Requirements checklist
What to ask for when choosing software for cafes and coffee shops.
A checklist built from how cafes and coffee shops work, to print or save as a PDF and bring to any supplier meeting.
What the software should cover
Tick each one that matters to your business.
- Counter billing and drink menu
- Drink recipes and cost per cup
- Beans, milk and packaging stock
- Pastry case and closing waste
- Loyalty card and regulars
- Shift cash-up and tip pool
- Roaster and supplier orders
Roles that need their own access
Who logs in, and what each person may see or change.
- For owners
- For baristas
- For cashiers
- For shift leads
Reports to ask for
Ask to see each one with your own sample data.
- Margin by drink, size and milk choice
- Beans, milk and cups used against bought, by site
- Pastry delivered, sold and binned, by item and day
- Loyalty cards redeemed and regulars lapsed for a month
- Drawer difference and tip pool by shift
- Roaster, dairy and bakery orders against deliveries
- Machine descaling and grinder service dates due
Systems it may need to connect to
Note which ones you already run.
- Card terminal
- Digital wallets
- SMS and messaging
- Kitchen printer
- Accounting export
Questions for any vendor
Put these to every supplier you are comparing.
- Does it work for one small cafe as well as a group?
- How is the cost of a cup worked out?
- Can it deal with oat, soy and almond choices?
- Will it count pastries that sell out by midday?
- Can the loyalty scheme use a phone number only?
- Will our existing card machine still work?
- What if the internet drops during service?
- Can we see a demo before deciding?
- What does it cost to run?
Where the work usually breaks today
Circle the ones you recognise. They set the order of the project.
- Drink cost is guessed, not known
- Pastry waste is written on a slate
- Milk, beans and cups run out mid-service
- Loyalty stamps live on paper cards
- Cash-up and tips are settled by memory
Prefer to talk it through? See the cafes and coffee shops page.