Article

The Daily Opening Checklist

by Chris Tripoli

Each morning, all over this great country of ours, restaurant managers like you arrive at the back door of their eateries ready for a new day. Flush with enthusiasm, good intentions, and a mental list of everything you need to do before showtime, you march inside. And what do you find? A ringing telephone, a burned-out light bulb, and a puddle of water, which could only mean the dishwashing machine is leaking again.

By the time you talk to the employee who is calling in sick and checking in with your security service, your day is already derailed. How do you get back on track?

An opening checklist would remind you to read the shift notes after conducting the facility walk-through. The shift notes would indicate the name of a staff member who is interested in picking up more shifts, and apprise you of a warning from the chef that several key menu items are out of stock. And so on, and so on ...

In my consulting practice, restaurant managers tell me that referring to checklists helps them maintain focus, and manage each shift in an orderly manner. Also, checklists help managers set priorities between the "important" vs. "urgent" matters. For example, when opening up for a lunch shift it is "important" to check restrooms for cleanliness, and set the thermostat, lights and music levels before unlocking the front door at 11 a.m. But, between 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. it is "urgent" that you call any purveyors that may be needed to restock dwindling inventory, or contact maintenance companies to get vital equipment back in service. Good checklists not only prompt you to perform tasks, they prompt you to do them in proper sequence.

(An opening checklist) serves as a reminder to perform key tasks, and enables you to stay more organized during the hectic period of time that occurs each day while trying to open your restaurant. -- Chris Tripoli

Most restaurant managers like three daily checklists, which are kept close at hand by posting them on clipboards hanging in their office. These are the "opening," "shift change," and "closing" checklists. In this article, we're going to look closely at the daily opening checklist for a typical lunch shift and, hopefully, impress you with how it might increase your efficiency and effectiveness.

As you might see, there are three areas of concern to address as a manager preparing to open the restaurant: the facility, management procedure and staff. A daily opening checklist helps you pay attention to each of these areas, in the proper order. It serves as a reminder to perform key tasks, and enables you to stay more organized during the hectic period of time that occurs each day while trying to open your restaurant.

The Facility

It is best to consider addressing the facility items first. If there are any major equipment or building problems that require attention, you will have time to get the necessary work scheduled that day. You don't want to learn that a refrigerator in the pantry is broken at 10 a.m. when the pantry cook arrives and begins to set up the station. Wouldn't life be easier if you could have known that at 8:30 a.m., and already arranged for its repair.

I suggest all managers start their opening checklist of items from the "outside in." This means taking a walk around the facility to look for debris in the parking area and in the landscape, windows that may need cleaning, lights that may be out, condition of walkways, and cleanliness of the trash and back dock areas.

Then the manager should complete the morning facility check by going inside to check the status of items in the kitchen, dining areas, bar and restrooms. Each refrigerator and freezer should be opened and the temperature checked to be sure that nothing has stopped working overnight and that all food items were properly wrapped, labeled, and stored at closing the night before. After the walk-in coolers, ice machines, and other equipment have been checked for proper working order, the manager should continue the morning tour by walking through the dining areas to check thermostats, light fixtures, tables and chairs for proper settings and cleanliness.

Sit a Minute in Their Chairs

One of the most senior pilots for a major airline was recently promoted to director of the carrier's fleet of Boeing 757s. It is his job is to inspect every new airplane that is brought on the line. As you might expect, this includes flight testing and mechanical review. But it also means sitting in every seat of the craft to ensure that each passenger will be comfortable and their trays will operate properly when the drink cart rolls down the aisle.

A good way to be certain the dining room is clean and ready for guests is to sit at a table in the center of the room for a minute, and look around your restaurant from your guests' perspective. When we view our restaurant as if we were guests, we begin to spot the little things that diminish the pleasure of the dining experience. Our eyes catch the cobwebs in the corner of the ceiling, the spots on the tableware, the packets of sugar placed under a table leg to keep it level, and the dust that accumulates on the support bars of the chairs and barstools. You are in the position to note these problems and mention them to the bus and wait staff when they arrive. Walking through the bar and then the restrooms checking the equipment and looking at the status of cleanliness completes the morning facility check.

Management Procedures

The checklist of management procedure items includes a review of notes in the daily logbook and reacting accordingly. You may find that you will need to post reservations, place product orders, schedule staff, confirm banquets, etc. The manager should count and verify the safe bank, bar banks, and prepare the deposit and change order for the bank run. Daily accounting items including sales recording, daily labor forecasting, and invoices in need of proper posting should be completed at this time. After reviewing the staff schedule for the day and preparing the station chart, it is time to lock the office and check in with the chef/kitchen manager.

Staff

The manager confirms the daily specials and reviews the status of kitchen preparation with the chef around 10 a.m. to have time to make any adjustments if necessary. From 10 a.m. to opening it is best if the manager can spend most of his/her time out of the office and with the staff. The opening staff is the final category on the checklist and is the one that requires the most "hands on" involvement of the manager on duty. The manager will place the daily specials into the register or point-of-sale system and give the bar bank to the opening bartender. Stations are assigned and opening side duties are then given to the wait staff and the bussers. Once the lights are on, music is set, and thermostats are properly adjusted, the manager should follow up with the floor staff and assist where needed. This is when any items that were noticed during the morning facility walk-through would be addressed.

At 10:30 a.m., the manager should perform a kitchen line check with the chef to see that final setup, temperature, and taste of items are as specified. At 10:40 a.m., the manager should gather the floor staff (servers, bar, bussers, and host) for the preopening shift meeting. These meetings are best when they are short, informative and motivational. The manager should be prepared with comments about the guests who have made reservations, how servers should describe the daily specials, what wines to suggest, the service steps, and any other items the staff is to be reminded about before unlocking the front door.

After the preshift meeting, there should be some time for a final check of the table settings, staff appearance, and

restroom cleanliness. Are the menus properly wiped cleaned? Is the glassware spotless? Is the silverware shined? Are the bus stations stocked? Finally, the manager should walk through the kitchen to make sure all back-of-the-house staff are at their stations, that the office and back doors are locked, and the front door is open.

At 11 a.m. -- Showtime!

Although each day brings another opening shift and the same tasks must be completed, no two days are alike. Accept that there will be deliveries that arrive late, staff members who call in sick, oven pilot lights that won't light, and soups of the day that burn. That's show business. Why make your life anymore exciting than it already is? Keep a daily opening checklist close by to control the things you can.