Before you start

• •Manager keys and alarm code
• •Daily prep list from the chef or sous (printed or digital)
• •Yesterday's closing checklist (to verify nothing was missed)
• •Phone with the GM's number for any equipment fault calls

The procedure

Step-by-step, in order. Each step has the action and the reason it matters.

1. 1

   Arrive 30 minutes before posted open time

   Park out of the customer-facing lot. Disarm the alarm with the manager code as you enter the back. Log the disarm time on the manager sheet.

   Why: Late arrivals compress the entire opening sequence and force shortcuts on the highest-leverage steps.

2. 2

   Walk the dining room and bar

   Check every table, banquette, and bar seat for items left by the close crew — silverware, glasses, kids' menus, lost items. Reset covers and centerpieces. Note any damage on the manager sheet (chipped plates, wobbly tables, burned-out bulbs).

   Why: Customers form their first impression in the 8 seconds after they sit. A reset table tells them the place is run.

3. 3

   Power up equipment in the right order

   Hood ventilation first, always. Then grill, flat top, fryers (allow full 15-minute preheat — do not put food on early), ovens, holding cabinets, dish machine. Espresso machine last so it has the longest warm-up.

   Why: Wrong order trips breakers in older buildings and burns oil in cold fryers.

4. 4

   Check temperatures and log them

   Walk-in cooler ≤ 38°F. Walk-in freezer ≤ 0°F. Reach-ins ≤ 40°F. Log every temperature on the temp log with your initials. If anything is out of range, photograph the thermometer and call the GM before opening.

   Why: Health inspectors check temp logs first. A missed entry is a violation. A wrong temp is a closed restaurant.

5. 5

   Verify line inventory against the par sheet

   Walk the line with the par sheet. Anything below 50% par gets flagged to the chef immediately — not at service start, when it's too late to prep.

   Why: Mid-service 86s are revenue lost forever. Morning catches save the day.

6. 6

   Stock server side stations

   Napkins, silverware rolls, condiment bottles topped, sugar caddies refilled, water pitchers iced and ready, kids' crayons restocked. Every station should be done before the first server clocks in.

   Why: Servers restocking mid-service is the #1 cause of slow drink refills, the #1 driver of bad reviews.

7. 7

   Brew first batch of coffee, set up tea station

   First brew goes 25 minutes before open. Hot water dispenser on. Tea selection out. Cream and milk pulled and dated.

   Why: Coffee is the most-ordered first hour beverage. A cold brewer at 7am is an avoidable refund.

8. 8

   Walk the floor as a customer would

   Enter through the front door. Look at the host stand. Sit at a 2-top. Sit at the bar. Look at the bathrooms. Whatever you see that's wrong, fix it now or assign it.

   Why: The opener is the only person all day who sees the dining room without staff in the way.

9. 9

   Unlock the front door at the posted time

   Not one minute early. Note the unlock time on the manager sheet. Greet the first customer personally — they are usually a regular and they remember.

   Why: Opening early signals the staff are not ready and rushes the opener into a bad first 30 minutes.

Verify when done

• ☐All temperature logs filled in with your initials
• ☐Coffee brewed before unlock time
• ☐Every server station fully stocked, no mid-shift restock needed in the first hour
• ☐No equipment fault calls deferred to the GM after open

Common mistakes

• ✕Skipping temperature logs because 'it's always fine' — health code violation
• ✕Putting food on a fryer that hasn't preheated 15 minutes — ruins the first batch and trains staff to do it wrong
• ✕Unlocking the door early because a customer is waiting outside — sets a precedent that compresses prep daily
• ✕Restocking server stations while servers are clocking in — wastes the leverage of an empty floor

Trainer notes

When training a new opener, walk them through the entire sequence in real time on their first three shifts before letting them solo. The temperature logging is the most-skipped step — drill it.

Common questions