The Pre-Opening Roadmap

50 things to get right before your first guest walks in.

Opening a venue is a high-stakes game. The excitement is real, but so is the anxiety. Most mistakes that sink a restaurant in its first year occur months before, during the planning stages, not during service.

I’ve opened dozens of venues across the UK and Spain. I’ve seen where the traps are hidden, and I’ve stepped in a few myself. I built this checklist to give you the map I wish I’d had 30 years ago.

Why this exists

Nobody hands you a manual when you decide to open a bar or café. You usually find out what you didn't know by hitting a wall. Some walls are manageable; others are expensive lessons that cost you your dream.

This checklist won't replace experience, but it will tell you which questions to ask, which numbers to crunch, and which foundational decisions will keep you upright in year two.

What’s in the checklist?

Ten critical areas. Fifty essential items. No fluff.

• 01 Concept & Story: Does it actually work for the market, or is it just a hobby?

• 02 The Legal Maze: Licences, leases, and the red tape that can stop you cold.

• 03 Money & Flow: Financial models that actually breathe and cash buffers for the "quiet" starts.

• 04 Menu & Margin: Engineering your food and drink for profit before the first order is fired.

• 05 People & Culture: Hiring for attitude and building a team that doesn't need you there 24/7.

• 06 Systems & Tech: The POS, the flow, and the ops that turn chaos into a rhythm.

Get the Checklist

No spam. No obligation.
Just 30 years of operational experience distilled into one practical checklist.