Restaurant Employee Training Checklist

Verify identity documents within three business days of the first shift to stay compliant with federal I-9 rules. If you're in an E-Verify state (AZ, AL, MS, NC, SC, TN, UT, GA), submit the case the same day. File the completed I-9 in the personnel binder — not in the general HR folder.

The role drives the rest of the training path — a server needs RBS and POS modifier training; a line cook needs station-specific mise en place and the cooling log; a bartender needs liquor par and pour-cost training. Lock this in before scheduling the first shift.

FLSA requires written notice before any tip credit can be applied; some states require a countersigned acknowledgment. Skip this and the restaurant owes the full minimum wage retroactively — this is the single most common wage-and-hour class-action trigger in restaurants.

Create the POS user in Toast/Square/Aloha with the correct role permissions — servers should not have manager-void access, hosts should not have bar pour access. Stage the uniform and slip-resistant shoes guidance before Day 1.

Cover server sections, expo pass, dish pit, walk-in, three-bay sink, fire suppression pull, and the two nearest exits from each station. Point out the OSHA poster and the posted health permit.

Walk through the no-show / tardy policy (three strikes), the harassment and reporting policy, the meal-comp and shift-drink rules, and the cell-phone policy on the floor. The handbook acknowledgment goes in the personnel file.

Walk the hire through pre-shift to meet the GM, sous, expediter, bar lead, and the shift's section captains. Assign a shadow buddy for the first three shifts.

Most states require ServSafe Food Handler (or state-equivalent like Learn2Serve) within 30 days of hire. Confirm certification number and expiration; file a copy in the personnel binder. The state inspector checks this at point of service.

20-second wash with soap before each new task, after handling raw protein, and after any contamination event. No bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food — tongs, deli paper, or single-use gloves. Demonstrate at the handsink, not in a classroom.

Cooked food must go from 140°F to 70°F within 2 hours and to 41°F within 6 hours total. Show the cooling log location, the calibrated thermometer, and how to ice-bath stocks and braises. The log is the only defense in a guest-complaint investigation.

Dedicated cutting board, fresh gloves, dedicated tongs, and never share fryer oil between an allergen and a non-allergen ticket. In MA, IL, MI, NY, and RI an allergen-aware certified manager must be on every shift — verify there is one before the hire works solo.

Hand the hire test strips at the three-bay sink — quat at 200-400 ppm, chlorine at 50-100 ppm. Walk the walk-in and demonstrate first-in-first-out by pulling use-by-dated items forward. Common health-inspector finding when this slips.

Required for any role pouring or serving alcohol — TIPS, ServSafe Alcohol, or state-equivalent (LEAD in CA, ATAP in TX). Confirm card number and expiration; over-serving a visibly intoxicated guest or selling to a minor is a license-level violation.

Walk Toast/Square: open tab, fire course, send allergy flag to expo, split check, comp vs. void (manager swipe), close tab, cash-out report. The allergy flag on the ticket is what gets the kitchen's dedicated tools out — miss it and the protocol breaks.

Taste every menu section over two shifts: apps, salads, mains, desserts, BTG wines, draft list. The hire should be able to call out the top three allergens on each dish without checking the binder. Review where the 86 board lives.

One-on-one reinforcement at the line with the sous chef on dedicated boards, dedicated fry, and glove changes. Re-test by ticketing a mock allergy order through the pass.

Pair the hire with a senior server or bartender for one full open and one full close. Cover silverware roll, condiment refresh, restroom check, station breakdown, liquor par re-stock, and the cash-out reconciliation. Track side-work time so it stays under the FLSA 80/20 threshold.

Manager shadows a full shift — greet-to-table time, order accuracy, allergy handling, ticket times, cash-out variance. Score against the role checklist and flag any single-area failures for additional reps.

Pull the new hire's void and comp report from the POS. Voids over 2% of sales or repeated comps without a manager swipe are early signals of theft or process gaps — address before the 30-day mark.

GM, sous chef (if BOH), and the hire sign off on the training record. File alongside the I-9, handbook acknowledgment, tip-credit notice, and certification copies in the personnel binder. Anything below 'Pass' triggers a 30-day extension plan.