Hospitality template
Restaurant Opening Checklist
Use this checklist to confirm readiness before doors open, handoffs start, and the first pressure shows up live.
Who it is for: Independent restaurants and neighborhood hospitality teams
Visible checklist
Floor readiness
Walk the room, toilets, and entrance before team briefing.
Confirm reservations, walk-ins, and large-party notes are visible.
Check music, lighting, menus, terminals, and card payment basics.
Kitchen and pass
Verify prep completion against today's menu and expected covers.
Confirm allergen controls, cleaning resets, and waste stations.
Spot any station or delivery gaps before briefing ends.
Shift handover
Call out today's likely pinch points and one owner for escalation.
Assign first checks for stock, guest flow, and handoff gaps.
Common failure points
Open issues are left in the manager's head instead of assigned.
Prep or room misses are only discovered when guests arrive.
No single owner is named for live recovery decisions.
How Service en Place helps
Service en Place turns the opening checklist into assigned work, source-owned records, and operating memory when the same readiness gaps keep repeating.