Planning · Tool
Opening day, worked backward.
Give it your opening date and it lays out the eight decision windows that protect it — with the dates already past flagged for triage.
Your working-backward schedule
Typical planning windows, not promises. The long leads — custom fab, walk-ins, ventilation, imported furniture — are the ones that set opening dates, and the ones to confirm first.
Email me these numbers
Asked every week.
When should I order restaurant equipment before opening?
Work backward from opening day. The long-lead items — custom fabrication, walk-in boxes, ventilation, and imported goods — belong roughly six months out. Standard equipment typically follows around three to four months out, tabletop around ten weeks, and smallwares around eight. Lead times move constantly, so confirm current numbers with your rep before sequencing an install.
What is ordered too late most often?
Custom furniture and millwork. Booths and built-to-order seating are specified early in design but often not released to order until finishes are approved — and that approval is the step that slips. A dining room opening with folding chairs is almost always a furniture release date problem.
Can I test equipment before my building is ready?
Yes — that is what the eight Zink culinary centers are for. Cook your menu on the equipment you've speced weeks before your own utilities are live, at no cost.
A tool gets you close. A person gets it right.
Every number here is a starting point, not a quote. Your Zink specialist runs these questions for a living — and checking your math costs you nothing.