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CAFE START-UP SIMPLIFIED

Thinking of opening a café? This guide is your complete step-by-step resource to starting a café in Australia. Whether you’re in the early idea stage or already fitting out your site, this guide from Zest Café Coach brings clarity to the question: How do I start a café?

Checklists, templates and advice to help you open your cafe with confidence

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Starting your own café is a bold and exciting move — but without the right plan and guidance, it can quickly become overwhelming. This practical guide is designed to simplify your journey and give you the clarity and confidence to launch well.

We’ve broken the process into ten essential stages — covering everything from planning and location, to menu design, staffing and cash flow. It’s the same guidance we share through the Zest Café Coach program with first-time owners across Australia.

Whether you're just starting out or already deep in your set-up, this resource is designed to help you build a café that lasts — one that becomes a place people gather, connect, and return to day after day.

1. START WITH A PLAN

A great café doesn’t start with a lease or a logo. It starts with a plan.

A business plan helps you make smarter decisions, manage risks, and stay focused on your goals. It doesn’t need to be complicated, but it should be thorough.

What to include in your plan:

  • Your café concept and customer promise

  • Your target market and location strategy

  • Competitor insights

  • Menu direction and pricing

  • Marketing and brand positioning

  • Start-up costs and operating budget

  • Revenue projections and break-even estimates

  • Key risks and mitigation strategies

Zest tip: Download the Café Success Plan from the Zest Café Coach portal. It’s a simple tool to define your current reality, ideal future, and a clear action plan to bridge the gap.

2. CHOOSE THE RIGHT LOCATION

Location can make or break a café. A well-positioned site gives you a running start, while the wrong one can leave you struggling for foot traffic — no matter how good your coffee is.

Location checklist:

  • Solid foot traffic from your target market

  • Street visibility and signage opportunities

  • Easy access (parking, public transport, footpaths)

  • Neighbouring businesses that attract similar customers

  • Lease terms that leave you enough capital to operate

  • Growth potential (e.g. outdoor seating, evening trade)

Zest tip: Visit your shortlist locations at different times of day. Observe who’s passing by, how they move, and whether your café would fit into the rhythm of the area.

3. DESIGN FOR FLOW, NOT JUST LOOKS

Your café layout impacts everything — staff efficiency, customer satisfaction, even sales per hour. Good design supports good business.

Design principles:

  • Clear entry and ordering flow for customers

  • Barista and kitchen zones designed for speed

  • Comfortable seating layout with space to move

  • Easy access to key utilities (power, water, drainage)

  • Logical movement for dirty and clean items

  • Compliance with local building and safety codes

Zest tip: Invest first in function. A smooth workflow will generate more revenue than a feature wall ever will.

4. GET YOUR COMPLIANCE IN ORDER

Before you launch, you’ll need to meet a range of legal, safety and operational requirements. These vary by council and state, so get on the front foot early.

Compliance checklist:

  • Business name and ABN registered

  • Planning and building permits from your council

  • Food business registration

  • Food Safety Supervisor certificate

  • Public liability and contents insurance

  • RSA and liquor license (if serving alcohol)

  • Outdoor dining permit (if applicable)

  • Music license (e.g. OneMusic)

  • Fire safety compliance

Zest tip: Call your local council’s business officer. They often have start-up checklists and can walk you through the process.

5. SET UP SUPPLY CHAINS AND EQUIPMENT

Behind every successful café is a group of suppliers you can rely on. It’s not just about the product — it’s about service, consistency and speed.

Supply and equipment essentials:

  • Coffee beans, espresso machine and grinder

  • Alternative milk options

  • Fresh food suppliers: bakery, produce, dairy, pantry

  • Cold and dry storage

  • POS system and payment terminals

  • Plates, cups, cutlery, cookware

  • Cleaning products and systems

Zest tip: Partner with suppliers who add value. A great coffee roaster provides more than beans — they support training, flavour development, and equipment advice.

6. COST AND ENGINEER YOUR MENU

Your menu is not just your offering — it’s your engine. It needs to work hard for your brand and your bottom line.

Menu planning checklist:

  • Clear categories and concise item list

  • Ingredient costing for each item

  • Balanced pricing to ensure margin

  • Operational practicality (prep time, storage, labour)

  • Use of shared ingredients to reduce waste

  • Dietary options without unnecessary complexity

  • Opportunities for high-margin or signature items

Zest tip: Create a small, high-impact menu that can be executed consistently. Start with less, and build as your systems and team grow.

7. HIRE AND TRAIN THE RIGHT TEAM

A great café isn’t built by one person — it’s built by a team who care. Hiring well and investing in training is one of the highest-impact moves you can make.

Staffing essentials:

  • Clear job roles and position descriptions

  • Staff onboarding and systems training

  • Recipe cards and visual SOPs

  • Daily and weekly checklists

  • Defined service expectations

  • Rostering tools and award compliance

  • Regular team communication

Zest tip: Hire for attitude, not just experience. A team who understand your vision — and care about customers — will build your brand from the inside out.

8. BUILD A BRAND THAT CONNECTS

Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room. It’s not just your logo — it’s the feeling your café gives, the way your team speaks, and the impression your space creates.

Brand touchpoints:

  • Name, logo, fonts and colour palette

  • Shop signage, takeaway cups and uniforms

  • Menu tone and design

  • Website and Google Business profile

  • Social media setup

  • Customer welcome and service approach

Zest tip: Think through the full customer experience — what they see, hear, smell, taste and feel. Consistency builds memory, and memory builds loyalty.

9. KNOW YOUR NUMBERS

Creative passion and quality coffee are essential — but without financial awareness, they won’t sustain your café. Set up good habits from day one.

Financial essentials:

  • Start-up budget (with buffer)

  • Break-even calculation (units per day)

  • Sales targets by day and week

  • Food and drink cost percentages

  • Wage % of sales

  • GST, PAYG and super obligations

  • Monthly cash flow forecast

Zest tip: Volume is important — but not at the expense of profit. It’s better to serve 300 well-priced, high-margin items than 500 that barely break even.

10. AVOID THE COMMON PITFALLS

Some mistakes are costly. Others are avoidable. Keep these common traps in mind as you build.

Avoid:

  • Overspending on fit-out and undercapitalising operations

  • Choosing a poor location based on rent alone

  • Building a menu that’s too broad or complex

  • Underpricing key items

  • Neglecting compliance and registrations

  • Forgetting to plan for downtime or setbacks

  • Hiring without clear training systems

  • Relying on foot traffic alone without marketing

  • Failing to track costs and margins from day one

Zest tip: Most challenges in hospitality come back to planning, people or process. Strengthen those three and you’ll stay on the front foot.

NEXT STEPS

Opening your café is the first step in a bigger journey — one that brings together your vision, your values and your hard work. Done well, your café can become a fixture in the community, a platform for profitability, and a place you’re proud to walk into every day.

At Zest, we’re not just a coffee supplier — we’re a partner in your growth. Through the Café Coach program, we provide tools, support and personalised guidance to help you thrive.

Explore the Zest Café Coach portal to:

  • Download your Café Success Plan

  • Access cost and margin calculators

  • Learn from real café case studies

  • Book a discovery session with our team

Your success is our priority. Let’s get it right from the start.