10 Essential Restaurant Checklist Templates for Daily Operations
A solid restaurant checklist does two things: it makes sure nothing gets missed when the rush hits, and it gives you something to point to when standards slip. Here are 10 checklist templates that cover the areas that actually move the needle—quality, safety, and consistency—so you can run a tighter ship without reinventing the wheel.
Why use a restaurant checklist at all? In the chaos of service, it’s easy to skip the “small” stuff: a fridge that’s crept above 5°C, a prep surface that didn’t get sanitised between tasks, or a closer who forgot to set the alarm. A checklist turns “we usually remember” into “we always check.” The best restaurants treat their opening, closing, food safety, and service checks as non-negotiable—and they keep them in a form that’s easy to follow and easy to prove.
1. Opening Shift Checklist
The first hour sets the tone. If equipment isn’t checked, temps aren’t logged, or the dining room isn’t ready, you’re already playing catch-up. An opening checklist gets the whole team on the same page before the first guest arrives.
What to include
- Kitchen equipment inspection (ovens, grills, fryers, refrigeration)
- Food storage temperature checks (fridges, freezers, hot-hold units)
- Staff uniform and hygiene verification
- Dining area cleanliness (tables, floors, restrooms)
- POS system and payment terminal functionality
In practice: Assign one person to run through the list and sign off (or use a digital checklist so you can see who completed what and when). If something’s off—e.g. a cooler running warm—you fix it before service, not in the middle of a rush.
2. Closing Shift Checklist
A good close protects your product, your premises, and your revenue. Skipped steps here show up as waste, security issues, or a rough opening the next day.
What to include
- Kitchen cleanup (surfaces, equipment, waste)
- Equipment shutdown and night settings
- Food storage, covering, and date labelling
- Security checks (locks, alarms, lights)
- Cash register reconciliation and safe procedures
In practice: Closing is often done by tired staff. Keep the checklist short and in order: if the list is too long or vague, items get skipped. A restaurant checklist that’s used at close should take no more than 15–20 minutes when done properly.
3. Food Safety Checklist
This is the checklist that keeps you on the right side of the law and your guests safe. Temperature abuse, cross-contamination, and poor storage are the main causes of foodborne incidents—and they’re all controllable with consistent checks.
What to include
- Temperature monitoring (delivery, storage, cooking, cooling, hot-hold)
- Cross-contamination prevention (raw vs ready-to-eat, cleaning between tasks)
- Food storage (FIFO, date marking, covering)
- Sanitation procedures (surfaces, utensils, handwashing)
- Pest control and storage hygiene
In practice: Run food safety checks at defined times (e.g. start of shift, after delivery, end of service) and log the results. When an inspector or auditor asks how you manage risk, you show them the checklist and the records—not a vague “we’re careful.”
4. Customer Service Checklist
Service quality is what guests remember. A customer service checklist doesn’t mean scripting every word; it means making sure the same basics happen every time: greeting, order accuracy, timing, and table upkeep.
What to include
- Greeting and seating procedures
- Order-taking accuracy (allergies, modifications, upsells)
- Service timing (drinks, courses, bill)
- Table maintenance (clearing, refills, cleanliness)
- Collecting and acting on customer feedback
In practice: Use this as a training and shift-briefing tool. New staff get a clear picture of standards; experienced staff get a quick reminder. When feedback drops or reviews mention “slow” or “forgot my order,” the checklist is where you tighten up.
5. Inventory Management Checklist
Running out of key items mid-service or over-ordering and watching stuff go out of date both cost money. A simple inventory checklist keeps stock visible and forces regular attention to levels and dates.
What to include
- Stock level verification (par levels, reorder points)
- Expiration date checking and FIFO
- Order placement and delivery checks
- Storage organisation (labelling, zones, temperature)
- Waste tracking and reasons
In practice: Tie the checklist to your ordering cycle (e.g. daily counts on high-value items, weekly on the rest). When someone ticks “low stock” or “waste logged,” someone else should act on it—otherwise the checklist is just paperwork.
6. Equipment Maintenance Checklist
Kitchen equipment fails at the worst times if it isn’t looked after. A maintenance checklist spreads cleaning and basic checks across the week so small issues get caught before they become breakdowns.
What to include
- Daily cleaning (grills, fryers, vents, filters)
- Weekly maintenance (seals, thermostats, drainage)
- Monthly deep cleaning and calibration
- Repair reporting and follow-up
- Safety inspections (gas, electrical, extraction)
In practice: Assign tasks to roles or days so nothing is “everyone’s job” (and therefore no one’s). Log when things were done; when something breaks, you’ll know when it was last serviced.
7. Staff Training Checklist
Onboarding and ongoing training are easy to rush. A training checklist makes sure new hires and existing staff cover the same basics: safety, food handling, service standards, and emergencies.
What to include
- New hire orientation (site, team, policies)
- Safety and food safety procedures
- Customer service and brand standards
- Menu knowledge and allergen awareness
- Emergency procedures and contacts
In practice: Treat the checklist as a sign-off: each item is done and dated. That way you have a record for compliance and for “we never showed them that” conversations. Refresh it when menus or procedures change.
8. Quality Control Checklist
Consistency is what brings guests back. A quality control checklist focuses on how food looks, tastes, and is portioned—so the dish that goes out at 7 p.m. matches the one at 2 p.m.
What to include
- Food presentation (plating, garnish, temperature)
- Taste checks and batch approval
- Portion control and weighing
- Temperature at service
- Visual inspection of ingredients and finished dishes
In practice: Build in quick checks before peak service (e.g. one signature dish per station). If something’s off, you correct it before the rush. Over time, the checklist becomes a habit and quality stops being a lottery.
9. Emergency Procedures Checklist
When something goes wrong—fire, injury, power cut—people need to know what to do. An emergency checklist isn’t for daily use; it’s for training and for the moment when someone has to act fast.
What to include
- Fire safety (extinguishers, alarms, evacuation)
- First aid (kits, trained staff, emergency numbers)
- Evacuation routes and assembly points
- Emergency contact list (management, services)
- Incident reporting and follow-up
In practice: Run through this in onboarding and at least once a year. Keep a printed or digital copy somewhere everyone can access. When an incident happens, the checklist guides the first few minutes and ensures the right people are called.
10. Marketing and Promotions Checklist
Events and campaigns only work if the team and the venue are ready. A marketing checklist keeps specials, events, and promotions aligned so the kitchen, front of house, and online presence all tell the same story.
What to include
- Special event planning (menu, staff, stock)
- Social media and website updates
- Menu changes and allergy/special-diet info
- Promotional materials (signage, menus, boards)
- Customer feedback and campaign performance
In practice: Use it in the run-up to an event or launch, not on the day. By opening time, everything should be ticked: specials loaded in the POS, staff briefed, and materials live.
Making Your Restaurant Checklists Stick
A restaurant checklist only helps if it’s actually used. A few practical steps:
- Go digital if you can. Digital checklists give you completion times, who did what, and a clear trail for audits. They’re easier to update than printed sheets and work better across multiple shifts and sites.
- Train people on the “why.” If staff see the list as box-ticking, they’ll rush or skip. Brief them on why each item matters—food safety, guest experience, or cost—so the checklist feels like part of the job, not extra admin.
- Review and trim. If the list is too long, it won’t get done. Cut anything that isn’t essential and add only what you’ll act on. A short, focused checklist beats a long one that nobody finishes.
- Use the data. Completion rates and repeated failures (e.g. “temp out of range” on the same fridge) tell you where to invest time or equipment. A checklist isn’t just for the moment—it’s for improving over time.
How Todolo Can Help Your Restaurant With Checklists
Paper checklists get lost, filled in at the end of the shift, or stuck in a drawer. A mobile app for deskless workers brings checklists, communication, and tasks into one place for restaurants and multi-site teams. Todolo turns your restaurant checklists into part of the daily routine: assign opening and closing lists to the right people, get reminders so nothing is forgotten, and see at a glance what’s done and what isn’t.
- One place for all checks. Opening, closing, food safety, equipment, and quality checks live in the same app. Staff use their phones or tablets on the floor—no clipboards or printouts.
- Accountability and proof. Every completed item is timestamped and tied to the person who did it. When an auditor or manager asks “was the walk-in checked today?”, you show the record, not a guess.
- Fewer missed steps. Notifications and task lists make it clear what’s due. If a closing checklist isn’t finished, you see it before the next opening—so you can fix it instead of discovering it at 11 a.m.
- Easier updates. When you change a procedure or add a new dish, you update the checklist once. Everyone gets the latest version; no reprinting or “which list are we on?”
If you’re ready to move from paper to a restaurant checklist system that actually gets used and tracked, Todolo can help. You keep the structure that works for you—we make it digital, visible, and actionable.
Contact Todolo to digitize your restaurant checklist and operations or explore our operations module for restaurant checklists and compliance.
