Shop Operations Handbook

Version 2.2.2 · Scope: Shop 1 (30–50 m² drinks shop, Inha area, Incheon) · Phase 1 · 29.09.2026 Follows on from Business Idea v2.2.2 · Workstream 2 Plan v2.2.2 · Brand Voice v2.2.2 Readers: shop manager · teammates at the shop · executive team, to keep the handbook current

Work by the handbook. If the handbook is wrong, fix the handbook — don't work from memory.

0 · How to use this handbook

• Read it before your first day at the counter. Each section is one job; each job is a checklist. Read a section, do that section.
• Read alongside — the recipe cards (kept by Workstream 2, printed copy at the counter) and Brand Voice v2.2.2 §4 and §7 whenever you have to talk to customers or post anything.
• Three conventions — (1) Anything that repeats must be in the handbook; (2) if you do something differently and it works better, note it at the back of the handbook and fix it at the Monday-start meeting; (3) if unsure, ask the shop manager — don't guess.
• Not in this handbook — Detailed recipes (recipe cards) · financial figures (Phase 1 Business Plan) · channel content (Workstream 1).
• "Default" settings — opening hours, people per shift, spending limits… are preset levels for opening the shop; the shop manager adjusts them after the first month and records the change in the handbook.
• When shop tasks switch on — opening end of M3/M4: cups, two-cup set, Cup Given Forward board, paper Four Lights cards · M4–M6: KakaoTalk pre-orders, points · M6: kitchen, ≤8 dishes, lunch combo, weekly pack, Cup Given Forward as a meal portion · M13: subscription · M16–M17: packaged products, shampoo on the counter shelf.

1 · What the shop is — on one page

Positioning: Herbal tea and wholesome meals for the whole family — grandparents and grandchildren at one table, giving one good thing forward together.

The four customer groups you'll see at the counter

The Four Lights — spoken through actions, not words

• Wisdom — brew exactly to the card, unhurried, just enough; don't upsell when the customer doesn't need it.
• Compassion — anyone who asks for a Cup Given Forward gets one, no questions asked.
• Connection — remember the faces of those who return; offer grandparents the table by the window.
• Regeneration — own cup −500₩, sort waste correctly, don't waste ingredients.

Four things we never say — no talk of curing illness · no talk of weight loss or detox · never say "vegetarian" (say "vegetable-forward", point to the ingredient board) · never name any religion, even when a customer asks (§7).

2 · People at the shop

Shifts — default

• Morning shift 09:30–16:00 · afternoon shift 14:30–21:30 · overlap 14:30–16:00 for handover and to cover the busy hour.
• Each shift: 1 shop manager or qualified teammate on the main counter + 1 teammate.
• The shop manager works at least one shift every day for the first 3 months.

The "kind to each other" standard — pay on time and by the law · nobody works overtime without being asked first · mistakes during a shift are said at once, never blamed on others · every newcomer has a buddy for the first 2 weeks · if you're tired, say so; swap shifts, no reason needed.

A newcomer is qualified for the counter when: they brew the whole current set of cups to the card in 3 minutes/cup · the shop manager can't tell the difference in a blind tasting of 3 cups · they know the hard questions in §7 by heart.

3 · A day at the shop

Opening hours — default: 10:00–21:00 · closed Monday · Korean public holidays: per the schedule the shop manager posts the week before.

3.1 · Opening the shift (09:30–10:00) — checklist

• ☐ Switch on lights, air conditioning, machines; check the fridge temperature (write the number in the temperature log).
• ☐ Brew / take the base tea, base milk and herbal syrups from the fridge; check the brew date on the label — if expired, discard and record in the waste log.
• ☐ Count cups, lids, straws, bags; enough for a day? If short, tell the shop manager.
• ☐ Wipe the counter, tables, chairs; check the toilet.
• ☐ Cup Given Forward board: count cups remaining, update the board.
• ☐ Read the start-of-shift noticeboard (cups temporarily out, weekly-pack orders today, messages from the previous shift).
• ☐ Cash drawer: count the opening change, record it.
• ☐ 10:00 open the door, soft music on, put the trilingual menu on the counter.

3.2 · During the shift — the working rhythm

1. Greet — in the language the customer uses (§7). No long scripted greetings.
2. Ask two questions — "Warm or cold today?" · "Even less sweet?" — then suggest 1–2 cups, not the whole menu.
3. Brew to the card — recipe cards stay at the counter; weigh and measure exactly; 3 minutes/cup. Even when busy, never skip the scale.
4. Hand over the cup — say the cup's name and one line about the ingredients ("Trà Bồng cinnamon tea, low-sugar"). Don't talk about effects.
5. Record — which cups sold, who returned (if you recognise them), what customers said — write it in the feedback log when your hands are free; don't wait until the end of the shift.
6. Mid-shift — every 2 hours: wipe the counter, check ingredients, take out the sorted waste.

Priority rule when busy — customers at the counter first → pre-orders whose pickup time has come → Kakao orders. Don't take new orders if the wait is over 15 minutes; apologise and offer a time.

3.3 · Closing the shift (21:00–21:30) — checklist

• ☐ Stop taking orders at 20:50; clear tables, politely invite remaining customers to finish.
• ☐ Discard / date-label the base tea, base milk and syrups still usable; discard expired portions, record in the waste log.
• ☐ Wash and sterilise utensils; wipe machines per the equipment guide; take out the sorted waste.
• ☐ Count the drawer, write the day's revenue in the cash book; store cash the way the CEO specifies.
• ☐ Quick stock check of the 10 items that run out most; write it on the noticeboard for tomorrow's shift.
• ☐ Cup Given Forward board: record the number of cups given today in the ledger.
• ☐ Feedback log: three lines — best-selling cup, one thing a customer praised, one thing to fix.
• ☐ Switch off machines, lock cabinets, check gas/electricity, lights off, lock the door, photograph the counter and send it to the group chat.

4 · A week at the shop

Monthly routine — CPO visits to read the logs, changes at most 2 cups/season · CEO reconciles the cash book and stock · shop manager re-reads the handbook and notes where practice has diverged · at month-end, pack the surplus given-forward cups for Workstream 1 to pass to partners (from M6).

5 · The brewing counter

Shared brewing base — base tea · base milk · 3–4 house-made herbal syrups. Every cup is made from this base. If a cup needs something outside the base, tell Workstream 2 — don't buy it yourself.

The 3-minute process — take the order → take a cup, write the cup name → measure the base per the card → add herbs / toppings per the card → shake or stir → lid on, label (cup name · sweetness · time brewed) → hand over. A cup that can't be made in 3 minutes means the card is wrong, not the person — record it for Workstream 2.

Sweetness — every Line 1 cup defaults to ≤50% sugar compared with regular milk tea; if the customer asks for "even less", reduce the syrup to the level written on the card, and add nothing else. There is no "sweeter" level.

Line 2 (wellness tea) — brew exactly to the card signed off by the Oriental-medicine advisor; don't add or remove herbs at a customer's request. Customer asks "what does it treat?" → §7.

Two-cup set — any one Line 1 + any one Line 2, set price; available from opening day; suggest it to two-generation customers.

Cups and takeaway — cups, lids, straws, bags per the green-materials list Workstream 2 has fixed; customer brings their own cup: −500₩, tally it in the cup log. Never use a different type of cup even if you run out — tell the shop manager; if truly out, serve dine-in only.

Pre-orders via KakaoTalk (from M4–M6) — Kakao orders carry a pickup time; brew 5 minutes before the agreed time, no earlier; prioritise per §3.2.

Counter hygiene — wipe every 2 hours · utensils touching milk washed straight after use · date label on every base container · fridge temperature recorded 2 times/day.

6 · Kitchen — switches on when food launches (M6)

This section stays empty until Workstream 2 hands over the menu of ≤8 dishes (M6). When it switches on, follow this frame:

• One prep base — Monday prep for the whole week; store in date-labelled boxes; finish each dish in 3 minutes at the kitchen.
• Three branches, ≤8 dishes — 2–3 herbal wellness dishes · 2–3 three-region colour dishes · 2–3 seasonal bowls. The menu prints ingredients and allergens (egg, milk, soy, wheat, nuts) for every dish.
• Pre-ordered lunch combo — orders taken until 10:00 the same day (via Kakao or at the counter); ready 11:30–13:30; write the customer's name on the box.
• Weekly pack — 5 meals, orders close Thursday, made Monday and Wednesday mornings; green box, ingredient label, pickup time; count boxes into the Regeneration log.
• Cup Given Forward as a meal portion — from M6, anyone who asks may receive a standard bowl instead of a cup (set by Workstream 2); same rules as §8.
• Kitchen hygiene — separate boards and knives for vegetables / eggs / dairy · wash hands every time you switch tasks · freezer and fridge temperatures recorded 2 times/day · keep a sample of each weekly-pack meal for 48 hours.
• Never say "vegetarian" — dishes with egg, milk, onion or garlic are printed clearly; if a customer asks, point to the ingredient board.

7 · Welcoming customers at one shared table

The greeting

Suggestions by person

• Grandparents, parents → seasonal wellness tea; seat by the window; large-print menu.
• Small children → the least sweet milk tea, small cup, paper straw.
• Young healthy eaters → point to the ingredient board and growing regions; from M6 suggest the lunch combo.
• Vietnamese customers → greet in Vietnamese, suggest the three-region dishes (from M6), mention the monthly meet-up (when it exists, from M12).

Hard questions — answer in the Brand Voice

Customer brings their own cup — thank them, check the cup is clean, −500₩, tally it. Dirty cup: ask permission to rinse it first.

8 · The Cup Given Forward and the Four Lights card

Cup Given Forward board — a public board beside the counter, up from opening day. Left side: cups paid for in advance (one card per cup). Right side: cups given. Anyone can read it.

How it works

1. A customer buys an extra given-forward cup → write a card, pin it on the left, record it in the ledger (date, number of cups, no name if the customer prefers). This money goes into the separate giving ledger — it is not added to the day's revenue.
2. Anyone who says "I'd like a Cup Given Forward" → hand them one standard Line 2 cup (from M6: or one standard bowl portion) as set by Workstream 2, same cup, same quality; move a card to the right side; record it.
3. Don't ask why, don't judge by appearance. At most one cup/person/day. When the cards run out, they run out — say "the board has all been given today; please come back tomorrow".
4. At month-end (from M6): surplus cups go to partners on Workstream 1's schedule; the shop only packs and records — it doesn't contact partners.
5. Never post photos of recipients. Never say who gave to whom.

Four Lights card — a paper card handed out from opening day (200 cards in the first batch); from M4–M6, points go digital via KakaoTalk. Points accrue per cup; points convert into given-forward cups or trees planted in the growing regions; never into a discount for the customer themselves. The shop only scans and records; redemption happens on Kakao/the app; tree counts are published in the quarterly Regeneration report (from M12).

Quiet Hour, Green Volunteer Day — not yet part of Shop 1; if a customer asks, refer them to Workstream 1's channels.

9 · Money, books, stock

Cashier — every transaction goes through the POS; cash into the drawer; no personal money in the drawer. Count the drawer at the start and end of each shift, record it; a difference of >5,000₩ is reported to the shop manager the same day.

Daily cash book — POS revenue · cash · cups by line · sets · combos/weekly packs · the day's spending (with receipts) · waste. The shop manager writes it every evening; the CEO reads it every week.

Shop manager's spending limit (fixed in the Phase 1 Business Plan §4.6)

Stock — "buy to capacity, not to ambition"

• The ingredients list is fixed by Workstream 2, with suppliers and prices; the shop doesn't switch sources on its own.
• Stock check Tuesday; order enough for 1.5 weeks, no more; no debt to suppliers.
• Receiving deliveries: check quantities, expiry dates, documents; record the batch in the ingredients log; store "first in, first out".
• Record waste honestly, hide nothing — that is the data Workstream 2 uses to adjust quantities.

10 · Hygiene, safety and legal matters at the shop

Words on boards, cups and channels — no claims of effects, no "vegetarian", no religion names. Handwritten boards in the shop follow this rule too; Workstream 1 approves any new board before it goes up.

11 · Records that feed the three workstreams

The shop is where the three workstreams see the truth. Four things go out every Wednesday:

The cash book goes to the CEO separately, on the same weekly rhythm (closed Wednesday, CEO approves Thursday).

12 · When something happens

General principles when something happens: people first, money second · tell customers the truth · record it the same day · post nothing online about the incident.

Closing · When this handbook has done its job

Workstream 2's end-of-Phase-1 goal is that a newcomer following the handbook for one week brews the whole set of cups so well that regulars notice no difference — tested at M15. This handbook succeeds when three things happen: the shop manager opens Shop 2 without a founder at the counter · every section has been revised at least once from real experience · a teammate reads it and says "that's exactly what I do".

When the roots hold, the flower blooms.

Appendix

A · Opening-shift checklist (print, hang beside the counter)

☐ Power, machines, fridge temperature (record) ☐ Brewing base — check date labels ☐ Cups, lids, straws, bags ☐ Wipe counter, tables, WC ☐ Cup Given Forward board ☐ Start-of-shift noticeboard ☐ Count drawer ☐ 10:00 open

B · Closing-shift checklist

☐ Stop orders 20:50 ☐ Date labels / discard expired base ☐ Wash, sterilise, wipe machines ☐ Sorted waste ☐ Count drawer, cash book ☐ Quick stock → noticeboard ☐ Cup Given Forward ledger ☐ 3-line feedback log ☐ Switch off, lock, photograph counter

C · Feedback log template (one day, one frame)

D · Regeneration & Cup Given Forward log template (weekly)

E · Minimum counter equipment list (Workstream 2 finalises at M2–M3)

Tea brewer / brewing urn · shaker · 0.1 g digital scale · measuring jug · 2-compartment fridge · small freezer · ice machine · syrup dispenser with tap · POS + label printer · fire extinguisher ×2 · first-aid kit · fridge thermometer ×2.

F · "Default" settings to be re-fixed after the first month

Opening hours and closing day · shift hours · drawer-difference threshold · maximum weekly-pack boxes/week · lunch-combo order cut-off time. (The shop manager's spending limit is already fixed in the Phase 1 Business Plan.)

EverWell · Phase 1 document suite · version 2.2.2 · Incheon, Korea · 29.09.2026