our Restaurant Opening Playbook takes you from "napkin sketch" to "fully booked" in 42 detailed chapters.

Access the Restaurant Playbook

Don't Launch Alone.

Managing 180 points is a full-time job. We specialise in project-managing the chaos, ensuring you open on time, on budget, and with a queue out the door.

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