Skip to content

Sips & Souls Cafe — Event Evaluation & Planning SOP

Purpose

Make sure every external event we say yes to is one we can execute well, with the whole team on the same page going in. Two short forms drive a 15-minute team conversation; the conversation drives the decision.

Scope

External events: pop-ups, catering, sponsorships, in-cafe public events, partnerships. Internal events (staff-only) use a separate process.

Process

1. PROPOSE     → anyone fills the Event Proposal Form
2. PRE-CHECK   → if clean, hand to Ops; if dirty, decline
3. OPS PLAN    → Operations Manager fills the Event Operations Plan
4. REVIEW      → team reviews both docs together; go/no-go decided
5. EXECUTE     → if Go, Event Lead owns packing, day-of, teardown
6. DEBRIEF     → within 1 week; lessons feed back into next event

1. Propose

Anyone can fill out the Event Proposal Form when an event request comes in or an idea surfaces. Capture what the event is — not how we'd execute. Don't promise the partner anything beyond "we'll review and get back to you" (target: within 1 week).

2. Pre-Check

The form's Pre-Check section catches instant blockers (date conflict, scope mismatch, bad partner). If any box is checked, the form-filler sends a polite decline and we stop here. If clean, the form goes to the Operations Manager.

3. Operations Plan

The Operations Manager fills out the Event Operations Plan — staffing, menu, supplies, logistics, cost estimate, and a recommendation (Go / No-Go / Defer). This is where feasibility actually gets assessed.

4. Team Review

Both completed forms go on the agenda for the next All-Staff meeting (Wed 3:00–4:45pm). For time-sensitive requests, the Cafe Manager can call a shorter ad-hoc review.

The review: - Cafe Manager (or whoever runs the meeting) walks the team through both docs - Anyone can ask questions or flag concerns - Decision is Go / No-go / Defer - If Go: Event Lead is named (often the Ops Manager, but anyone can volunteer) - If No-go: form-filler sends the polite decline - If Defer: capture what info we need before revisiting and when

5. Execute

The Event Lead owns the day-of. Concrete artifacts they build (by copying templates and customizing): - A packing list specific to this event — copy from packing template - A day-of plan: arrival time, setup, service approach, teardown handoff - A teardown checklist — copy from teardown template

These live in areas/sips-souls/events/<event-name>/. The Taste of Middlesex 2026 docs (packing, teardown) are good worked examples to reference.

6. Debrief

Within 1 week of the event, the Event Lead schedules a 30-minute debrief with anyone who staffed it. Use the post-event report format. Lessons feed back into the next event's Operations Plan — especially supplies, staffing, and risks.

Roles

Role Responsibility
Form-filler Fills the Event Proposal Form. Anyone on staff.
Operations Manager Fills the Event Operations Plan. Owns feasibility.
Cafe Manager Runs the team review meeting. Approves polite declines.
Event Lead Owns execution from approval through debrief. Named at the team review.
Whole team Participates in the review. Provides feedback at the meeting, not after.

Linked Artifacts

Document Control

Version Date Author Description
1.0 2025-08-06 Billy Mild Initial draft
2.0 2026-05-05 Billy Mild Rewrite around team review process; ToM lessons folded in
2.1 2026-05-05 Billy Mild Split into two forms — Proposal (anyone) + Operations Plan (Ops Manager)