Restaurant SOP templates
Restaurants run on consistency. These SOP templates cover the daily routines — opening, cleaning, food handling, cash handling — that keep service smooth across shifts and locations.
Featured template
Daily opening checklist for a coffee shop covering equipment, stock, and cash float
Full example: Daily opening checklist (coffee shop)
Purpose: Ensure the café is safe, stocked, and ready to serve customers within 30 minutes of opening.
Scope: Opening shift lead and one barista, Monday–Sunday, 30 minutes before doors open.
Procedure
- Disarm the alarm and switch on all overhead lighting.
- Power on espresso machine, grinders, and water filter. Allow 20 minutes to reach temperature.
- Check fridge and freezer temperatures; log any reading outside 1–4°C (fridge) or below -18°C (freezer).
- Restock milk, syrups, cups, and lids from the back of house.
- Count opening cash float and confirm against the prior shift close. Discrepancy >$5 — notify manager.
- Wipe down counters, espresso machine, and POS screens.
- Pull and taste the first espresso shot; adjust grind if extraction is outside 25–30 seconds.
- Unlock the front door at opening time and flip the OPEN sign.
FAQs
- What SOPs does every restaurant need?
- At minimum: opening and closing checklists, food safety / HACCP handling, cash handling, cleaning schedule, and incident reporting.
- Can I edit these templates?
- Yes. Download the .docx and edit it in Word or Google Docs, or generate a custom version tailored to your menu and shift structure.
Browse all SOP templates, see worked SOP examples, or read the canonical SOP format.
Other industries: Marketing agency, SaaS support, E-commerce, Real estate. Or generate a custom SOP for your exact task.