# How to open a café: steps, costs, first stock, menu pricing

> How to open a café: the steps, what drives each cost, choosing first supplies, pricing the menu, a daily routine, common mistakes and a checklist.

By The Dashing team · 2026-10-29

Canonical: https://dashingerp.com/en/blog/how-to-open-a-cafe

**The short answer:** a café sells drinks and light food made on the spot, so its cost is mostly rent, equipment, staff and ingredients. To open one, choose a spot with regular passers-by, check food-handling and licensing rules with your local authority, equip the bar, keep the menu short at first, cost every item from its ingredients, and count stock every week, because waste is the quiet loss.

![The Dashing cashier home screen with the sale and shortcuts](/screens/en/main.png)

## The steps to open

1. **Choose the location.** Offices, schools or a busy walking route bring regular customers.
2. **Check licences.** Business, food-handling, health inspection, music and signage rules differ by place. Ask your local authority. This is not legal advice.
3. **Plan the layout:** the bar, seating, storage, a sink and a place for waste.
4. **Buy equipment** (below).
5. **Write a short menu** and cost each item.
6. **Set up suppliers** for coffee, tea, milk, syrups, packaging and food.
7. **Train staff** on recipes and portions so each drink tastes and costs the same.
8. **Open softly,** watch what sells, and trim the menu.

## What the money goes to

- **Rent and deposit.**
- **Fit-out:** counter, seating, lighting, plumbing and ventilation.
- **Equipment:** coffee machine and grinder, fridge, ice machine or freezer if needed, blender, kettle, till device, receipt printer and a barcode scanner for packaged goods. The machine you choose is the biggest driver.
- **Ingredients and packaging:** cups, lids, milk, coffee, syrups, pastries.
- **Staff:** hours open multiplied by the people needed at peak.
- **Running costs:** electricity, water, gas and cleaning.
- **A cash cushion** for the weeks before regular customers form.

Use the [break-even tool](/tools/break-even) to see how many drinks a day cover your fixed costs.

## Choosing the first supplies

Order less than you think. Milk and pastries spoil, while coffee and packaging keep. Start with a small number of drinks you can make well. Keep a purchase list per supplier, such as the free [cafe purchase order template](/tools/templates/purchase-order/cafe).

## Pricing and margin

Price each item from the cost of its ingredients plus packaging, then add your share of rent and wages. Put the numbers in the [margin calculator](/tools/margin-calculator) item by item. Then build a printable menu with the [menu maker](/tools/menu-maker) and check the month with the [profit tool](/tools/profit). Ask whether your top seller is also your best earner; they are often different items.

## A daily routine

- Open: check the machine, count the drawer, set up the bar.
- During: ring up every order, so waste and gifts are visible.
- Close: clean, count the drawer against sales, list what to order.
- Weekly: count milk, coffee and packaging against what you bought and sold.

## Common mistakes

- A long menu that multiplies waste.
- Not costing items, so some sell below cost.
- Free drinks and staff drinks that are never recorded.
- Over-ordering fresh items.
- Hiring for the busiest hour and paying for it all day.

## A checklist

- [ ] Licences and inspections confirmed locally
- [ ] Equipment bought or quoted
- [ ] Menu costed item by item
- [ ] Suppliers and prices written down
- [ ] Till and receipt printer tested
- [ ] Cash cushion set aside

## Where Dashing helps

Dashing has a cashier that works offline, records sales and expenses, and supports stock counts. See [the cafe page](/for/cafe), [the cashier](/features/pos), [log an expense](/help/log-an-expense) and [the free plan](/free).

*Costs, licences and margins vary by country; use your own quotes.*

## Sources

No outside figures are cited in this guide. The statements about Dashing rest on these pages (accessed 2026-10-29).

- Dashing for cafes, https://dashingerp.com/en/for/cafe
- The cashier in Dashing, https://dashingerp.com/en/features/pos
- The free plan in Dashing, https://dashingerp.com/en/free

## Other languages

- العربية: https://dashingerp.com/blog/how-to-open-a-cafe
- کوردی: https://dashingerp.com/ckb/blog/how-to-open-a-cafe

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