In the last 90 days before opening, work in sequence: licences and suppliers first, then hiring, menu costing and a sample P&L, then your Google profile and listings, then training and a simulated service, then a soft opening. Google shows a verified profile with a future opening date 90 days before you open, so start there on day one.
Quick answer
- Days 90–61: paperwork, suppliers, Google profile with a future opening date.
- Days 60–31: hire, cost the menu, build the P&L, shoot photos, claim listings.
- Days 30–8: train, test the kitchen, run a simulated service, announce.
- Days 7–0: soft opening, fix, then open.
- Days 1–30 after: reviews, numbers, and one honest review of everything.
Michael Clarke is a trained chef and runs Markedine, a restaurant marketing company in Bangkok. This article does not contain affiliate links.
Why does sequence matter when opening a restaurant?
A line I believe completely: openings do not fail from lack of passion, they fail from lack of sequence. Order the furniture before the licence is clear and you pay rent on an empty room. Hire the team before the kitchen is ready and you pay wages for nothing. Launch on Instagram before Google knows you exist and the hungry people searching on opening night cannot find you.
This checklist is the sequence I use, in four blocks, counting down from opening day. It assumes the concept, site and lease are already decided. Adjust the timing to your build, and add the local legal items your lawyer gives you.
What should you do 90 to 61 days before opening?
| Task | Owner | Done |
|---|---|---|
| Confirm the legal structure and the full licence list for your address in writing (in Thailand see the foreigner’s guide) | Owner + lawyer | ☐ |
| Apply for address-based licences: food premises, liquor, signage | Lawyer / agent | ☐ |
| Start work permits and visas for any foreign staff | Lawyer | ☐ |
| Create your Google Business Profile, set the future opening date and verify | Owner / marketing | ☐ |
| Shortlist suppliers; agree prices, delivery days and payment terms | Chef | ☐ |
| Choose POS, reservations and payments; order hardware | Manager | ☐ |
| Draft the menu and the opening budget (template) | Owner + chef | ☐ |
| Register domain and social handles; start an email list (and, in Thailand, reserve your name on a LINE Official Account) | Marketing | ☐ |
Google lets you set an opening date up to a year ahead. Once you enter it and verify, the profile shows on Google 90 days before that date, and you can post updates and photos. Guests cannot post reviews or photos until you are officially open. This is why it belongs at the top of the list.
What should you do 60 to 31 days before opening?
| Task | Owner | Done |
|---|---|---|
| Write job roles and hire the core team: head chef, sous chef, floor manager | Owner | ☐ |
| Cost every dish and set prices (menu pricing calculator) | Chef + owner | ☐ |
| Build a sample P&L with food cost, labour and fixed costs | Owner / accountant | ☐ |
| Plan the rota and labour budget (labour cost guide) | Manager | ☐ |
| Claim or create the main local listings in your market (TripAdvisor if tourists matter; in Thailand, Wongnai too) | Marketing | ☐ |
| Decide on delivery apps in your market and get rates in writing (in Thailand, see GrabFood vs LINE MAN) | Manager | ☐ |
| Shoot first photos of the space and test dishes | Marketing + chef | ☐ |
| Build the website: text menu, hours, address, booking link | Marketing | ☐ |
Claim the main listings in your market. TripAdvisor has an owners’ centre where you can claim or add your listing if tourists matter. In Thailand, Wongnai has a business owner page for restaurants. Use the same name, address and phone everywhere.
What should you do 30 to 8 days before opening?
| Task | Owner | Done |
|---|---|---|
| Hire and onboard the rest of the team | Manager | ☐ |
| Train service standards, menu knowledge and allergens | Manager + chef | ☐ |
| Test every dish on the line at full speed; fix recipes and plating | Chef | ☐ |
| Set up POS menu, modifiers, taxes, service charge and printers | Manager | ☐ |
| Load the menu into Google, the website and delivery apps | Marketing | ☐ |
| Run a simulated service with staff as guests | Whole team | ☐ |
| Post opening-date updates and build-out photos on Google and social | Marketing | ☐ |
| Invite neighbours, partners and a few local creators to the soft opening | Owner + marketing | ☐ |
| Print review QR cards and table talkers | Marketing | ☐ |
The simulated service is the step most teams skip and most regret. Seat the whole team as guests, take real orders, and run the kitchen at speed. You will find the printer that prints to the wrong station and the dish that takes twelve minutes too long.
What should you do in the final week?
| Task | Owner | Done |
|---|---|---|
| Soft opening: a limited menu and limited covers for two to five services | Whole team | ☐ |
| Debrief after every service; fix the top three problems | Manager + chef | ☐ |
| Check licences are displayed and in date | Owner | ☐ |
| Confirm suppliers’ first deliveries for opening week | Chef | ☐ |
| Update Google hours and attributes for opening day | Marketing | ☐ |
When we ran a three-month changeover for a Bangkok restaurant moving to a new concept, the soft opening came before a separate grand opening for exactly this reason: a few quiet nights to fix the problems before the press and the full room arrive.
What should you do in the first 30 days after opening?
| Task | Owner | Done |
|---|---|---|
| Ask every happy guest for a review (how) and reply to every review | Manager | ☐ |
| Track daily sales, covers, food cost and labour | Owner | ☐ |
| Grand opening or launch event once service is steady | Owner + marketing | ☐ |
| Fix menu items that do not sell or do not make money | Chef + owner | ☐ |
| First monthly P&L review against the sample P&L | Owner / accountant | ☐ |
For a patisserie’s mall launch in Bangkok we brought in over 30 media and creators, but only once the shop could deliver what they would write about. A launch event should show you at your best, not test you.
How do you use this checklist?
- Set your opening date and write the four countdown dates above each block.
- Assign an owner to every line, with a name, not a job title.
- Add the local legal items your lawyer or accountant lists for your address.
- Review it weekly with the core team and tick what is done.
- Move the opening date rather than skip the simulated service.
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should you plan a restaurant opening?
The detailed countdown usually covers the last 90 days, but licences, the lease and the build can take much longer. Start the legal and licensing work as early as possible.
Can I create a Google Business Profile before my restaurant opens?
Yes. Google lets you set an opening date up to one year ahead. After you verify, the profile shows on Google 90 days before opening, but guests cannot post reviews until you are officially open.
What is a soft opening?
A soft opening is a few services with a limited menu and limited guests before the official opening, so the team can find and fix problems.
What is a simulated service?
A full practice service where staff play guests, order from the real menu and the kitchen cooks at speed. It tests the systems before real guests arrive.
What do restaurants forget most when opening?
In my experience: the online side, such as the Google profile, listings and menu online, and a proper simulated service before the soft opening.
Sources
- Google Business Profile Help: add a business opening date
- Wongnai for business owners
- Tripadvisor owners
