Daily Opening Checklist — Coffee Shop
Restaurant
The open-to-first-customer routine for a single-site coffee shop, sequenced so equipment warm-up runs in parallel with prep and nothing blocks the door opening on time.
Purpose
Open the shop on time every day with equipment calibrated, food safe, and the floor customer-ready, without relying on any one person's memory.
Scope
Applies to the opening shift at the single retail site, every trading day. Does not cover closing, deep cleaning, or stock ordering.
Responsibilities
- Opening Barista — Runs the full checklist, calibrates the grinder, and signs the temperature log.
- Shift Supervisor — Verifies the signed log, counts the float, and authorises opening the door.
Materials & tools
- • Keys and alarm code
- • Till float
- • Probe thermometer
- • Temperature log
- • Grinder and scales
- • Cleaning caddy
Procedure
- 1
Disarm the alarm, switch on lights, and unlock the back-of-house door.
Log arrival time on the temperature log sheet.
- 2
Switch on the espresso machine, grinder, and hot water tower first.
They need roughly 25 minutes to reach stable temperature. Starting them first means warm-up runs while the rest of the checklist happens.
- 3
Check and record fridge and freezer temperatures with the probe thermometer.
Fridges at or below 5°C, freezers at or below -18°C. Anything out of range: move stock to the spare unit and tell the Shift Supervisor before service.
- 4
Discard any prepped food past its use-by label, then restock the display from the back fridge.
Label everything new with today's date.
- 5
Wipe counters, tables, and the condiment station; empty the front-of-house bin.
Floor is customer-ready before the door opens, not after.
- 6
Dial in the grinder: pull a test shot, weigh in and out, adjust until the shot runs to target.
Target is 18g in, 36g out, 26-30 seconds. Record the grind setting on the log.
- 7
Count the till float and confirm it matches the recorded amount, then open the card terminal.
Discrepancies go to the Shift Supervisor before opening, never after.
- 8
Shift Supervisor reviews the signed log and unlocks the front door at opening time.
Quality checks
- ☐ Fridge and freezer temperatures recorded and in range
- ☐ No out-of-date food in the display
- ☐ Test shot within target weight and time
- ☐ Till float counted and matching
- ☐ Log signed by both Opening Barista and Shift Supervisor
References
- Food safety temperature policy
- Espresso dial-in card