Free Resources

Free opening and closing checklists for restaurant teams

Printable checklist templates for smoother openings, cleaner closes, and fewer missed steps during busy shifts.

INCLUDED

Restaurant Opening Checklist

A simple pre-shift checklist to help your team open smoothly and catch problems early.

Restaurant Closing Checklist

End the day consistently, keep handovers clean, and make the next shift easier to start.

CHECKLIST

Restaurant Opening Checklist

A simple pre-shift checklist to help your team open smoothly and catch problems early.

Download PDFDownload Excel

Exterior & Entrance

  • Unlock doors and check entrance area is clean
  • Confirm signage and hours are correct
  • Check outdoor seating if applicable

Quick Safety Check

  • Check fire exits are unobstructed
  • Confirm first aid kit is accessible

Final Setup Check

  • Tables are set with clean linens/menus
  • Lighting and music are set appropriately
  • POS system is on and functioning
  • Reservation list is reviewed
  • Staff assignments are confirmed
  • Specials and 86'd items communicated to all staff
  • Restrooms are clean and stocked

Pre-Shift Meeting

  • Team briefed on today's priorities
  • Any guest complaints from last shift addressed

CHECKLIST

Restaurant Closing Checklist

End the day consistently, keep handovers clean, and make the next shift easier to start.

Download PDFDownload Excel

Dining Area & Cleaning

  • All tables cleared, wiped, and reset
  • Chairs stacked or arranged per closing standard
  • Floor swept and mopped
  • Windows and mirrors wiped
  • Condiments restocked and sealed
  • Menus wiped and stored
  • Lost and found items logged

Restrooms

  • Toilets and sinks cleaned and disinfected
  • Floors mopped
  • Soap, paper towels, toilet paper restocked
  • Trash emptied
  • Checked for any maintenance issues

Cash & Systems

  • Till counted and reconciled
  • Cash drops completed
  • POS end-of-day report run and saved
  • Reservation system updated for tomorrow
  • Loyalty/gift card transactions logged
  • Safe secured

Kitchen Shutdown

  • All food stored correctly (labeled, dated, covered)
  • Grills, fryers, ovens turned off and cleaned
  • Surfaces sanitized
  • Dishwasher run, emptied, and sanitized
  • Floor drains cleared and cleaned
  • Trash removed to designated area
  • Walk-in cooler/freezer temperatures checked and logged
  • Pest prevention check completed
  • All equipment powered down

Prep for Next Day

  • Stock levels checked and order list updated
  • Mise en place prep completed for tomorrow
  • Reservation count for tomorrow reviewed
  • Staff schedule for tomorrow confirmed
  • Specials board updated if applicable
  • Opening checklist printed/accessible for opening team
  • Any maintenance issues logged for management

Final Checks

  • All lights off (except security lighting)
  • All doors and windows locked
  • Alarm set
  • Last person out confirmed and logged

Handover Notes

  • Any guest incidents logged
  • Equipment issues reported
  • Inventory shortages flagged
  • Messages left for opening team

These checklists work well for daily routines.
But in real operations, not everything is routine.

Important updates are often:

  • written on paper
  • shared verbally
  • missed by some staff

That's how the same mistakes keep happening.

NEXT STEP

Checklists show what to do.
But what about what changed since your last shift?

Growpath helps shift-based teams share updates, track who's read them, and make sure nothing gets missed between shifts.

This checklist helps with daily tasks.

But it doesn't solve:

· missed updates
· unclear handoffs

→ See how teams fix this: Insights

Interested in early access? Learn more