Restaurant opening and closing checklist

Why every area needs its own list

One long list for the whole restaurant gets ticked by one tired person at 1 a.m. Split it by area instead: the kitchen closes the kitchen, the floor closes the floor, the bar closes the bar, and the manager does a short lock-up of the building last, checking that each area is done.

Give every list a time, an owner (a role, not a name, so it survives a resignation) and a few steps that need a photo: the gas valves, the walk-in temperature, the cash drawer.

Kitchen opening checklist

• Walk-in chiller and freezers at the right temperature; write the readings down
• Gas lines, burners and exhaust checked before lighting
• Yesterday's prep checked for use-by dates; anything past it thrown away and recorded
• Morning delivery received, counted against the order and the bill kept
• Prep list for the day handed out, with quantities scaled to the bookings
• Hand-wash stations stocked with soap and paper; staff in clean uniform and caps

Floor and bar opening checklist

• Tables, chairs and floor clean; table settings complete
• Washrooms cleaned and stocked
• Menus clean; dishes that are off today told to every server
• POS and card machine on; float counted
• Bar: ice made, garnishes cut, glasses polished, bar stock against par
• Pre-shift briefing: covers expected, VIPs, specials and allergens

Kitchen closing checklist

• Leftover prep labelled with the date and use-by time, and stored
• Walk-in and freezers closed; last temperature reading written down
• Gas valves off; photo of the range clean
• Exhaust hood and chimney filters wiped; fryers off and covered
• Waste out, bins washed, floor and drains cleaned
• Handover note for the morning: what ran out, what broke, what to order

Floor, bar and lock-up checklist

• Bar stock counted where you count nightly; breakages recorded with a photo
• Cash counted, sales closed on the POS, drawer locked
• Floor cleaned, chairs up, washrooms checked
• All department closings done (ask why if one is open)
• Lights, AC and music off; doors and windows locked; alarm set

Keep a record, not just a tick

A ticked box says someone said it was done. A photo and a time say it was done. For the steps that cost money or safety when missed (gas, cold storage, cash) take a photo, and keep the records for at least a month so you can look back when something goes wrong.

How Senior does it

In Hey Senior each department gets its own opening and closing checklist from our library, kitchen, floor and bar, and the manager's Lock-up lists the day's department closings and asks why one is still open. Any step can need a photo from the live camera. A closing is shared, so whoever is on shift can do any step, and the next morning's team sees the handover note on their Home. See checklists and SOPs.