Two weeks out and the list keeps growing
The fit-out is nearly done and the opening date is on the website. Then the questions start. Has the EPOS been ordered? Who is setting up the supplier accounts for this postcode? Has anyone booked the pest control survey? The GM was hired, but the head chef starts on the Monday of opening week, so there is no time to train the kitchen on the menu. The Wi-Fi is not in, so the card machines cannot be tested.
Every one of these tasks happened at the last opening. Some were even on the spreadsheet. But the spreadsheet was a copy of a copy, half the rows had no owner, and the person who ran the last opening has since left the group.
Why each opening feels like the first
Groups open sites often enough to have learned the lessons, but not so often that there is a dedicated projects team with a proper system. The knowledge lives in people and old spreadsheets.
- The opening plan is a spreadsheet copied from the last site and edited by several people.
- Tasks depend on each other, such as broadband before EPOS testing, but the sheet cannot show that.
- Owners are named by first name, and nobody updates the sheet when work moves between people.
- Outside parties, such as the fit-out contractor, the EPOS provider and the recruiter, report by email.
- Lessons from each opening are discussed once and not written back into the template.
The price of a rushed opening
A late task near opening costs more than the task. Kitchen training squeezed into two days shows up in the first reviews. Supplier accounts not set up mean the first deliveries come from the cash and carry at retail prices. A delayed opening date means rent paid on a closed site and pre-opening wages paid for a team with nothing to do. Senior people from other sites get pulled in to help, which weakens those sites too.
How we build the opening tracker
- We turn your opening knowledge into a master template: every task, grouped by workstream such as property, compliance paperwork, people, kitchen, systems, suppliers and marketing.
- Each task has a default owner role, a timing relative to opening date and any tasks it depends on.
- When a new site is confirmed, the tracker creates its plan from the template and the opening date, and assigns real people to each role.
- Owners update their tasks from a phone or laptop, attach documents such as certificates, contracts and floor plans, and add notes.
- Tasks that are late, or that block others, are flagged to the opening lead and head office, with the knock-on effect shown.
- Outside parties can be given limited access to update their own tasks rather than sending emails.
- After opening, a short review captures what went wrong, and changes are made to the template for next time.
| Workstream | Examples of tasks | Common hold-up |
|---|---|---|
| Property | Fit-out sign-off, utilities, signage | Contractor slippage |
| Compliance paperwork | Licence applications, registrations, surveys | Waiting on third parties |
| People | GM and head chef hire, recruitment, training | Late hires, no training time |
| Systems | EPOS, card machines, broadband, rota | Broadband not live |
| Suppliers | Accounts, delivery days, first orders | Accounts not opened |
We keep the tracker simple enough that people actually use it. It is not a heavyweight project tool, it is your opening checklist with owners, dates and warnings.
What opening number six looks like
The opening lead creates the site, sets the date and sees the full plan straight away, with the long-lead items at the top. Head office sees every site in development on one screen, with red flags for anything that could move the opening date. The recruiter and EPOS provider update their own tasks. When the doors open, the lessons are written back, so the next opening starts from a better template.
Could this be your next opening?
- Every opening plan starts as a copy of the last spreadsheet.
- Important tasks are found in the final fortnight.
- Nobody can see all openings in progress in one place.
- Lessons from the last opening were never written down.
- Contractors and providers update you only by email.