opening a café? an equipment plan, step by step

In what order should you plan café equipment?

The most common mistake when opening is starting with the machine. Its looks are appealing, but which machine fits is decided by the earlier steps: the menu, expected volume and what the venue allows. In our experience the order in the table below works best. Each step narrows the choice in the next.

Step 1. Concept and menu

Start with what you want to serve. A specialty café with coffees from several roasters needs different equipment from a venue with classic espresso and strong cappuccino sales. Write down a few things: which coffees for espresso, whether there will be a second coffee such as decaf, what share of drinks will be milk-based, and whether you will offer pour-overs and other brewing methods.

The menu determines the boiler layout of the machine. With one espresso coffee, a dual boiler with saturated groups is enough. When you brew several coffees at different temperatures, independent boilers for each group are useful. We explain this in the guide Dual boiler, saturated group, independent boilers.

Step 2. Volume forecast

The number of groups follows from volume in the busiest hour, not the daily average. With a new venue you do not yet have till reports, so base it on the location: footfall, opening hours, nearby offices or a station. In practice the peak accounts for about 15 to 25% of daily coffee sales.

Assume a realistic scenario and leave room to grow. Up to about 300 coffees a day, 2 groups are usually enough; from 300 to 500 coffees, 3 groups; above 500 coffees, 3 or 4 groups. The group calculator gives you a quick result.

Step 3. A venue that suits the connections

When choosing a venue, check not only the floor area and shopfront but also the utilities. La Marzocco 2-, 3- and 4-group machines run on 200 V single-phase, 220 V single- or three-phase, or 380 V three-phase power, and power draw increases with the number of groups. You also need a water supply with a shut-off valve, room for a filter and a drain under the counter.

A venue where power, water and drainage are close to the planned bar saves a lot of work during the fit-out. We have collected the power, wattage and dimensions of all models in the guide Preparing your venue for an espresso machine, along with a checklist for your electrician and plumber.

Step 4. Machine and grinders

Once you have the menu, volume forecast and venue, choosing the machine is simple. We recommend the simplest model that covers your volume, with the number of groups chosen to leave headroom. For many cafés a 2-group Linea Classic S is enough to start. If volume will be high from day one, consider the KB90. In a specialty café with several coffees, the Linea PB X, and at around 300 coffees a day or more, the Strada X. The guide Which espresso machine for a café? takes you through it step by step, and the comparison shows the differences between models.

The grinder is just as important as the machine. In practice every machine needs at least two grinders: one for espresso from a blend and one for a second coffee. We choose them together with the machine: Swift, Vulcano, Swan or Jay.

Specialty café: why the Linea Classic S

If you are opening a specialty café and want consistent, high-quality coffee and a calm bar, we recommend the Linea Classic S. A dual boiler, saturated groups, simple buttons and quiet operation let your team focus on the coffee, not the machine. Details and a comparison with the Linea PB X and Strada X are in the guide Specialty café: which espresso machine to choose?

Step 5. Water and filtration

Water affects both the taste of the espresso and the condition of the machine. At installation we test the water in your venue and choose a filter, then agree a cartridge replacement plan. Plan space for the filter under the counter, with access for replacement. More in the guide Water for espresso machines in your venue.

Step 6. Bar layout: ergonomics and workstation order

A bar is designed around the flow of an order. In our experience this order works well: taking orders and the till, grinders and machine, the milk station, hand-off. A barista should not have to pass through a colleague's station, and customers should not wait where the till queue stands.

• Place the grinders right next to the machine, on the side where the barista locks in the portafilter.
• Keep the knock box within reach, by the grinder or built into the counter.
• Milk fridge under the milk station, jugs next to the steam wands.
• With 2 baristas, each has their own space at the machine.
• Dishwasher and sink close to the bar, but outside the hand-off area.
• Space for cups on top of the machine and a stock of cups under the counter.

Also check the height of cabinets and shelves above the bar. Most La Marzocco machines are between 44.4 and 53.3 cm tall, but the Leva is 77.5 cm.

Step 7. Financing

There are a lot of costs at once when you open, so many cafés finance the machine through leasing. Instead of a single outlay you pay instalments, and the machine earns its keep from day one. We help you through the financing and choose the form that suits your venue's situation.

Include a service plan, water filtration, grinders and small bar equipment in your budget from the outset. These are items that are easy to forget at opening, and without them the machine will not make good coffee.

Step 8. Delivery, installation and setup

We agree the delivery date when you order, for the specific model and configuration, so order the machine in good time once you know the venue and connections. Installation means connecting to power, water and the drain, setting the parameters and a test run. Plan it after the bar work is finished, but well before opening day, so your team has time to practise.

Step 9. Team training and service plan

At setup we go through operation and daily cleaning with the people who will work on the machine. It is worth having the whole opening team there, not just one person. You will find a cleaning schedule to hang by the machine in the guide Espresso machine cleaning and backflush.

Agree the service plan before opening: the plan itself, scheduled service dates, filter cartridge replacement and who to contact in case of a breakdown. On our side: service across Poland, original parts, phone support and a loan machine in case of a breakdown. Parts for La Marzocco machines are available for at least 10 years after a model is discontinued.

The most common mistakes when opening a café

At the openings we help with, the same few mistakes come up again and again. Each one can be avoided if you plan your equipment in the order described above.

• A machine chosen for the daily average rather than the busiest hour. A queue builds up at peak times.
• Buying the biggest model just in case, although the volume does not call for it. A simpler machine with the right number of groups is a better fit for the start.
• The bar built before power and drainage were checked. Then walls have to be opened up or workstations moved.
• One grinder for the whole menu. Changing coffee during the day costs time and coffee.
• No filter, or a filter with no cartridge replacement plan. Scale builds up in the machine without you noticing.
• Training only one person on the team. When that person has a day off, the machine goes without its daily cleaning.
• No service contact by the machine. In a breakdown the team wastes time looking for the number.

If you are not sure which step to take first, start with a conversation. In a free consultation we go through the plan together and point out what to settle before you order the machine.

Bar equipment list

Below are the items worth planning for your opening. Some are small things, but the bar will not run without them:

• a machine with the right number of groups and version,
• at least two grinders: one for espresso and one for a second coffee,
• a water filter with a spare cartridge,
• milk jugs in several sizes,
• tampers and tamping mats,
• a scale for weighing coffee and drinks (if the machine has no drip tray scales),
• a knock box,
• blind baskets, brushes and cleaning products for the machine and steam wands,
• cups and mugs in the sizes on your menu,
• a dishwasher and a milk fridge, to be planned together with the bar fit-out.

frequently asked questions

read also

• Linea Mini or GS3? Which one for your home?
• Which espresso machine for an office? Does a traditional one make sense?
• Linea Micra or Linea Mini? Which one for your home?
• Grind-by-Sync: how La Marzocco controls a Mahlkönig grinder
• How to make milk drinks faster in a café
• Espresso machine for a roastery or showroom: how to show off your coffee
• 10 mistakes when buying a café espresso machine (and how to avoid them)
• Espresso machine for a bakery or patisserie: selling coffee alongside your bakes
• Is a more expensive café espresso machine worth it?
• New espresso machine in your café: a barista training plan for the first month
• Espresso grinder for a café: on-demand or doser, and how many you need
• ABR drip tray scales or AV dosing? When the extra cost pays off
• Espresso machine service: what it covers, how often, and when to call a technician
• Café espresso machine leasing: lease, rent or buy?
• La Marzocco in Warsaw: Tekla, Doza and Wandal
• Specialty café: which espresso machine to choose? What a specialty café needs
• Dual boiler, saturated group, independent boilers: what they change in the cup
• When to replace your café espresso machine? 5 signs
• Water for espresso machines in venues: hardness, filtration, boiler protection
• Espresso machine cleaning and backflush: a schedule for your team
• Espresso machine for a restaurant or hotel: what to look for
• Which espresso machine for a café? A guide to La Marzocco machines
• Linea Classic S, Linea PB, KB90 or Strada? A comparison
• AV, ABR, EE, MP: what La Marzocco machine versions mean
• Preparing your venue for an espresso machine: power, water, drain
• How many groups does your venue need?