Restaurant Opening Checklist
A good opening routine means the first customer gets the same experience as the busiest hour of the day. Most of what goes wrong at lunch, a warm fridge, an empty handwash station, a till with no change, could have been caught in the thirty minutes before the doors opened.
This checklist is written in the order a shift lead moves through the outlet: premises and safety first, then the cold chain and hygiene, then kitchen prep, front of house and finally the cash and the go-live. Adjust the items to your menu and equipment, then print it or run it on WhatsApp.
- When
- Every day, before service
- Who
- Opening shift lead
- Time
- 20 to 30 minutes
Get this checklist as a PDF
A clean, printable copy with tick boxes and space for the outlet, date and name. Free.
We email the PDF and may follow up once about running it on WhatsApp. See our privacy policy. Prefer WhatsApp? Ask for it there.
Premises and safety
- Check the shutter, doors and locks for signs of forced entry, and look for leaks or pest activity before staff go in.
- Switch on lights, ventilation and the extraction hood.
- Open the gas supply and check the burners. If there is a smell of gas, stop, ventilate and do not light anything.
- Confirm fire extinguishers are in place, in date and not blocked, and that exit routes are clear.
- Confirm the first-aid box is stocked and nothing is past its date.
Hygiene and cold chain
- Read and record the temperature of every fridge and freezer.
- Check that hot-holding equipment has reached temperature before any food goes into it.
- Check each team member is in a clean uniform with hair covered, nails short and no open cuts left uncovered. Send home anyone unwell.
- Make up sanitiser at the correct strength and put it at each station.
- Stock every handwash station with soap and paper towels, and check the water runs.
Kitchen prep
- Count key stock against the par list and note shortages before they hit service.
- Check the date label on everything prepped yesterday and throw away anything past its date.
- Rotate stock so the oldest is used first.
- Label every container with the item and the date it was made.
- Taste or check the first batch of key sauces and base preparations before they are used.
Front of house
- Check the dining area, washrooms and entrance are clean and stocked.
- Set tables, menus and condiments.
- Turn on the POS, count the cash float and record it, and test the card machine and UPI QR.
- Switch on the delivery tablets and mark unavailable items as off.
Go live
- Brief the team on specials, items that are off, targets and allergens.
- Send the manager a photo of the kitchen and the dining area ready for service.
- Mark the outlet as open.
Common mistakes
- Writing down a fridge temperature without looking at the thermometer. A reading nobody checked is worse than none, because it looks like evidence.
- Ticking a step with nothing behind it. If the manager cannot tell a done tick from a fast one, the checklist is theatre.
- One checklist for every outlet and every shift. A standalone kiosk and a full-service restaurant need different opening routines.
- Nobody reviewing the result. A checklist that is filled in and never read does not change behaviour.
Run this checklist on WhatsApp
Roundzo sends this checklist to the right person at the right time over WhatsApp. They answer step by step in the chat, with nothing to install. Steps that need proof ask for a photo, and the time and location are recorded. A manager sees what was done, late or missed at every outlet, and only the exceptions need a decision. Good steps to ask proof for:
- A photo of each fridge and freezer display, so the temperature can be read from the picture.
- A photo of the kitchen before service.
- A photo of the dining area ready to open.
- The cash float count.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a restaurant opening checklist take?
Most outlets need 20 to 30 minutes with one person leading. If it takes much longer, the routine is probably doing work that belongs in the previous night's close. If it takes less than ten, steps are being skipped.
Who should complete the opening checklist?
The opening shift lead, who also owns the result. Give individual items to the person nearest the task, such as the cook for the fridge readings, but keep one person accountable for the whole list.
How do I stop staff ticking items without doing them?
Ask for proof on the steps that matter: a photo of the fridge display, the kitchen or the cash count, with the time and location recorded. Then have a manager review exceptions and spot-check a sample, instead of reading everything.
Related checklist templates
- Restaurant Closing Checklist
- Fridge and Freezer Temperature Log Template
- Kitchen Hygiene Checklist: Daily, Weekly and Monthly
Used by: Restaurants and QSR, Cloud kitchens
See how your outlets really run
Answer a few quick questions and get a scored ops report by email: where money is leaking, your top risks and a 30-day plan.
Get the free ops audit