Opening and closing
Restaurant Closing Checklist
- Who checks
- Closing manager, together with the sous chef and head bartender
- When
- Daily, after the last guest leaves
- Time
- ~30 min · 28 items
| Location | Date and time | Inspector | Signature |
Closing does two jobs at once: it leaves the restaurant safe overnight and hands the morning shift a location that is ready to open. A fryer left on, an unlocked storeroom door, a cash count left "for tomorrow" and trash left inside usually happen precisely because everyone was rushing to get home.
Work from the dining room to the kitchen, then the cash office, and finally the perimeter, lights and alarm. The manager leaves last and personally checks the Building security section. Write anything left undone in the shift handover with the name of the person responsible, so nobody has to figure out in the morning whose job it was.
Dining room
-
1
Tables and chairs are wiped down, chairs are up or pushed in per the cleaning plan Tabletops are not sticky and chair legs are out of the walkways so the cleaners can mop the whole floor.☐ Yes☐ No
-
2
Open sauces, cream and garnishes have been cleared from server stations Nothing perishable is left at the stations. Ramekins are washed, salt and pepper shakers are refilled for the morning.☐ Yes☐ No
-
3
No guest belongings left in the dining room; anything found is logged Check booths, window sills and coat racks. Found items are recorded in the lost-and-found log with the date and table number and put in the safe or office.☐ Yes☐ No
-
4
The dining room floor is mopped and restrooms are cleaned after the last check The floor is dry or drying, no debris under the booths. The restroom checklist is closed with a final entry.☐ Yes☐ No
Bar
-
5
Open juices, milk and syrups are refrigerated, closed and labeled Bottles and containers carry the opening date. No milk pitchers or jugs left on the bar top.☐ Yes☐ No
-
6
The espresso machine has been cleaned per the daily procedure Group heads are backflushed with cleaner, baskets and portafilters are soaked or washed, steam wands are clean. Cleaning log is signed.☐ Yes☐ No
-
7
Spirits are locked up or stored in a closed cabinet If the bar is locked overnight under your rules, the manager has the key. No open bottles left on the bar.☐ Yes☐ No
-
8
Counts of key bar items are recorded on the closing sheet Counts are entered for the items you track daily (usually premium spirits, draft beer, coffee). Visible discrepancies are noted.☐ Yes☐ No
Kitchen
-
9
Ranges, grills and fryers are off, and gas valves are shut Check every knob and the main valve on the gas line. Fryers are switched off and the oil is cooling under a cover.☐ Yes☐ No
-
10
The combi oven is off and the door is left open to dry The cleaning program has run if your procedure calls for it. The door is ajar, and the steam generator is drained if the manual requires it.☐ Yes☐ No
-
11
Leftover prep is put away in the refrigerators and labeled No food left on the line or tables. Everything kept for tomorrow is in closed containers with date and time; anything expired has been discarded.☐ Yes☐ No
-
12
Walk-in cooler and freezer doors are fully closed and the units are running Every door is closed until it clicks, and gaskets are not blocked by product. Displays show normal operating temperature.☐ Yes☐ No
-
13
Prep tables, the line and ranges are cleaned per the daily schedule Surfaces are free of grease and food debris; cutting boards are washed and stored in racks by color.☐ Yes☐ No
-
14
Grease traps and floor drain grates are cleared of food debris Lift the drain grate by the dish area and the line: the basket has no food in it and water drains freely.☐ Yes☐ No
-
15
Tomorrow's supplier orders have been sent by the chef or sous chef Orders are based on on-hand stock and the sales forecast; the manager knows what is arriving in the morning and when.☐ Yes☐ No
Cash and paperwork
-
16
All tables are closed in the POS and there are no open checks No pending orders or unpaid tables in the POS. Voids and refunds for the shift are approved by the manager.☐ Yes☐ No
-
17
Cash in the drawer has been counted and matches the system report Actual cash minus the starting bank equals cash sales on the report. Any variance is recorded with an explanation.☐ Yes☐ No
-
18
Cash sales for the shift The amount from the actual count.
-
19
The POS shift and card terminal batch are closed The end-of-day POS report has been run and the card terminal batch settled; both reports are attached to the closing sheet.☐ Yes☐ No
-
20
Cash is in the safe or handed to the cash pickup service, with the morning bank left No money is left in the register drawer. The starting bank for the morning matches the standard amount.☐ Yes☐ No
-
21
The shift handover log is filled in Equipment failures, shortages, guest complaints, open tasks and tomorrow's reservations are recorded. The opening manager reads this first.☐ Yes☐ No
Trash and back of house exterior
-
22
Trash is taken out from the dining room, bar and kitchen; bins are washed and relined No waste bags are left inside overnight. Food waste goes into a separate closed container.☐ Yes☐ No
-
23
The dumpster enclosure is closed and there is no litter around the bins Lids are closed, bags are inside, not next to the bins. Used cooking oil is drained into a separate container for collection.☐ Yes☐ No
Building security
-
24
Windows, the staff entrance and the delivery door are locked Check every door by hand, not by eye. The staff entrance key is where it belongs.☐ Yes☐ No
-
25
The storeroom and manager's office are locked Doors are locked, and no heater or kettle has been left on inside.☐ Yes☐ No
-
26
Lights and electrical equipment are off per the overnight plan Only night lighting and equipment that must run overnight (refrigeration, ice machine, servers) are on.☐ Yes☐ No
-
27
Nobody is left in the building, and the manager leaves last Check locker rooms, restrooms and storage. The time the last employee left is recorded.☐ Yes☐ No
-
28
The alarm is armed and the monitoring center has confirmed it Wait for confirmation from the security company or the app. If a zone will not arm, find the open door or window.☐ Yes☐ No
This template is a starting point. Check the limits and wording against your local regulations, your company standards and the equipment manufacturers' instructions.
jeCheck · https://jecheck.io/en/templates/restaurant-shift-closing
Common violations
- A line left with a fryer on or a gas valve open is a common cause of overnight kitchen fires. Check that the gas is off by hand, not "I think we turned it off".
- A walk-in door not fully closed: by morning the temperature is out of range, product has to be thrown out, and the shift starts by hunting for replacements.
- Cash is left in the register drawer "until morning". In case of theft or a counting error, there is no way to tell at which point the money went missing.
- Bags of food waste are left inside overnight: a smell by opening time and an invitation to rodents and insects.
- The shift handover is not written, or just says "all good". The opening manager finds out about the broken dish machine when dirty dishes are already arriving.
Frequently asked questions
The walkthrough itself takes about 30 minutes if cleaning and dishwashing ran in parallel with the last guests. If everything starts only after guests leave, closing stretches to 1–1.5 hours, so areas are usually closed in stages during the last hour of service.
The closing manager or a designated shift lead. They personally check the gas, doors and alarm and are responsible for the building until morning. Closing should not be left to hourly staff without oversight.
Recount with a witness present and check voids, refunds and tips processed through the terminal. Record the variance on the closing sheet and report it to the general manager the same evening, not the next day.
Similar templates
Opening and closing
Restaurant Opening Checklist for Shift Managers
What a shift manager checks before the first guest: entrance, dining room, bar, kitchen start-up, pre-shift briefing, POS and delivery. Template with criteria.
Food safety
Daily HACCP Checklist for Kitchens
Daily HACCP check in the kitchen: CCP logs, thermometer calibration, corrective actions, sanitizer strength, cross-contamination control, staff fitness.
Service
Delivery Order Packing Checklist
How to check delivery and takeout orders: packing station, order accuracy, hot vs. cold, leak-proofing, tamper seals, wait time and courier handoff.
Cleaning and sanitation
Dish Room Checklist: Dishes, Smallwares and Dish Machines
Restaurant dish room check: dish machine temperatures and chemicals, racking, manual warewashing, clean dish storage, chemical safety and PPE.
Food safety
Food Handler Personal Hygiene Checklist Before Shift
Pre-shift fit-for-work check for kitchen staff: symptom questions, hands and cuts, uniform and hair restraints, jewelry, handwashing, gloves and habits.
Food safety
Food Labeling and Date Marking Checklist
Kitchen food labeling check: prep labels with use-by times, opened packs, thawing, FIFO, dry storage, the service line and discarding expired items.
Run this inspection on your phone
Move the checklist into jeCheck: photos on every item, tasks for each issue with an owner and a deadline, and location comparison by results.