Opening and closing
Restaurant Opening Checklist for Shift Managers
- Who checks
- Shift manager or front-of-house manager
- When
- Daily, 45–60 minutes before opening
- Time
- ~25 min · 29 items
| Location | Date and time | Inspector | Signature |
The first half hour of service shows how well the restaurant was set up: a dead card terminal, empty hotel pans on the line, an 86 list that never reached the floor or a hood that was never switched on all surface the moment guests are seated. An opening walkthrough catches these before they turn into long waits, voided orders or complaints.
Follow the guest's path: entrance, dining room, bar, then kitchen and POS, and hold the briefing last, when you already know what to tell the team. Anything that takes five minutes to fix, fix on the spot. Everything else becomes a task with an owner and a deadline — and before doors open, decide how the shift will work around it.
Entrance and exterior
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1
The entrance and approach are clean: no litter or cigarette butts, no snow or ice in winter Walk from the parking lot or sidewalk to the door. Steps are dry, the anti-slip mat lies flat, the bin by the entrance is empty.☐ Yes☐ No
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2
Exterior signage and lighting are fully working Every letter and element is lit without flickering, and the timer is set for the season. Log any dead segments as a maintenance request.☐ Yes☐ No
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3
Entrance glass and door handles are free of fingerprints and smears Look at the glass at an angle against the light. Handles and push plates are clean and dry.☐ Yes☐ No
Dining room
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4
Tables are set according to the approved standard Compare 3–4 random tables with the photo standard: cutlery, napkins, coasters and table items in place, no water spots on cutlery.☐ Yes☐ No
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5
Chair seats and banquettes are free of crumbs and stains Run your hand over a few seats, especially the gaps between banquette cushions. No new tears in the upholstery.☐ Yes☐ No
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6
The dining room floor is clean and dry, with no debris under tables or along baseboards Crouch down and look under window tables and in corners — that's where last night's cleaning misses things.☐ Yes☐ No
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7
All dining room lights work; burnt-out bulbs are logged for maintenance Switch on the daytime lighting scene and walk the room. If a bulb is out, check that a request is in the maintenance log.☐ Yes☐ No
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8
Menus are clean and up to date Flip through 5 copies: no stains, dog-ears or torn pages, prices match the POS, seasonal inserts are in place.☐ Yes☐ No
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9
Server stations are stocked for the whole shift Each station has enough cutlery, napkins, ramekins, toothpicks, check presenters and pens; salt and pepper shakers are filled.☐ Yes☐ No
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10
Guest restrooms have been checked and are ready for opening Clean, with soap, toilet paper and towels stocked; today's hourly check sheet is on the door.☐ Yes☐ No
Bar
-
11
The bar top and work surfaces are wiped down, with only working tools on the bar No personal items, invoices or boxes on the guest side. Bar mats are washed and in place.☐ Yes☐ No
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12
The ice machine is working, the bin is filled and the scoop is stored outside the ice Ice is clear with no foreign matter, the bin is at least half full. The scoop sits in a separate holder, not in the bin.☐ Yes☐ No
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13
Citrus and garnishes are cut for the shift and labeled Containers are covered and each shows the prep time and use-by time under your standard. Yesterday's garnish has been discarded.☐ Yes☐ No
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14
The espresso machine is warmed up and the test shot meets the standard The barista or bartender has flushed the group heads and pulled a test shot: extraction time and volume are within your recipe.☐ Yes☐ No
Kitchen start-up
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15
The exhaust hood is switched on before ranges and fryers are lit You can hear the fans over the line and a sheet of paper is pulled toward the hood filter. Gas equipment is never lit without the hood running.☐ Yes☐ No
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16
Cooking equipment is up to temperature by opening Ranges, grills, combi oven and hot-holding units are heated, with no error codes on displays. Report any fault to the chef and maintenance immediately.☐ Yes☐ No
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17
Fryer oil is fresh or still usable under the change schedule Oil is light, with no burnt smell or persistent foam. The last change date in the log is within your schedule.☐ Yes☐ No
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18
Prep at every station is complete per the prep list Check the line against the par sheet: no empty hotel pans at opening, everything covered and labeled.☐ Yes☐ No
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19
Morning refrigeration temperatures are logged with no deviations Every line in today's log is filled in and signed. If a reading was out of range, the corrective action on the product is recorded.☐ Yes☐ No
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20
The chef has set today's 86 list and it is entered in the POS Unavailable items are blocked in the POS and on the delivery menu. A printout is posted at the pass and at server stations.☐ Yes☐ No
Team and reservations
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21
The shift is fully staffed per the schedule; swaps and late arrivals are recorded Check attendance against the schedule for floor, bar and kitchen. If someone is missing, cover or section changes are decided before opening.☐ Yes☐ No
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22
Floor, bar and kitchen staff are in clean uniforms per the standard Uniforms are stain-free, name tags are on, cooks wear hair restraints. Use the separate checklist for a detailed appearance check.☐ Yes☐ No
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23
A pre-shift briefing has been held 5–10 minutes: 86 list, today's recommendations, reservations and events, sales goal. Ask any server what's unavailable today — they should answer without prompting.☐ Yes☐ No
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24
Today's reservations are assigned to tables and reserved signs are placed The seating chart matches the reservation book; for events and large parties, the responsible server and service time are noted.☐ Yes☐ No
POS and online orders
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25
POS terminals and kitchen printers are working Ring in a test ticket: it prints at the right kitchen and bar printer, paper is loaded and a spare roll is on hand.☐ Yes☐ No
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26
The card terminal is online and accepting payments Connection status is active, contactless works, and there is spare receipt paper.☐ Yes☐ No
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27
The cash float has been counted and matches the opening amount Count it together with the cashier or lead server and both sign. Record any discrepancy before the first sale.☐ Yes☐ No
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28
Opening cash float amount Enter the actual amount after counting.
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29
The location is open on delivery platforms and the 86 list is synced Each platform dashboard shows "accepting orders", prep time is set realistically and unavailable dishes are hidden.☐ 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-opening
Common violations
- The 86 list is shared with the kitchen only: a server takes an order for an unavailable dish, and the guest waits 15 minutes to hear it's out. This is the most common source of guest frustration in the first hour.
- Gas equipment is lit before the hood is switched on. Beyond smoke in the dining room, it is a direct risk of gas and combustion products building up in the kitchen.
- The cash float isn't counted at handover. A shortage found in the evening can't be traced to anyone, and the question stays open.
- Prep gets "finished as we go": the first wave of guests collides with cutting on the line and ticket times double.
- The location isn't opened on delivery apps, or yesterday's 86 list is left there — orders go to competitors or get cancelled.
Frequently asked questions
The shift manager leads it, as they are responsible for the readiness of the whole restaurant. They check the kitchen section together with the sous chef or lead cook: the chef owns prep and the 86 list, the manager makes sure it reaches the floor and the POS.
Decide in advance how to operate without it: 86 the dish, close part of the room, reassign sections. Opening the doors late is rarely worth it, but the guest should never find out about the problem from their order.
Yes, if you run a large kitchen. This walkthrough checks kitchen readiness at shift level: hood, equipment, prep, temperature log. Detailed control of temperatures and shelf life is done with HACCP checklists.
Employee test on this topic
Service
Hostess Test: Greeting Guests, Seating and Reservations
Hostess test with answers: greeting guests, seating by section, reservations, waiting list, phone calls, handling conflict at the door.
Management
Restaurant Shift Manager Test: Opening, Team and Incidents
Shift manager test with answers and explanations: opening and closing, briefing, till and voids, team, complaints, injuries and food safety.
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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.