Area managers need to know which restaurants are ready without calling each one. They need a clear view of completed checks, pending work and reported problems that still need attention.
Compare this restaurant opening and closing checklist with yours. Look for specific questions, the evidence staff must capture and who acts on a reported problem. Use your restaurant’s approved procedures and temperature limits.
Opening checklist
- Kitchen and service areas: Check cleaning, handwashing supplies and restrooms. For dine-in service, include table setups; for delivery, include the packing and pickup area.
- Food and prep: Confirm station prep, stock levels, labels and dates. Include your food safety and allergen checks.
- Temperatures: Enter refrigerator, freezer and hot-holding readings, including °C or °F.
- Equipment: Check cooking equipment and ventilation. Test the ordering system and card machine. Print a sample order to check the printer and paper.
- Staff: Confirm staffing and station assignments. Share the day’s specials, unavailable menu items and issues from the previous shift.
- Manager review: Review the previous closing record, unresolved issues and opening reports. Confirm the opening cash count. Name the manager who confirms the restaurant is ready for service.
Closing checklist
- Food storage: Store, label and cover food. Review refrigerator and freezer temperature logs before leaving.
- Cleaning: Check tables, counters, floors, wash areas and drains. Wash and store utensils and clear waste.
- Equipment: Follow the shutdown instructions for cooking equipment, gas and ventilation. Keep required refrigeration running.
- Stock, waste and prep: Record stock, waste and shortages. Note any supplies or ingredients needed for the next service.
- Payments and reports: Check cash and card totals against the sales report. Note any difference, complete the closing reports and follow the card machine’s end-of-day steps.
- Security and manager review: Complete access, alarm and camera checks. For drive-thru locations, include the window lock. Record the manager’s final review and any issue still open.
Use Wooqer’s Restaurant Opening and Restaurant Closing WorkApps to give restaurants a consistent starting checklist, then add the questions each location needs. The restaurant process library also includes cleaning audits, temperature logs and many more useful WorkApps.
Customize your restaurant checklists with FARO
Start with one kitchen area and a result you can measure. Use the example below to frame your own goal, then enter it in FARO.
Shift handovers: Pass on unfinished checks and issues
A shift handover needs to tell the incoming manager what is still open and what to do next. Include these details alongside staffing, stock and service updates.
- Unfinished checks: Which checks are unfinished, and which could affect service during the next shift?
- Reported issues and progress: What happened, what has been done and what still needs attention?
- Person responsible and deadline: Who takes the next step, and when must it be completed?
- Incoming manager’s review: Has the incoming manager reviewed the open items and noted what needs attention first?
Review your checklist for missing details
A question such as “Is the kitchen ready?” can hide several different checks. Naming the station or equipment makes the answer easier for a manager to review.
Where a check needs visual evidence, require a live photo in the app. Place the relevant SOP or reference image beside the question. Use video when a short walkthrough is needed.
| Check | Make it specific | Result to capture |
|---|---|---|
| Service areas | List the dining, pickup, delivery or drive-thru areas your restaurant uses. | A live photo of the completed setup for each area, with any missing items noted. |
| Food stations | Write separate checks for each station’s prep, cleaning, storage and supplies. | Which stations are ready, what prep or supplies are missing and who has been told about any shortage. |
| Equipment | Name each appliance or device and explain what staff need to check at opening and closing. | Equipment name, whether it is clean and working, and details of any fault. |
| Temperatures | Name the refrigerator, freezer or food warmer and state its approved temperature range. | The actual reading in °C or °F, with the next action and person responsible for any reading outside the range. |
| Payments and records | Specify the cash needed at opening, the card machine test and the closing sales report. | Opening cash count, card machine faults, and any difference between payments and the day’s sales report. |
| Manager review | State who confirms readiness before service and reviews the closing checks. | Manager’s name, review time and any check that still needs attention. |
Example question
What is the temperature of Chiller 01 before opening?
The answer needs a number and the unit (°C or °F). Show the approved range beside the question so the manager can judge the result.
Run daily checks and follow-ups in Wooqer
Wooqer is OneApp for all Ops. Your operations team can build processes, set up coordination and communication, and manage training and learning without coding.
In the example below, the operations team has set a rule for cleaning issues. It names the person responsible, the deadline and the manager to notify if work is late.
Staff flag the failed check
A staff member marks the prep counter as not cleaned and captures a live photo in the app.
A follow-up is assigned
A task is created automatically for the person named in the rule, with the deadline the operations team set.
Late work is escalated
If the deadline is missed, the manager named in the rule is notified automatically. The restaurant manager can see the task’s status.
The manager confirms the fix
After cleaning, staff capture a new photo in the app. The manager checks it and confirms completion before closing the issue.
During the shift handover, the incoming manager can see whether the issue is still open.
Area managers can spot repeated cleaning failures in management reports, then review instructions or arrange refresher training. They can also see where opening checks are pending and send reminders before service.
See a complete restaurant shift on Wooqer
Bring your current checklist and one issue your team is trying to solve. See how staff would complete checks, how managers would track follow-ups and what the next manager would see during a shift handover.
Book a demoFrequently asked questions
Can we adapt the opening and closing checklists for different restaurant formats?
Yes. Your operations team can change the questions, instructions and evidence requirements in the WorkApps. Keep the checks that apply across your restaurants, then add local questions for menus, equipment and service areas.
What should happen if an opening check is still incomplete before service?
The restaurant manager needs to see what is unfinished and who is handling it. Staff should either complete the check or report what is preventing completion. The restaurant’s operating procedures determine who can clear it for service.
How do we update checks when the menu, equipment or process changes?
The operations team can edit the affected questions, instructions and evidence requirements in the WorkApp, then assign the updated checklist to the restaurants that need it. Review any related training or follow-up rules at the same time.
Can FARO build around our existing opening and closing checklist?
Yes. Describe your current checklist and the area you want to improve. Review the proposed WorkApp against your restaurant’s procedures, temperature limits and responsibilities before assigning it to staff.
Can opening checks, closing checks and cleaning audits have different schedules?
Yes. Set up the processes separately and assign each one to the relevant restaurants, roles and shifts. Opening and closing checks can follow service times, while a cleaning audit can run on its own schedule.