Staff Training Checklist

Verify identity documents in person before the new hire works their first shift — I-9 is federal and the deadline is three business days from start. If your state requires E-Verify (AZ, AL, MS, NC, SC, TN, UT, GA above the employee threshold), submit the case before end of day. Upload the signed forms to the personnel folder.

FLSA requires written notice before a tip credit can be applied to any tipped employee. Skip this and the employer owes full minimum wage retroactively — class actions have hit operators for seven figures on this exact gap. Have the new hire sign the tip-credit acknowledgment, the harassment policy, and the handbook receipt page; file all three.

Walk the dining room, bar, expo pass, line, prep area, walk-in, dish pit, dry storage, and employee restroom. Point out fire extinguishers, the first-aid kit, and the SDS binder location. Show where the OSHA 300A and labor-law posters live.

Most states require a food handler card within 30 days of hire — ServSafe, Learn2Serve, or the state-equivalent. Enroll on Day 1, target completion before the first solo shift. Upload the certificate when issued; certifications expire on a 3 to 5 year cycle so add the expiry to the personnel calendar.

FDA Food Code: cooked TCS food must drop from 140°F to 70°F within 2 hours, and to 41°F within 6 hours total. Show the new hire the cooling log, the probe thermometer, and the calibration ice-bath check. The log is the only evidence we have if a guest complaint or a health inspector arrives.

Hot water, soap, 20 seconds of friction, paper towel to dry, paper towel to turn off the tap. Required between tasks, after touching face/phone/raw protein, and after every restroom break. No bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food — gloves or tongs only.

MA, IL, MI, NY, RI and several other states require allergen-aware training (PCFP, AllerTrain, or state-equivalent) for at least one manager per shift. Some jurisdictions require it for all FOH staff. Check your state and local code; if required, complete the course before any solo service shift.

Enroll in AllerTrain, PCFP, or your state-approved equivalent. Upload the certificate to the personnel folder. Until the cert is on file, the new hire does not run allergy tickets solo — pair them with a certified manager for any flagged tickets.

New hire learns every menu item: ingredients, allergens, prep method, plate description, modifier options, and price. Quiz at the end of Day 3 — must name the top-five allergens for every dish. The 86 board changes daily; check it before every pre-shift.

One lunch shift and one dinner shift, paired with a tenured server. Shadow the full sequence: greet, order entry, drink delivery, course timing, check-back, check drop, payment, table reset. No tables of their own yet — observation only.

Run a mock table with the trainer playing guest. Cover the greet script, water-and-bread default, beverage upsell, allergen check question, course pacing, and the modifier flow in Toast. Trainer plays a guest with a shellfish allergy in the second round.

Sommelier or beverage director runs a 30-minute tasting of the BTG list. Cover varietal, region, food pairing recommendations, and the upsell from house pour to reserve. Server should be able to recommend a pairing for any entrée on the menu.

Cover login, table-map open, item entry with modifiers, course firing, send-to-kitchen, partial check splits, gift card redemption, and tab transfer between servers. Trainer walks through a six-top with two splits and a gift card payment.

Count the opening bank in front of the manager, sign the count sheet, lock the drawer to the assigned terminal. At end of shift, run the cash-out report, count the drawer, reconcile to the report, and hand the deposit envelope to the manager. Variances over $5 trigger a recount.

Trainer stages a mock cash-out with three open tabs, a split check, two credit-card tips, and one cash payment. New hire reconciles, declares tips, and produces the deposit envelope. Score the result.

Wash, rinse, sanitize. Test the sanitizer concentration with a strip — quaternary ammonia 200-400 ppm, chlorine 50-100 ppm. Log the reading. An inspector who finds the sink set up wrong writes a critical violation on the spot.

Server side-work: sweep section, wipe tables and chairs, polish glassware, roll silver, restock condiments, mark off the closing list. The 80/20 rule on tip credit applies — non-tipped duties over 30 minutes continuous can disqualify the credit, so the close should be paced and tracked.

Scrape, rack, run, sort, polish, restock the line and the bar. Cover machine load limits, detergent fill, rinse-aid level, and the daily filter clean. Wet-floor signs go down before mopping any traffic path.

Trainer takes the section; new hire runs the full sequence on every table with the trainer at the rail. Mix of one lunch, one weekday dinner, one weekend dinner so they hit a full volume curve before going solo.

Small section, 4-5 tables, trainer working the floor in a different section but available. Manager checks in twice. Debrief at the end of the shift on table timing, ticket times, comp/void usage, and any guest issues.

30-minute review covering menu knowledge, POS competency, allergen handling, cash-out accuracy, and the trainer's notes. New hire shares feedback on the training experience. Identify any gaps before clearing them for the regular schedule.