Restaurant opening and closing checklist
Free PDF, no sign-upA free daily checklist for the start and end of service: kitchen opening checks, front of house and closing down. Print it, or let your team tick it on their phones with a name and the exact time on every check.
Opening
- Fridges and chilled displays at 8 °C or below (aim for 5 °C)
- Freezers at −18 °C or colder
- Cooking and hot-holding equipment working
- Probe thermometer working and clean
- Staff fit for work and in clean clothes
- Prep areas clean and disinfected
- Handwash basins stocked with soap, paper towels and hot water
- No signs of pests
- Allergen information up to date
- Use-by dates checked
Front of house
- Tables set and clean
- Toilets checked and stocked
- Card machines on and charged
- Floors clean and dry
Closing
- Food covered, labelled and in the fridge
- Food past its use-by date thrown away
- Prep areas clean and disinfected
- Dirty cloths sent for washing
- Bins emptied with new liners
- Floors cleaned
- Equipment off and clean
- Fridge and freezer doors closed
- Doors and windows locked, alarm set
- Day signed off by the manager
How to use it
- 1 Print one sheet for each day and keep it where the first person in will see it.
- 2 Work through the opening checks before any food is prepared, and the front-of-house checks before the doors open.
- 3 Tick each closing check at the end of the day, and write down anything that went wrong and what you did about it.
- 4 The manager signs off the day. Keep the sheets with your food safety records, ready for an inspector.
Paper or phone
| Paper or phone | Paper | Staff Checklist |
|---|---|---|
| Who did the check | a tick or initials | name and exact time |
| A missed check | found the next day | flagged at the due time |
| Sign-off | a signature at the bottom of the sheet | the manager signs off the day in one tap |
Frequently asked questions
What goes on a restaurant opening checklist?
The checks that show the kitchen is safe to start work: fridge and freezer temperatures, clean and disinfected prep areas, stocked handwash basins, a working probe thermometer, staff fit for work, no signs of pests, and allergen information and use-by dates up to date.
Who should do the opening and closing checks?
Usually the first person in does the opening checks and the last person out does the closing checks. The manager signs off the day.
Is this the same as the SFBB diary?
They cover the same daily checks. The SFBB diary also covers problems, staff changes and the 4-weekly review, which Staff Checklist records too.
Run your opening and closing checks on your phone
Every tick with a name and the exact time, missed checks flagged at the due time, and one PDF for the inspector.