Bar Open & Setup: the full procedure
Opens the bar from locked-and-dark to ready-to-serve so the first guest is poured without delay.
- Applies to: Opening bartender, opening manager
- Frequency: Daily, at open
- Scope: Covers the physical and stock setup of the bar station before service — lights, ice, garnish, glassware, well, and POS login. Food-safety and alcohol-service compliance defer to ServSafe and your liquor authority and responsible-service certification.
What you need
- Opening checklist (printed)
- Ice scoop and ice bins
- Garnish station and cutting board
- POS terminal / register
- Speed rails and well bottles
- Cleaning cloths and sanitizer bucket
The procedure, step by step
- Unlock and walk the floor — Turn on lights, unlock entry per security SOP, and confirm nothing is amiss from close. Note any spills, damage, or missing equipment.
- Power up systems — Boot the POS, card reader, music, and TVs. Log in under your own POS user and confirm the printer has paper.
- Ice and water — Fill ice bins from the machine, set up the dump sink and rinse wells, and fill the sanitizer bucket to the marked line.
- Stock the well and rails — Confirm every speed-rail slot and back-bar position is filled to par. Pull replacements from storage and pour-up where needed.
- Cut garnish and prep mixers — Cut citrus, refill garnish trays, and top off juices, syrups, and bitters. Label and date anything prepped fresh.
- Set glassware and tools — Polish and rack glassware within reach, set jiggers, shakers, strainers, and bar mats, and load straws, napkins, and picks.
- Open the till — Count the opening bank per the cash SOP and confirm the starting amount matches the float sheet.
- Final readiness check — Pour a test soda and beer line, confirm taps run clear, and sign the opening checklist.
Quality check before you finish
- Opening checklist fully signed and dated
- All speed-rail and back-bar positions filled to par
- Ice bins full; sanitizer bucket at correct concentration line
- Garnish fresh, labeled, and dated
- POS logged in and printing; card reader connected
- Beer lines run clear with no foam-out
- Opening till count matches float sheet
This is a free, source-anchored standard operating procedure (SOP) you can print and hand to staff. It documents the work sequence for a Bar & Pub business — not safety or regulatory rulings, which defer to the cited authorities, the applicable code, and your own health-and-safety plan. Open the tool above to print it, toggle ink-saver, or (with a free ToolFluency Business account) edit it to match your own workflow.
Sources
- National Restaurant Association (https://restaurant.org)
- ServSafe (https://servsafe.com)
- ServSafe Alcohol (https://servsafe.com)
About Free Bar Opening SOP
Free printable bar opening SOP: ice, garnish, well stock, POS, and till setup so your first guest is served fast. Source-anchored, no signup.
How to use
- Read the full procedure top to bottom before the work — the SOP runs in order and each step builds on the last.
- Toggle Ink-saver (black & white) for a cheaper mono print for the binder; leave it off for the full-color version.
- Click Print SOP to print or save as PDF. Print one per crew, laminate it for the binder, or attach it to the job in your scheduling system.
- Train new hires on it and have staff sign off. Found something out of date? Use the feedback link — flagged SOPs are re-researched against the source list.
Frequently asked questions
Should opening staff be alcohol-certified before they touch the bar?
Yes. Setup is operational, but any opener who will pour or serve must hold a current responsible-service certification (TIPS, ServSafe Alcohol, or Smart Serve) and follow your liquor authority’s rules. Opening the bar does not exempt anyone from those legal service requirements.
How do I set par levels for the well?
Par is the minimum on-hand quantity to get through a typical shift without a mid-service run to storage; set it from your busiest comparable day. Pair this SOP with your inventory and pour-cost procedure so par levels stay tied to real usage and ordering.
Part of ToolFluency’s library of free online tools for Printables. No account needed, no data leaves your device.