Restaurant Opening Checklist: 10 Steps To Follow

As a restaurant owner, operating a restaurant can be quite difficult if you don’t have a restaurant opening checklist. Having a restaurant opening checklist helps you achieve peak performance by streamlining day-to-day operations. The restaurant opening checklist involves completing the key steps needed before opening your doors to the public. 

This checklist helps your staff stay aligned with customer needs, from checking inventory and supplies to conducting safety checks. This will help you serve customers quickly, provide a positive experience, and save your staff a lot of hassle. In this article, we will try to understand the essential steps of a restaurant opening checklist that will help you deliver excellent customer service. For a deeper dive into mastering your restaurant’s daily processes, check out our Restaurant Operations Checklist: The Complete Guide.

Checklist for Opening the Restaurant

Here is a checklist that restaurant managers should follow to open their restaurants in a streamlined and efficient manner. 

Step 1: Conduct a Walkthrough

You may have all the inventory and raw materials to start your restaurant. However, no customer will enter a distorted outlet with hygiene issues, right? That is why it is necessary to check for cleanliness and order before you open your restaurant to customers. Make sure you inspect every area for maintenance issues, including electricity and water supplies. Ensure every piece of equipment in the kitchen area is functional so that you can prepare food according to guest orders.

Step 2: Check Inventory and Supplies

The next step is to check your inventory and food supplies to ensure the customers get what they order from your restaurant. Verify the stock with your staff members and ask them if anything is missing from the same. This involves purchasing the missing items and adding a little more to the existing ones so that the restaurant does not run out of resources. Also, do not forget to check for expired products and discard them immediately. You may also have to replace the same products if necessary.

Step 3: Set Up the Dining Area

Ask your staff to arrange all the tables and chairs so that you do not have to rush things at the last moment. This includes setting up the tableware and menus so that the customers do not face any issues while placing their orders. Make sure that the ambiance is set well before the opening time. For instance, switch on the lights and play thematic music to check if the systems are working well to prevent last-minute issues. 

Step 4: Inspect the Kitchen

The kitchen area is the most crucial place for any restaurant. So, it is your responsibility to check if it is efficient enough to serve food to your customers. Ensure that all the equipment, like ovens and stoves, is working efficiently. Check if the cooking areas are clean, and if not, ask your staff to clear the mess immediately. Most importantly, ask them to prepare their food stations for the next day. 

Step 5: Review Reservations and Bookings

Confirm all customer reservations for the next day and bookmark the tables accordingly. This also involves preparing for and arranging special events if requested by customers. For instance, you may do some additional flower decorations or lighting for a marriage party that is happening the next day. Make sure to adjust the seating plan, too, if needed. 

Step 6: Staff Briefing and Assignments

No restaurant can run well without its staff members. So, you must train them well before you open your outlet for the customers. Conduct a team meeting around 2-3 hours before opening your restaurant to the public. Assign tasks to your staff members accordingly and guide them on the activities for the day. This involves communicating their regular tasks and also assigning some special ones in case of an event. Make sure to update them on any changes in the rules before the beginning of the daily operations.

Step 7: Conduct Safety Checks

Safety checks are a must for all restaurants to ensure there are no unexpected hazards in the future. Ensure that all the fire exits at your outlet are accessible to the public. Check for first aid kits and fire extinguishers to ensure they are available and working well. Replace all expired and dysfunctional products immediately to ensure efficient safety for anyone within your restaurant. Review the same safety procedures with your staff members, too.

Step 8: Prepare the Bar Area

You must always stock your bar with necessary items at least a day or two before opening the restaurant. This ensures you do not miss out on things when opening it to the public. Check all the beverage machines to confirm if they are working well. Send the ones that need repair immediately and prepare them for the next day. Set up all the garnishes and mixtures so that your staff can prepare cocktails, mocktails, and other drinks as per the customers’ requests.

Step 9: Conduct a Final Clean

There is nothing wrong with doing a last-minute check before you open your restaurant. This involves wiping down the surfaces of your tables and chairs and mopping the floor again, if necessary. You must also ensure that all the restrooms are cleaned well and stocked with necessary items like napkins, toilet paper, dustbins, and sanitary pads for public use. Double-check the overall cleanliness of your restaurant by asking your staff members to have a look around the place before opening it. 

Step 10: Open for Business

Now that you have checked all the above steps, it’s time to unlock your restaurant’s doors for the public. Make sure your staff members are available at the entrance to greet the first customers. Ensure every waiter, server, chef, and other kitchen staff member is ready and in position ahead of the customers entering your restaurant. Ask them to prepare things in advance so that it does not take much time to serve the dishes.

How Can Restaurants Maintain Consistency in their Daily Opening Routine?

There are several things to keep in mind to ensure you maintain consistency in your restaurant’s daily operations. These include:

• Documentation

Make sure important things are documented well for efficient restaurant operations. Some of these include the following tasks. 

• Setting shifts for employees to avoid any confusion.
• Explaining Job Responsibilities to employees to help them understand their work.
• Performing Daily checklists to improve customer service.

Check the station components to ensure everything is in place and working properly.

• Training

Train all your staff members regarding the responsibilities they need to fulfill during their working hours. Instill confidence in them so that they can nail their roles well while ensuring exceptional customer satisfaction. 

• Cleaning

Be consistent with your cleaning regime to ensure a hygienic and preferred hangout place for your customers. This involves checking the restroom and other areas of your outlet to address sanitization and other requirements.

• Maintenance

Ensure that your furniture, plates, silverware, flooring, and dining room are kept clean and well-maintained. This will ensure that customers enjoy their meals and that you do not have to replace the equipment repeatedly.

The last step is to optimize and standardize the recipes. There is nothing wrong with replacing certain dishes from the menu based on seasonal demands. This attracts more customers to your restaurant because they know they can relish the seasonal delights at your outlet. Make sure to keep all raw ingredients and inventory ready to prepare your dishes accordingly. A well-structured approach to managing seasonal menu changes and maintaining inventory is crucial, aligning with the core duties and responsibilities of a Restaurant Operations Manager to ensure smooth and efficient operations.

How Can Restaurants Maintain Consistency In Their Daily Opening Routine?

There are several things to keep in mind to ensure you maintain consistency in your restaurant’s daily operating routine. Here are some tips that you can follow. 

• Make sure some of your things are documented well for efficient restaurant operation. Train all your staff members regarding the responsibilities they need to fulfill during their working hours. Instill confidence in them so that they can nail their roles well while ensuring 100% customer satisfaction. 
• Be consistent with your cleaning regime to ensure a hygienic workplace for yourself and a preferred hangout place for your customers. This involves checking the kitchen, restroom, and other areas of your outlet for sanitization, repainting, restocking, and other requirements.
• Ensure that your furniture, plates, silverware, flooring, and dining room ventilation are kept clean and maintained well. This ensures that customers enjoy their meals and that you do not have to replace the equipment repeatedly.
• There is nothing wrong with replacing certain dishes from the menu based on seasonal demands. This attracts more customers to your restaurant because they know they can relish the seasonal delights at your outlet. Make sure to keep all raw ingredients and inventory ready to prepare your dishes accordingly. 

Sometimes, your staff members are inconsistent with their respective duties. It means that certain things are not working out for them. You can try simplifying the activities to ensure this does not affect the restaurant operations.

Wrapping Up

A well-maintained and organized restaurant grabs everyone’s attention. So, is your outlet working on the same lines? It’s high time you prepare for a restaurant opening checklist to streamline your workflow if things aren’t optimized. 

This helps make sure that you keep track of your restaurant operations while the staff performs efficiently. It often involves analyzing the restaurant supplies, food ingredients, and other raw materials. Your checklist must also include the sanitization do’s and don’ts for the staff members. You can always refer to this guide to get started with your checklist soon. 

Frequently Asked Questions Related To Restaurant Opening Checklist

1. How often should inventory and supplies be checked?

Plan to check the inventory and supplies of your restaurant at the same time of day on the same day every week or month. This helps you ensure consistency in your outlet’s operations without missing out in important activities. 

2. What are common issues to look for during a walkthrough?

You can uncover several issues during a restaurant walkthrough. The most crucial one includes looking for perishable and expired food items and discarding them immediately. You may also have to restock a few of these items so that the kitchen staff can prepare the dishes as per the demand of the customers. Get them repaired as soon as possible. 

Soumyajit