# How to Open a Café in Canada: Equipment and Planning > Plan a café in Canada: the espresso bar, brewing, cold drinks, refrigeration and display, space, water and power, the order to buy in, and leasing. Opening a business by Norpex. Published 2026-11-10, updated 2026-11-10. Canonical: https://norpex.ca/guides/how-to-open-a-cafe ![Ascaso Barista T PRO two-group espresso machine in black](https://norpex.ca/m/3c/a9/3ca93d33c94ad2e164849979c7a7022d350a16f9b37a861d023cf39e3c6a285c.png) Pictured: [Ascaso Barista T PRO 2 Group](https://norpex.ca/product/ascaso-barista-t-pro) Open a café by sizing the bar to your busiest hour: the espresso machine, grinders and brewers come first, then cold drinks, refrigeration and display. Water, drain and electrical needs decide where everything goes, so collect every maker's requirements before you order anything. ## Key takeaways - Peak-hour drink volume and the number of baristas decide the espresso machine and its group heads. - Use separate grinders for espresso and brewed coffee; many cafés add one for decaf. - Most commercial espresso machines need a water line, a drain and water treatment. - Keep milk in an undercounter refrigerator at the bar, and grab-and-go food at 4 degrees C or below. - Collect each machine's voltage, amperage and plumbing needs and have a plumber and an electrician review them together. ## Why a café works A café sells a daily habit. Coffee is bought on the way to work, in the middle of a meeting and after school, and the same customers return every week. A small menu of drinks and a few baked or heated items means a small kitchen, a short equipment list and a small team. The trade-off is that nearly all the sales land in a few peak hours, so the business is won or lost on how many drinks the bar can make well in the morning rush. That makes equipment sizing the central planning job: the espresso machine, the grinders, the blender and the ice machine each have a limit on what they can do in an hour. Decide the concept before the shopping list: a grab-and-go counter, a sit-down café with food, a drive-through window, or a bakery-café. Each changes the cooking equipment, the display and the amount of seating the plumbing and power must support. ## The equipment list: the bar The espresso machine is usually the largest purchase on the bar. Its capacity comes mostly from the number of group heads, the parts that hold the portafilter. The machine needs enough groups for the baristas working it at the same time, plus enough steam and hot water for the milk drinks on your menu. Volumetric machines stop each shot at a programmed volume, which keeps drinks consistent across staff; manual machines leave it to the barista. Most commercial espresso machines connect to a water supply line and a drain rather than a tank. The manual lists the water pressure, the drain and the electrical supply, so give it to your plumber and electrician early. Voltages differ between models (some two-group machines are 220-240 V), so check each machine's specs against what your building offers before you choose. Espresso and brewed coffee need very different grind settings, so cafés use separate grinders for each rather than adjusting one grinder back and forth. Many cafés add a second espresso grinder for decaf or a rotating single-origin coffee. ## The equipment list: brewing, cold and blended drinks For brewed coffee, a batch brewer makes coffee into servers or airpots that hold it for service, and a hot water dispenser handles tea, americanos and cleaning so the espresso machine's tap is not tied up in the rush. Brewers differ in how much they make per batch and how long they take, so compare the output per hour with your peak. A commercial blender handles smoothies and frozen drinks. Blenders are loud, and a sound enclosure over the blender makes a real difference at a counter where customers are ordering. Choose the container size for the drink sizes on your menu. An ice machine is essential for iced coffee, cold drinks and blended drinks. Production is rated per day by the maker and depends on room and water temperature, so size it for your busiest days with a margin, and plan the bin to carry you through the peak. Water quality matters for every machine on the bar. Scale from hard water builds up in boilers and lines, and many makers specify water treatment for their equipment. Check the manual for what it says about water, and plan a filtration system on the supply line. ## The equipment list: refrigeration, display and light cooking An undercounter refrigerator at the bar keeps milk and alternatives within reach of the espresso machine, so baristas do not leave the station during the rush. Measure the space under the counter, including the door swing and the ventilation clearance the manual asks for. Grab-and-go sandwiches, salads and dairy desserts belong in a refrigerated display. Health Canada's guidance is to keep cold food at 4 degrees C or below, so check the case with a probe thermometer. Baked goods that do not need refrigeration can sit in a dry display case; ask your local health unit which of your items need cold holding. Many cafés heat food rather than cook it from raw. A panini grill toasts sandwiches and a toaster handles bread and bagels. Whether a cooking appliance needs a hood depends on the appliance and your local building and fire codes. The manual says what the maker requires, and some countertop units are built for use without a hood, so check with your local authorities before you choose. ## The equipment list: sinks and warewashing Cups, glasses, jugs and smallwares need cleaning all day. An undercounter dishwasher or glasswasher keeps up with a café's volume in a small footprint and needs hot water, a drain and an electrical supply. Your local public health unit sets the sink requirements: commonly a dedicated hand-washing sink, plus a compartment sink or a commercial dishwasher. Ask before the layout is final, because sinks fix where the plumbing goes. ## Space, water, drain and power A café bar is a plumbing and electrical project more than a cooking one. Espresso machines, ice machines, dishwashers and water filters each need a water connection, and several need a drain. Group them so one drain run and one water manifold serve the whole bar, and leave service access behind the espresso machine and the ice machine. Before ordering, collect the specification sheet for every machine: voltage, amperage, plug type, water connection and drain. Espresso machines, ovens and dishwashers often need dedicated circuits or a higher voltage than a standard outlet. Have an electrician and a plumber review the full list together. Plan counter height and flow too. A barista should be able to move between the grinder, the machine, the refrigerator and the hand-off point in a step or two. A layout that forces a walk across the room costs seconds on every drink. ## The order to buy in Start from the machines that fix the plumbing and power, and finish with the loose items. - 1. The espresso machine, the grinders and the ice machine, which set the water, drain and circuits. - 2. Water filtration, sized to those machines. - 3. Refrigeration at the bar, then the display cases. - 4. Brewers, blenders and any light cooking equipment. - 5. Sinks and the dishwasher, once your health unit's requirements are confirmed. - 6. Smallwares, pitchers and tools, last. ## Lease or buy The bar is where most of a café's equipment money goes. Buying outright means no financing cost and you own the machines; leasing keeps cash free for the lease on the space, the first inventory and the weeks before the doors open. Weigh it against how long you expect to run the same equipment. Financing is available on approved credit. Apply from the financing page and a Norpex rep sets it up within one business day. ## Permits and inspections A café needs permits that vary by province and city. Start with the federal overview of permits, licences and regulations, then check with your municipality and local public health unit before you finalize the plan or order equipment. Building, plumbing and electrical work are inspected separately from the food permit. ## Get the whole list priced Send the equipment list or a floor plan through the project quote form. A person prices the whole list with freight included and replies within one business day. Items that can be bought online show the delivered price at checkout before you pay. A liftgate, a delivery appointment or inside delivery are arranged with Norpex before you pay. All sales are final, so confirm voltage, plug type, water connection and dimensions before ordering. ## Common questions ### How many group heads does a café espresso machine need? Enough for the baristas who will pull shots at the same time in your busiest hour, with steam capacity for your milk drinks. Start from your peak drink count and staffing, and compare it with the maker's specifications. ### Do I need separate grinders for espresso and brewed coffee? Yes. The grind settings are very different, and adjusting one grinder back and forth wastes coffee and time. Many cafés also keep a separate espresso grinder for decaf. ### Does an espresso machine need a water filter? Most makers specify water treatment, because scale from hard water damages boilers and lines. Check the manual for what it says about water, and plan a filtration system on the supply. ### What refrigeration does a café bar need? At least an undercounter refrigerator at the bar for milk, within reach of the espresso machine. Grab-and-go food needs a refrigerated display case holding 4 degrees C or below under Health Canada's guidance. ### How do I plan the electrical and plumbing? Collect the specification sheet for every machine, listing voltage, amperage, plug type, water connection and drain. Have an electrician and a plumber review them together before you order, because several machines usually need dedicated circuits. ## Related guides - [Commercial Blender Buying Guide: Bar vs Food, Containers and Controls](https://norpex.ca/guides/commercial-blender-buying-guide) - [Commercial Ice Machine Buying Guide: Cube Types, Cooling and Sizing](https://norpex.ca/guides/ice-machine-buying-guide) - [What to Measure Before Ordering Commercial Kitchen Equipment](https://norpex.ca/guides/measuring-before-ordering) - [Restaurant Equipment Checklist: What to Buy to Open in Canada](https://norpex.ca/guides/restaurant-equipment-checklist) ## Shop the catalogue - [Espresso Machine](https://norpex.ca/products/espresso-machine) - [Coffee Grinder](https://norpex.ca/products/coffee-grinder) - [Coffee Brewers](https://norpex.ca/products/coffee-brewers) - [Blenders](https://norpex.ca/products/blenders) - [Undercounter Refrigerator](https://norpex.ca/products/undercounter-refrigerator) - [Countertop Display](https://norpex.ca/products/countertop-display) - [Water Filtration Systems](https://norpex.ca/products/water-filtration-systems)