Front-of-House Operations Checklist

Cold-holding requires 41°F or below per FDA Food Code. Take the reading from the calibrated thermometer (not the door display) and record it in the cooler log. If the reading is above 41°F, do not load product — call refrigeration service and pull TCS items to the backup reach-in.

Use a quat or chlorine test strip in the third bay. Quat target is typically 200-400 ppm; chlorine 50-100 ppm. Record the reading on the sanitizer log — health inspectors check this log on every visit.

Check tables, chairs, banquettes, floors, baseboards, and window ledges. Look at sight lines from the host stand — guests notice corners that staff stop seeing after a week. Flag anything to the closing crew via the manager log if it should have been caught last night.

States including MA, IL, MI, NY, and RI require at least one allergen-aware certified manager (PCFP or AllerTrain) on every shift. Verify the certificate is current and posted. Inspectors cite this on point-of-service checks.

Use the on-call list to bring in a PCFP or AllerTrain-certified manager before doors open. Do not run service without certified coverage in jurisdictions that require it — a single allergy ticket without a certified manager on shift is an automatic citation.

Polish each piece with a vinegar-water cloth before rolling. Target par is 1.5x covers — running short mid-service kills turn time. Tipped employees on FLSA tip credit: log this side-work time so it stays under the 80/20 threshold.

Restock toilet paper, paper towels, and soap. Confirm the handwashing sign is posted and the sink runs hot. Restroom condition is the single most-cited cause of negative Yelp reviews on Mondays.

Pull yesterday's specials inserts and replace with today's. Wipe each menu cover with sanitizer-dampened cloth. Discard any menu with a tear, stain, or food residue — that is the single object every guest holds.

Pull guest notes — birthdays, anniversaries, allergies, regulars, dietary restrictions. Flag VIPs and large parties for the kitchen and floor manager. Capture the highlights here so they make it into the pre-shift lineup.

Match strong servers to high-cover sections; isolate large parties from deuces seeking quiet. Confirm bussers and runners are assigned to support each section, not floating.

Call any party of 8+ to confirm headcount and pre-orders. Send the kitchen the prix-fixe count and any allergen modifications by the pre-shift lineup so the line can pre-portion.

Use the bar par sheet — well, call, premium, cordials, vermouth, bitters. Empty bottles go to the dead-soldiers shelf for the bar manager's variance count, not in the trash.

State ABC inspectors check the posted license on every visit. Renewal is annual or biennial depending on state — an expired posted license triggers immediate license suspension in most jurisdictions. Confirm TIPS or state-equivalent certification is on file for every bartender on shift.

Run a 10-minute lineup. Cover today's 86s from the BOH prep list, the night's specials with prep methods, and one training point — wine pairings, a new modifier path, a service recovery script.

Walk through each allergen on tonight's reservation book. Confirm dedicated cutting boards, dedicated tongs, dedicated fryer for the gluten-free path. Cross-contamination at plating is the most common anaphylaxis trigger — review the allergen ticket protocol every shift.

Test print a check, swipe a test card, confirm Toast or Square syncs with the kitchen display. Disable the alarm. Switch the open sign and bring lights up to service level.

Watch the kitchen display for tickets aging past 18 minutes for apps, 25 for entrees. Touch tables that are sitting on a delayed ticket before the guest has to flag a server.

Every comp and void needs a manager swipe and a reason code in the POS — this is what surfaces in the weekly variance report. Touch every table booked as a VIP or any table that received a comp.

Pull the open-tab report from Toast or Square. Tabs left open at lockout become unrecoverable revenue and tip-out reconciliation problems for tomorrow. Walk each tab to the assigned server or void with a reason code.

Count the drawer against the POS-reported cash sales. A shortage of $5 a shift compounds to $1,800 a year per server — log every variance, not just the big ones. Distribute the tip pool per the posted formula and have each tipped employee initial their cash-out slip.

Pull the POS audit log for voids, comps, and discount swipes from tonight's shift. Match cash-paid checks against the drawer count by server. File a variance memo with the GM the same night — variances investigated next week are variances that never get resolved.

Wipe down tables, reset for tomorrow's open, restock condiments, sanitize menus, break down the bar, run the dish pit one last time. Hold tipped employees on tip credit to the 80/20 / 30-minute FLSA limits — log time spent on non-tipped duties separately.

Turn off all kitchen equipment, hood vents, dining-room lights, and the music system. Walk the perimeter to confirm back doors and windows are locked. Arm the alarm and lock the front door last. The closing manager is the only person with the alarm code on a closing shift.