I've been on the opening team for 15 stores. The ones that went well were won long before the doors opened. My playbook runs in three phases.
- T-90 to T-45: build the bones. Lock the timeline backward from opening day: permits and compliance, contractor milestones, fixtures, inventory and systems. Every item gets one owner and a date.
- T-45 to T-7: build the team. Hire leaders first, then the floor. Train on SOPs in the real space, not a conference room. Run the opening the way you'll run a Saturday, then fix what breaks.
- T-7 to T+30: run the show. Daily huddles, a written run-of-show for opening week, and a 30-day scorecard covering sales, conversion, labor and compliance.
The rule: if it isn't written down with an owner and a date, it won't be ready on opening day.