The must-have coffee shop equipment checklist

If you’re opening your own coffee shop, you’re more than likely up to your neck in different checklists — so we’re here to handle one of the big ones. Cafe equipment seems pretty simple at first, but when you take a closer look, the things you need to get you through your day to day start to pile up. So, what do you need to start up a cafe? Let’s break it down and put your mind at ease.

Food and drink equipment 

First up: making sure you’ve got all the tools you need to make coffee your customers will love. The amount of coffee equipment you’ll need will depend on a few things, like the size of your menu, as well as what types of food and drinks you’ll offer. Here are the essentials when it comes to your coffee equipment checklist: 

  • Coffee machine

  • Coffee grinders

  • Waste shelf for used coffee grounds

  • Milk frothers 

  • Coffee filters

  • Hot water supply

Where there’s good coffee, there’s usually good snacks to pair it with. Cafes can offer anything from simple pastries or luxurious desserts to quick sandwiches or gourmet salads. Whatever you have in mind, you’d best make sure you’re equipped to prepare, store and serve. Here are the essentials when it comes to your food equipment checklist: 

  • Fridges (for front and back of house)

  • Freezers 

  • Microwave/oven 

  • Ice machine 

  • Shelves for food display

  • Prep counter for sandwiches/salads

  • Display containers for sandwich/salad ingredients

  • Display window for pastries and desserts

For a lot of coffee shops today, takeaway service is the new norm. A lot of your customers will be on the go, or might prefer to take their coffee outside or on a stroll. Either way, you’ll also need some cleaning supplies to keep your cafe spick and span. Here are some extra essentials to keep in mind: 

  • Takeway coffee cups and lids

  • Coffee cup sleeves

  • Straws and stirrers

  • Napkins and cutlery 

  • To-go food boxes

  • Coffee machine cleaning supplies

  • Shop floor and kitchen cleaning supplies

Now that you’ve got food and drinks sorted, it’s time to think about how you’ll get paid. The most efficient way to make sales in your coffee shop is using point of sale (POS) equipment. With POS software and POS hardware, you can accept flexible payments as well as manage your business with ease. 

POS equipment

Getting POS set up for your hospitality business means you can carry out essential business tasks, all with one single tool. You’ll be able to process orders quickly and see them all listed in a clear overview, as well as offer your customers multiple payment options — so you never miss a sale. When choosing a POS provider, you’ll more than likely start off with a core POS module, which gives you all of the basic features you need to run your business. Solutions like SumUp POS are an iPad POS system, meaning the layout is intuitive and easy to use. When it comes to POS hardware, you can build your own setup to fit your business needs, adding on extras as your business grows.

Here are some of the essential POS hardware items you should include on your cafe equipment checklist: 

  • Apple iPad

  • iPad POS stand

  • Receipt printer

  • Cash drawer

  • Card reader for contactless payments

Some of our merchants have transformed their coffee businesses using SumUp card readers, like Heilandt Coffee in Cologne, Germany. They went completely cashless during the pandemic, and haven’t looked back since. 

If you’re interested in kitting out your cafe with a POS solution, you can check out SumUp Point of Sale — the flexible, all-in-one tool tailored to your business needs. 

Aaron Nevin