Restaurant Technology Checklist for Opening Day

In short: build the smallest complete service path first: menu, order entry, kitchen ticket, payment and reports. Choose hardware for the room, test every order type and give staff time to rehearse. Legal registration, allergen records and food safety processes remain the owner's responsibility.

DineHarbor brings POS, kitchen screens, waiter phones and online ordering into one platform. Use the getting started guide to see the setup sequence, then adapt this checklist to the restaurant you are actually opening.

Start with the service model

Write down how guests will order: at a counter, at a table, from a kiosk, through a QR code, on the website, or by delivery. Do not buy devices until this is clear.

Map one order from arrival to completion. Identify who enters it, who prepares each part, where payment happens and how the guest receives it. Repeat for collection and delivery if offered.

Opening with every channel at once creates more failure paths. Choose the routes needed on day one. Keep reservations, kiosks, loyalty or own drivers for a later phase if the team cannot rehearse them properly.

Till and payment

Count tills for the busiest expected moment and include a fallback. A counter restaurant might need two devices even when one is usually enough. A table service venue may combine a fixed till with waiter phones.

DineHarbor POS runs on Android and iPad tablets and in the browser. Its plans set device limits, so compare the actual number of tills, kitchen screens and waiter phones with current pricing.

Choose a card reader supported by the payment route. DineHarbor supports Stripe Terminal card readers. Confirm the exact model, country availability, connection and merchant account before ordering hardware.

Decide how cash is handled. Position the drawer securely, set opening and closing routines, and give each shift a named owner. Practise cash, card, split payment, refund and a failed card attempt.

Menu and product records

Build the menu from the latest approved prices and recipes. Use clear categories, options, sizes and deal limits. Assign tax classes with qualified advice.

Record calories and allergens from controlled sources. AI menu import from a photo can create a draft, but a person must check every name, price, option and food detail. Read how to turn a paper menu into an online menu.

Set who may change price, availability and recipe information. A launch week has many last minute requests; one controlled source prevents the till and website drifting apart.

Place sample orders for the cheapest, most expensive and most complex products. Check the customer display, basket, kitchen ticket and receipt.

Kitchen screens and printers

Choose whether each station needs a screen, printer or both. A small kitchen may begin with one printer. Several stations or order channels may benefit from a kitchen display.

Plan equipment position with power, network, heat, spills and cleaning in mind. Route one test item to every station. Test modifiers, bundles, table numbers and course holds.

Keep spare paper and an agreed failover. Staff should know how to continue when a screen or printer stops. Our restaurant printer setup guide covers Bluetooth, network and USB choices.

Online ordering and customer routes

If online ordering opens on day one, configure collection hours, preparation expectations, delivery zones, fees and minimums. Check the site at 360 pixels wide and place a real controlled order.

DineHarbor includes an own ordering site and QR table ordering on every public plan. It takes no commission on orders; the restaurant's payment provider may charge card fees.

Connect the site to the restaurant's own domain or use the provided DineHarbor address. Update the website and Google Business Profile only after the route is tested. Never advertise delivery to an area the kitchen and drivers cannot serve reliably.

Delivery

Choose collection first if delivery operations are not ready. Own delivery needs drivers, insurance, safety policies, zones, dispatch and customer support.

DineHarbor supports restaurant managed delivery across plans, while the Driver app and dispatch board are on Growth and higher plans. Do not confuse software availability with legal or staffing readiness.

Run test journeys. Check address admission, kitchen timing, packing, assignment, live tracking and handover. Read the own delivery guide before setting fees.

Reports and backups

Decide which numbers the owner will check daily and weekly. At minimum, reconcile orders, payments, refunds and cash. DineHarbor reports also cover sales comparisons, top products, preparation time and an hourly heatmap.

Confirm who can export data and where business records are retained. Test account recovery and keep domain, payment and hardware ownership under company controlled accounts.

Document the manual fallback for lost internet, failed payment, printer outage and unavailable product. DineHarbor has offline capabilities, but the exact action and later synchronisation matter. Rehearse the supported path.

Team accounts and training

Create individual staff identities and permissions. Do not share a manager account. Use two factor authentication for sensitive access and remove people promptly when they leave.

DineHarbor plans allow unlimited staff, while shared operator devices have plan limits and controlled sessions. Configure roles around jobs: order taking, kitchen work, refunds, reports and settings should not all require the same authority.

Run role based rehearsals. A cashier takes and corrects orders, a cook handles tickets, a waiter opens and splits a table, and a manager resolves exceptions. Train the fallback as well as the happy path.

Keep opening week calm by naming one technology lead per shift. Staff need one person to contact rather than several people changing settings at once.

UK opening duties

GOV.UK says food businesses generally need to register with the local authority at least 28 days before trading. Registration is not the same as buying software. Check the guidance for your business and location. Last checked: 20 October 2026.

Build food safety, allergen and traceability processes with the appropriate authority and advisers. If the business in England has 250 or more employees, review the calorie labelling rules. Smaller businesses still need accurate allergen information.

Confirm licences, planning, fire safety, employment, music, alcohol and pavement requirements that apply. This checklist cannot determine them for a particular premises.

Four weeks before opening

By four weeks out, aim to have service design, menu structure, provider accounts and core hardware chosen. Submit required registrations earlier where the rule demands it.

Two weeks out, connect devices, load the menu and train leads. One week out, run full mock services with deliberate faults. In the final days, freeze nonessential changes and correct only clear blockers.

On opening day, use fewer channels and a smaller menu if that makes service reliable. Record problems for the debrief rather than changing the system in the middle of a rush unless safety or service requires it.

Technology should make the restaurant's chosen service easier to repeat. It cannot choose that service for you.

Keep a written asset list after launch. Record each device, model, location, owner, warranty and support route. Review account recovery and access with the same care. The list saves time when a tablet fails, a staff lead leaves or the business opens another branch.

Ready to rehearse the core route before opening? Start the 30 day free trial with no card needed.