diff --git a/addons/lunch/static/src/js/lunch_kanban_widget.js b/addons/lunch/static/src/js/lunch_kanban_widget.js
index 3cd3230faa1..73721c6def1 100644
--- a/addons/lunch/static/src/js/lunch_kanban_widget.js
+++ b/addons/lunch/static/src/js/lunch_kanban_widget.js
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ var LunchKanbanWidget = Widget.extend({
     },
 
     init: function (parent, params) {
-        var self = this;
         this._super.apply(this, arguments);
 
         this.is_manager = params.is_manager || false;
@@ -44,20 +43,6 @@ var LunchKanbanWidget = Widget.extend({
 
         this.group_portal_id = undefined;
 
-        self._rpc({
-            model: 'ir.model.data',
-            method: 'xmlid_to_res_id',
-            kwargs: {xmlid: 'base.group_portal'},
-        }).then(function (id) {
-            self.group_portal_id = id;
-        });
-
-        if (this.is_manager) {
-            this.lunchUserField = this._createMany2One('users', 'res.users', this.username, function () {
-                return [['groups_id', 'not in', [self.group_portal_id]]];
-            });
-        }
-
         this.locations = params.locations || [];
         this.userLocation = params.user_location[1] || '';
 
@@ -73,6 +58,25 @@ var LunchKanbanWidget = Widget.extend({
 
         this.currency = params.currency || session.get_currency(session.company_currency_id);
     },
+    willStart: function () {
+        var self = this;
+        var superDef = this._super.apply(this, arguments);
+
+        var def = this._rpc({
+            model: 'ir.model.data',
+            method: 'xmlid_to_res_id',
+            kwargs: {xmlid: 'base.group_portal'},
+        }).then(function (id) {
+            self.group_portal_id = id;
+
+            if (self.is_manager) {
+                self.lunchUserField = self._createMany2One('users', 'res.users', self.username, function () {
+                    return [['groups_id', 'not in', [self.group_portal_id]]];
+                });
+            }
+        });
+        return $.when(superDef, def);
+    },
     renderElement: function () {
         this._super.apply(this, arguments);
         if (this.lunchUserField) {
diff --git a/addons/lunch/static/tests/test_lunch_kanban.js b/addons/lunch/static/tests/test_lunch_kanban.js
index 38d27fafda7..020c3748150 100644
--- a/addons/lunch/static/tests/test_lunch_kanban.js
+++ b/addons/lunch/static/tests/test_lunch_kanban.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ odoo.define('lunch.lunchKanbanTests', function (require) {
 "use strict";
 
 var LunchKanbanView = require('lunch.LunchKanbanView');
+var LunchKanbanWidget = require('lunch.LunchKanbanWidget');
 var testUtils = require('web.test_utils');
 
 var createView = testUtils.createView;
@@ -218,6 +219,41 @@ QUnit.module('Views', {
 
         lunchKanban.destroy();
     });
+
+    QUnit.module('LunchKanbanWidget');
+
+    QUnit.test('Rpc calls should be performed after the init()', function (assert) {
+        assert.expect(2);
+
+        var parent = testUtils.createParent({});
+
+        var widget = new LunchKanbanWidget(parent, {
+            user_location: [1, 'hello'],
+        });
+
+        testUtils.mock.addMockEnvironment(widget, {
+            data: {},
+            mockRPC: function (route, args) {
+                if (route === '/web/dataset/call_kw/ir.model.data/xmlid_to_res_id') {
+                    assert.ok('should perform xmlid_to_res_id RPC call in the willStart()');
+                    assert.deepEqual(args, {
+                        args: [],
+                        kwargs: {
+                            xmlid: "base.group_portal",
+                        },
+                        method: "xmlid_to_res_id",
+                        model: "ir.model.data",
+                    }, 'should have the right parameters for xmlid_to_res_id RPC call');
+                    return $.when();
+                }
+                return this._super.apply(this, arguments);
+            },
+        });
+
+        widget.appendTo($("#qunit-fixture"));
+
+        parent.destroy();
+    });
 });
 
 });