Before you sign anything, read this checklist.
The exact, step-by-step list we use with future coffee shop owners — built from 100+ real openings across Romania and Europe. So you don’t burn money on decisions you can’t undo.
It always starts the same way
You’re sitting in a café you love. The light hits the counter just right. The barista calls a regular by name. And something in you whispers: I want to build this.
You picture the menu. The smell of beans in the morning. The wood, the lamps, the regulars. You start a Pinterest board. You walk into other coffee shops differently — half customer, half observer.
That’s where it starts. And that’s where 9 out of 10 people get it wrong.
Then the real numbers arrive
The dream meets the spreadsheet. And the spreadsheet doesn’t blink. These are the five places it goes wrong — every single time, in the same order.
The difference is order
After watching this happen for 10 years, across more than 100 coffee shops, one thing became obvious: the people who make it aren’t smarter or richer. They just make decisions in the right order.
They validate before they sign. They budget before they buy. They know what comes first because they have a list — not a Pinterest board.
That list is what you’re about to download.
The 6 chapters that make the difference
Each section walks you through one decision area — what to check, what to ignore, what to ask, and what to never sign without.
- Concept type
- Audience profile
- Market positioning
- Differentiation
- Traffic counting
- Audience analysis
- Lease negotiation
- Red flags
- 6 budget categories
- Cash flow planning
- Hidden costs
- Buffer rules
- Essential vs. later
- Roaster partnerships
- Service contracts
- Negotiation scripts
- Minimum viable stock
- Supplier credit
- Waste prevention
- Reorder cycles
- Pre-launch checklist
- Proximity marketing
- Soft opening
- First 30 days
Built in the field, not in a textbook
This isn’t a guide written by someone who imagined what running a coffee shop might be like. It comes from 10 years of doing it, watching it, and helping others do it.
Has helped open more than 100 coffee shops across Romania and Europe. Teaches from the field — from real contracts, costly mistakes avoided, and concepts built from scratch to launch.
Coffee shops that actually opened
People who used the same checklist you’re about to download. Who started where you are now — with an idea — and ended up with a real coffee shop.
You’ll know exactly what to do next
No more spinning in circles. No more late-night spreadsheets that don’t add up. Just a clear path from where you are to opening day.
- What decisions to make first — and what to ignore until later
- How to evaluate a location before you commit to it
- How to break your budget into categories that actually hold up
- What to ask suppliers before you sign anything
- The mistakes that quietly burn 30% of first-time budgets
- The order of operations from idea to opening day
Get The Coffee Shop Checklist now
The same checklist we use with paying students. Yours, free. Read it before you sign anything you can’t undo.
Send me the checklist