Start a cafe without the guesswork.

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change and differ by state, city and council. Check with the official sites below, your local authority and an accountant before you apply or decide.

Opening a cafe in India

1. Choose how you'll run it. Most small cafes start as a sole proprietorship or partnership; an LLP or private limited company separates your personal and business money. Open a current account in the business name.
2. FSSAI food registration or licence. Every food business needs one before it opens. From April 2026, Basic Registration covers a turnover of up to ₹1.5 crore a year and a State Licence covers ₹1.5 crore to ₹50 crore. Apply on the FSSAI FoSCoS portal. Your FSSAI number prints on every OrdenZ bill.
3. Shop and establishment registration under your state's law, usually within a few weeks of opening. It's done online in most states.
4. Trade licence from your municipal corporation or panchayat. Depending on your city and size, you may also need a fire safety certificate, a signboard permission or an eating-house licence. Ask the local office what applies to your address.
5. GST, when you need it. A restaurant usually registers once its turnover passes ₹20 lakh a year (₹10 lakh in some states). Most standalone cafes then charge 5% GST without input tax credit. Small cafes up to ₹1.5 crore can choose the composition scheme instead: a flat 5% of turnover, which you can't add to the customer's bill.
6. Payments. Ask your bank for a free UPI merchant QR to start. For automatic confirmation of each UPI payment on the kiosk, apply for a Razorpay or PhonePe merchant account; approval takes a few days.

In OrdenZ: choose India when you sign up. Add your GSTIN and FSSAI number under Menu & settings → Cafe settings, and set the GST rate (5% for most cafes, or 0% until you register). Bills then show CGST and SGST by themselves.

Opening a cafe in Malaysia

1. Register the business with SSM: a sole proprietorship or partnership through ezBiz, or a Sdn Bhd through MyCoID.
2. Premises and signboard licence from your local council (PBT), for example DBKL in Kuala Lumpur. Councils check the premises, so apply before you renovate too far.
3. Food handler training and typhoid vaccination for everyone who handles food, from a course accredited by the Ministry of Health (KKM).
4. Fire certificate (BOMBA) if your premises is classed as a designated premises. Check with your state fire department.
5. Halal certification from JAKIM if you want to market the cafe as halal. It's optional, but many customers look for it.
6. Service tax, when you need it. Food and beverage businesses register for service tax once their sales pass RM1.5 million a year, and charge 6%.
7. E-invoices. From 1 September 2026, businesses with annual sales under RM3 million don't have to issue e-invoices, but may do so voluntarily.
8. Payments. Ask your bank for a DuitNow QR for your counter. Card terminals come from your bank or a payment provider.

In OrdenZ: choose Malaysia when you sign up. Prices are in RM and cash is rounded to 5 sen. Add your SSM number, and your SST number once you register; SST is only charged after that. Set a service charge if you have one. Reports → e-Invoice prepares MyInvois files for your provider when you need them.

The equipment you need

Pricing your menu

• Know the cost of every plate. Add a recipe to each item in OrdenZ (Menu & settings → Edit recipe) and the menu shows its ingredient cost and food-cost percentage, updated with every supplier bill.
• Use food cost as a guide. A common rule of thumb for cafes is to keep ingredient cost around 25–35% of the selling price. Coffee and tea are usually lower, cooked food higher.
• Remember the extras: cups, lids and packaging, delivery-app commission (OrdenZ lets you set separate app prices), and payment charges.
• Start small. 20 to 30 items you can make well and quickly beat 80 you can't. Watch Top items in the owner screen after a month and trim the rest.
• Prices with or without tax. In India, menu prices usually include GST. In Malaysia, choose whether SST and the service charge are added on top or included.

Your first week

1. Two weeks before: sign up for OrdenZ (the free trial waits for your first real bill), add the menu from the Excel template, and fill in the details on your bills.
2. One week before: add your team with their own PINs and roles, pair the kiosk and the token TV, and print a test bill on each printer.
3. Practise: ask us for practice mode. Sample customers order every few minutes, so the team learns the kiosk, kitchen and counter before real customers arrive.
4. Opening day: tap Start selling for real, count the float into the cash drawer, and keep the Help button handy. We're one WhatsApp message away.
5. End of week one: close the drawer each night, look at your busiest hours and top items, and adjust staff and prep for week two.

Questions new cafe owners ask

Do I need GST or SST from the first day?

Usually not. In India, a restaurant generally registers for GST once its turnover passes ₹20 lakh a year (₹10 lakh in some states). In Malaysia, food and beverage businesses register for service tax at RM1.5 million a year. You can still register earlier if it suits you. Ask an accountant about your case.

Can I open before my FSSAI or council licence arrives?

No. In India you need FSSAI registration or a licence before you start selling food, and in Malaysia the council licence comes before opening. Apply early: these are often the longest step.

How much should I spend on the POS?

Start with the Free plan and the tablet or laptop you already have. Move to Starter or Pro when you need more devices, offline billing, stock or catering. The 30-day Pro trial lets you try everything first.

Should I have a self-order kiosk?

If you have a queue at busy times, yes: customers order while your team makes the coffee, and they see photos of everything, which helps them add items. If you're small and quiet, start with the counter and add a kiosk later. It's the same app.

Should I join Swiggy, Zomato, GrabFood or foodpanda?

Delivery apps bring new customers but take a commission on each order. Many cafes set slightly higher app prices to cover it. OrdenZ keeps separate app prices and shows what each app still owes you, so you can see whether it's worth it.

How do I stop cash going missing?

Give each person their own PIN, count a float into the cash drawer at the start of every shift, and count it note by note at closing. OrdenZ shows the difference straight away and sends anything over your limit to the owner to review.

What records should I keep for tax?

Every bill, supplier bills (with photos), and your daily sales. OrdenZ keeps all of these and exports a day book, a tax summary and Tally files for your accountant.

Official sites and sources

• India: FSSAI FoSCoS · GST portal · FSSAI licence limits from April 2026 (LegalRaasta) · GST on restaurants (Bajaj Finserv)
• Malaysia: SSM ezBiz · MySST (Customs) · MyInvois (LHDN) · Service tax (PwC Malaysia) · E-invoice threshold (The Star) · Cafe licences in Malaysia (Eats365)

Checked 28 October 2026.