Restaurant Closing Checklist
Free template · Updated 26 October 2026
The end of service is when people are most tired and most likely to cut corners. A restaurant closing checklist keeps the important steps, like storing food properly, turning off equipment and securing the cash, from depending on how the night went.
Adapt the template to your kitchen equipment and your own cash and security procedures.
Kitchen
- Turn off cooking equipment once the kitchen closes
- Cool, cover, label and date food being kept, following your food safety plan
- Clean and sanitise prep surfaces and chopping boards
- Clean the grill, griddle and fryers, following the maker's instructions
- Wash, dry and put away dishes, pans and utensils
- Sweep and mop the kitchen floor
- Take the waste and recycling out to the bins
Front of house
- Clear and clean the tables and chairs
- Reset the tables for the next service, if that's how you work
- Clean and restock the service station
- Clean the bar area and wash any glasses
- Clean and restock the toilets
- Sweep and mop the dining room
Cash and admin
- Cash up, record the takings and put the cash somewhere secure
- Run the end-of-day report on the point-of-sale system
- Note low stock for the next order
- Note any equipment problems for repair
Lock-up
- Check that all cooking equipment and gas supplies are off
- Turn off the kitchen ventilation once the equipment has cooled
- Check that nobody is left in the toilets, storerooms or cold rooms
- Check that windows, the back door and storage areas are locked
- Turn off the lights, set the alarm and lock the front door
Tips for using this checklist
Start the close before service ends
Clean and put away what you no longer need during the last hour of service. It shortens the close without rushing the last customers.
Hand over in writing
Low stock, equipment that needs a fix and anything else the morning team should know are easy to forget overnight. A short note for the next opening manager keeps everyone on the same page.
Check the last person out
Make one person responsible for the final walk-through, so locking up never depends on everyone thinking someone else did it.
Every business is different, so adapt this checklist to yours and to your local requirements.