Restaurant opening checklist
A restaurant opening checklist makes sure the same essentials happen before every service, whoever is on shift. Use this free template as it is, or adapt it to your kitchen.
When to use it: Run it every morning before doors open. Assign it to the opening manager or shift lead and keep completed copies for your records.
Safety and building
- Alarm disarmed and doors unlocked at the correct timeCheckbox
- Fire exits clear and unlocked from the insidePass/fail
- Fire extinguishers in place and gauges in the greenPass/fail
- First-aid kit stockedPass/fail
- Floors dry; no trip hazards in kitchen or dining roomPass/fail
Kitchen
- Walk-in cooler temperature (°F)Number
- Walk-in freezer temperature (°F)Number
- Reach-in and line cooler temperatures recordedNumber
- Hand sinks stocked with soap and paper towelsPass/fail
- Sanitizer buckets made up at the correct concentrationPass/fail
- Prep list checked against par levelsCheckbox
- Deliveries checked in and stored, oldest stock to the frontCheckbox
Front of house
- Tables, chairs and menus cleanPass/fail
- Restrooms clean and stockedPass/fail
- POS and card terminals on and workingPass/fail
- Cash float countedNumber
- Photo of dining room ready for servicePhoto
Team
- Everyone on the schedule has arrivedCheckbox
- Pre-shift briefing done: specials, 86'd items, reservationsCheckbox
- Notes for the managerText
Tips
- Keep it short enough to finish in 15 minutes; move deep-cleaning tasks to a weekly checklist.
- Record temperatures as numbers, not ticks, so you can spot a cooler that is slowly warming.
- Check safe temperature limits against your local health code.
Run this checklist in Cayro
Turn this template into a checklist your team completes on their phones, with photos, safe ranges for numbers and follow-ups when something fails, in Cayro Ops.
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