Kitchen Closing Checklist
Daily kitchen closing checklist: equipment shutdown, walk-in temp, food storage, and sanitation before lockup.
- Estimated time
- 30 min
- Frequency
- daily
- Business type
- restaurant
- Category
- closing
- Role
- kitchen manager
- Role
- head chef
- Role
- line cook
Purpose
Shut down the kitchen safely and leave food stored correctly for the next opener.
Complete this kitchen closing checklist after the last ticket and before the kitchen manager leaves. Record closing walk-in temperature and sign off every night.
Equipment Shutdown
Power down cooking equipment safely.
-
All cooking equipment powered down
-
Fryers filtered or covered per policy
Pass / Fail
-
Hood system left running per policy
Pass / Fail
Food Storage
Store all product safely overnight.
-
Record walk-in closing temperature
Recommended: 1-5°C
-
All food covered, labeled, and dated
Pass / Fail
-
Raw protein stored below ready-to-eat
Pass / Fail
Cleaning & Handoff
Leave the kitchen ready for opening.
-
Prep surfaces sanitized
-
Kitchen floors swept
-
Trash and grease removed
-
Closing notes for opening manager (optional)
Note
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who should complete the kitchen closing checklist?
- The closing kitchen manager or head chef completes this checklist. A kitchen manager must sign off before the kitchen is left unattended.
- How is kitchen closing different from restaurant closing?
- Restaurant closing covers the whole building: dining room, cash, security. Kitchen closing focuses on equipment shutdown, food storage, and back-of-house sanitation.
- What walk-in temperature should be recorded at kitchen close?
- Record walk-in cooler temperatures between 1°C and 5°C (33°F–41°F) at closing. Out-of-range readings require corrective action logged on the checklist.
- Should fryers be cleaned at every kitchen close?
- Filter fryer oil daily at close. Full boil-out is weekly: use the Fryer Cleaning SOP on your scheduled day.
- How long does kitchen closing take?
- Most kitchens complete this checklist in about 30 minutes when shutdown and cleaning are split across closing cooks.