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The Complete Restaurant Opening Checklist: 90 Days to Launch | Zenith Digital Menus

Opening a restaurant is one of the most complex small business launches. There are hundreds of moving pieces. Miss one, and your opening night becomes a disaster. This is the checklist we've seen successful restaurateurs follow.

90 Days Out: Foundation

Legal & Administrative

• ☐ Business entity formed (LLC recommended for liability protection)
• ☐ EIN obtained from IRS (free, takes 5 minutes online)
• ☐ Business bank account opened
• ☐ Business insurance secured (general liability, liquor liability, workers' comp, property)
• ☐ Lease signed and reviewed by attorney
• ☐ Health department permit application submitted
• ☐ Liquor license application filed (start early — can take 30-120 days)
• ☐ Food handler certifications for all managers
• ☐ Building permits for any construction/renovation
• ☐ Fire marshal inspection scheduled

Concept & Brand

• ☐ Restaurant concept finalized (cuisine, price point, target market)
• ☐ Brand name secured — check availability across domain, social, and trademarks with BrandScout
• ☐ Logo and visual identity designed
• ☐ Menu developed and recipe-costed
• ☐ Pricing strategy set (food cost targets per category)

60 Days Out: Build & Hire

Space & Equipment

• ☐ Kitchen layout finalized with equipment placement
• ☐ Equipment ordered (allow 4-6 weeks for delivery)
• ☐ Smallwares ordered (plates, glasses, silverware, kitchen tools)
• ☐ POS system selected and ordered (Toast, Square, Clover)
• ☐ Furniture ordered (tables, chairs, bar stools, booths)
• ☐ Signage designed and ordered
• ☐ Music system/licensing (BMI + ASCAP = ~$700/year)
• ☐ Security cameras installed

Hiring

• ☐ Management team hired (GM, Kitchen Manager, Bar Manager)
• ☐ Job postings live on Indeed, Poached, Craigslist, industry Facebook groups
• ☐ Interview process defined (working interview for all kitchen candidates)
• ☐ Employee handbook drafted
• ☐ Payroll system set up (Gusto, ADP, or through POS)
• ☐ Training program created

Technology

• ☐ Website built and live (domain, hosting, menu, hours, location, online ordering)
• ☐ Google Business Profile created and verified
• ☐ Social media accounts created (Instagram, Facebook minimum)
• ☐ Online ordering platform set up (direct — not just third-party apps)
• ☐ Reservation system if applicable (OpenTable, Resy, Yelp)
• ☐ WiFi installed for customers and POS
• ☐ Website performance verified with AuditMySite

30 Days Out: Test & Market

Operations

• ☐ All equipment installed and tested
• ☐ Menu items tested and perfected (cook every dish at least 10 times)
• ☐ Portion sizes standardized and documented with photos
• ☐ Vendor accounts finalized (food, beverage, cleaning supplies, linens)
• ☐ First food order placed
• ☐ Opening inventory par levels set
• ☐ Cleaning schedules created and posted
• ☐ Health department final inspection passed
• ☐ Fire inspection passed

Staff Training (2 weeks minimum)

• ☐ Menu knowledge (every employee should taste every dish)
• ☐ POS training
• ☐ Service standards and flow
• ☐ Allergy protocols
• ☐ Alcohol service (TIPS or ServSafe certification)
• ☐ Emergency procedures
• ☐ Friends & family practice dinners (2-3 nights before opening)

Marketing

• ☐ Grand opening date announced on all platforms
• ☐ Local food bloggers/media invited for preview dinner
• ☐ Press release sent to local publications
• ☐ "Coming soon" signage on the building for walk-by traffic
• ☐ Flyers distributed in neighborhood
• ☐ Grand opening special decided (free appetizer? Discount? Live music?)
• ☐ Instagram content pre-loaded (behind-the-scenes build-out photos)

Opening Week

• ☐ Soft opening (3-4 nights, friends/family + limited public, 50% capacity)
• ☐ Fix everything that went wrong during soft opening
• ☐ Grand opening night (full service, your best foot forward)
• ☐ Collect feedback aggressively — ask every table
• ☐ Adjust staffing based on actual volume
• ☐ Start asking for Google reviews day 1

Common First-Month Mistakes

• Too many menu items — Start with 20-25 items max. Add later based on demand.
• Understaffed opening — Overstaff your first 2 weeks. Better to send people home early than to crash.
• No systems — If your inventory, prep lists, and checklists aren't documented, you're relying on memory. Memory fails.
• Ignoring online presence — If you're not on Google with correct hours and photos by day 1, you're invisible.
• Skipping soft opening — Never let the public be your test run. Always do friends & family first.

Opening a restaurant is a marathon, not a sprint. Use this checklist, build your systems before you open, and give yourself permission to not be perfect on day one. The best restaurants in the world are still improving. You will be too.