# How to open a restaurant: steps, costs, menu, food cost

> How to open a restaurant: the steps, what drives each cost, a short menu, costing dishes, food safety, a daily routine, mistakes and a checklist.

By The Dashing team · 2026-10-31

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

**The short answer:** a restaurant sells cooked meals and service, so its cost sits in rent, kitchen equipment, staff and ingredients. To open one, pick a location that matches your menu and price, check food business, health inspection and signage rules with your local authority, plan the kitchen flow, write a short menu, cost every dish from its ingredients, and track waste from the first week.

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

## The steps to open

1. **Choose the location and the idea together.** A family meal, a quick lunch and a late-night grill need different spots.
2. **Check licences and inspections.** Food business, health, fire safety, signage and seating rules differ by place. Ask your local authority. This is not legal advice.
3. **Plan the kitchen flow:** receiving, storage, prep, cooking, serving and washing, with raw and cooked food kept apart.
4. **Buy equipment** (below).
5. **Write a short menu** and cost each dish.
6. **Set up suppliers** for produce, meat, dry goods and packaging, and agree delivery days.
7. **Train staff** on recipes, portions and hygiene so each plate looks and costs the same.
8. **Open softly,** watch which dishes sell, and trim the menu.

## What the money goes to

- **Rent and deposit.**
- **Fit-out:** kitchen, ventilation, plumbing, seating, lighting and signage. Ventilation and plumbing are often the surprise.
- **Equipment:** cooking line, fridges and freezers, prep tables, dishwashing, till device and receipt printer. Your menu decides what you need.
- **Ingredients and packaging.**
- **Staff:** cooks, servers and cleaners for every hour you are open.
- **Running costs:** electricity, gas, water, waste collection and cleaning.
- **A cash cushion** for the weeks before regular customers form.

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

## Choosing the first stock

Order less than you think, and match the amount to the menu. Fresh produce and meat spoil, while dry goods keep. A shorter menu needs fewer ingredients, which means less waste. Keep a purchase list per supplier, such as the free [purchase order template for cafes and restaurants](/tools/templates/purchase-order/cafe). The WHO five keys to safer food (keep clean, separate raw and cooked, cook thoroughly, keep food at safe temperatures, use safe water and raw materials) give a simple base for kitchen routines; your local rules come first.

## Pricing and margin

Cost each dish from its ingredients, then add your share of rent and wages. Put the numbers in the [margin calculator](/tools/margin-calculator) dish by dish, and build a printable menu with the [menu maker](/tools/menu-maker). Ask whether your most popular dish is also the one that earns most; they are often different.

## A daily routine

- Open: check the kitchen, count the drawer, prep the day's items.
- During: ring up every order, including staff meals and gifts, so waste is visible.
- Close: clean, count the drawer against sales, list what to order.
- Weekly: count stock against what you bought and sold.

## Common mistakes

- A long menu that multiplies waste.
- Not costing dishes, so some sell below cost.
- Staff meals and gifts that are never recorded.
- Over-ordering fresh produce.
- Hiring for the busiest hour and paying for it all day.

## A checklist

- [ ] Licences and inspections confirmed locally
- [ ] Kitchen flow planned, raw and cooked apart
- [ ] Equipment bought or quoted
- [ ] Menu costed dish by dish
- [ ] 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. The closest page is [the cafe page](/for/cafe); see also [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

Outside facts come from the sources below. The statements about Dashing rest on the Dashing pages (accessed 2026-10-31).

- World Health Organization, ["Five keys to safer food manual"](https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241594639), 2006 (accessed 2026-10-31).
- FAO and WHO, ["General Principles of Food Hygiene (CXC 1-1969)"](https://doi.org/10.4060/cc6125en), Codex Alimentarius, 2023 edition (accessed 2026-10-31).
- Dashing for cafes and restaurants, https://dashingerp.com/en/for/cafe
- The free plan in Dashing, https://dashingerp.com/en/free

## Other languages

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

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