To start a coffee shop in Pakistan, lock the location, licenses, and unit economics first: target 300–600 sq ft with high footfall, secure a municipal trade license, provincial Food Authority license (Punjab/Sindh/KP/Balochistan), FBR NTN, and provincial sales tax on services registration (PRA/SRB/KPRA/BRA). Budget PKR 5–15 million including 6 months rent deposit, a 2‑group espresso machine (3–5 kW), grinder, water filtration (TDS <150), 10–20 kVA generator/UPS, refrigeration, and a cloud POS. Define concept (specialty vs grab‑and‑go), price to a 70–75% beverage gross margin, and plan break‑even: daily revenue = monthly fixed costs / gross margin ÷ operating days; e.g., PKR 1.2m costs / 0.7 ÷ 30 ≈ PKR 57k/day. Build a tight menu (espresso 18 g in, 36 g out in 25–30 s; milk 55–60°C), standardize recipes in grams, and train baristas. Staff 4–6 with rosters; pay baristas PKR 45k–80k plus incentives. Secure milk and beans supply (local roaster + a backup), and chilled storage. Install fire safety, pest control, handwash, and food‑handler training/medical certificates. Accept cards and JazzCash/Easypaisa; list on Foodpanda/Careem (25–35% commission). Register your Google Business profile, run influencer seeding, and launch a punch‑card loyalty. Expect 60–90 days from lease to opening; monitor COGS <30% and waste <3% monthly.
