Opening a café in Malaysia? Your supplier checklist, from espresso machine to e-invoice

Most first-time owners plan the menu in detail and leave equipment, uniforms and compliance until it's too late. Here is the order we'd tackle them in.

Three months out

Book your fit-out contractor and get the kitchen layout signed off before you order equipment. Exhaust hoods and grease traps drive your floor plan, not the other way round.

Six weeks out

Order equipment with lead times longer than a month, and set up your POS early so staff can train on it. Ask every POS vendor how they handle e-invoicing.

Two weeks out

Sign service contracts for pest control and grease traps. Your local council will ask for service records at inspection.

Tip: ask every supplier for a reference customer you can call. Good suppliers are happy to share.