Have you ever delayed an order because onions weren’t chopped prior? You might be ready for the day but not necessarily your restaurant. That’s why you need a restaurant opening checklist. 

What is a Restaurant Opening Checklist?

A restaurant opening checklist is a list of essential tasks to complete before opening each day, like checking inventory, cleaning, prepping food, and assigning staff duties. It’s important because it ensures smooth operations, reduces mistakes, and helps deliver a great customer experience.

How can you create a Restaurant Opening Checklist?

1. Check Ingredients and Restock

The first thing you should do is ensure all your ingredients are in stock and ready to go. Imagine running out of a key ingredient in the middle of a busy day—that’s something you don’t want to experience. Start by reviewing your inventory. Are all the ingredients ordered and available?

If there are shortages, it’s crucial to order the missing items immediately. Nothing slows down a kitchen like missing ingredients, and rushing out for last-minute supplies can throw off your entire schedule. If you’re using data provided by EasyEat from previous days, you can even predict which ingredients are likely to run out quickly and reorder them in advance. That way, you’re prepared for both normal and busy days.

2. Clean and Sanitize every corner

Cleanliness is key in any restaurant. It should be part of your daily restaurant opening and closing checklist. Before the day starts, floors should be swept and mopped, tables and counters wiped down, and cutlery sanitized. A clean environment isn’t just about hygiene—it also sets the tone for the day. Your staff will appreciate working in a tidy environment, and customers will notice the cleanliness when they walk in.

As someone who has had to deal with unexpected inspections, trust me—you don’t want to start your day cleaning when you should already be cooking. Being proactive about cleanliness saves you a lot of stress.

3. Predict Busy Hours and Be Ready

One of the key things that separates successful restaurant owners from the rest is preparation for busy hours. Have you ever been caught off guard by a rush of customers? If you have, you know how chaotic it can get when you’re not prepared.

A great way to avoid this is by using data from EasyEat POS system or past experiences to predict the busiest times of the day. Review customer trends: when does foot traffic pick up? Knowing this helps you plan ahead—whether it’s ensuring you have enough staff or prepping extra food.

This has personally saved me more than once. Looking back at sales data, I’ve been able to see patterns and adjust my staff schedules and ingredient orders to stay ahead of the game.

4. Assign Work Areas to Staff

Clear roles and responsibilities are essential for any smooth-running restaurant. Before the doors open, make sure each staff member knows their duties. Who’s handling the front of the house? Who’s working in the kitchen? Have you assigned a specific area to each person?

This step might seem simple, but I’ve seen chaos break out in restaurants because roles weren’t clearly defined. By assigning areas of responsibility early, you can prevent confusion and ensure that everyone is ready to perform their job when the first customer walks in.

5. Prep the Kitchen

Prepping the food is another crucial part of your restaurant open and close checklist. Before the restaurant opens, the kitchen staff should be busy chopping vegetables, prepping sauces, and making sure all the necessary equipment is ready to go.

Prepping food beforehand reduces wait times during service and ensures that your team can keep up with customer orders. I’ve worked in restaurants where we didn’t prep enough, and the service slowed to a crawl during peak hours. Don’t make that mistake—prepare well to avoid falling behind when things get busy.

6. Check Payment Methods and Reports

Handling payments smoothly is just as important as delivering great food. As part of your restaurant opening checklist, always review the payment reports from the previous day. You can check EasyEat’s end of day restaurant report for this.  These reports can tell you the usual ratio of cash and cashless payments. For example, if most of your customers pay by card, then you need to make sure your card payment systems are working smoothly.

However, if a large percentage pays in cash, ensure that you have enough cash on hand for change. Trust me, having to scramble for change during a busy shift is not fun—it’s a headache you can easily avoid by being prepared.

A well-thought-out daily opening checklist for restaurants is crucial for running a successful business. It helps you stay organized, prevents mistakes, and ensures a smooth start to your day. By following a checklist, you can avoid chaos, keep your staff on track, and most importantly—provide an excellent experience for your customers.