Bar Closing: the full procedure
Break down and clean the bar — group heads, wands, grinders — store food, and shut down so the morning open is fast.
- Applies to: Closing barista.
- Frequency: Every night, at close.
- Scope: Covers bar breakdown and close. Detailed equipment cleaning steps are in the Espresso Equipment Cleaning SOP; cash detail in the Cash Handling SOP.
What you need
- Closing checklist
- Cleaning chemicals (per label)
- Blind basket / brushes
The procedure, step by step
- Break down the bar — Clear and wipe the bar, empty knock boxes, and break down stations.
- Clean the espresso machine — Backflush the group heads, soak portafilters/baskets, and clean the steam wands and dispersion screens (see the Equipment Cleaning SOP). Clean the grinder.
- Store or discard food and milk — Store or discard milk and food per date/FIFO; clean the milk fridge and pastry case.
- Clean surfaces and floors — Wipe counters, clean drains, take out trash/recycling, and sweep/mop.
- Cash out and reconcile — Count the drawer against POS, record over/short, and prep the deposit (see the Cash Handling SOP).
- Shut down and secure — Power down equipment per spec, set lights/security, and lock up.
Quality check before you finish
- Bar broken down; knock boxes empty.
- Machine backflushed; portafilters soaked; wands/grinder clean.
- Milk/food stored or discarded; fridge + case clean.
- Surfaces, drains, floors clean; trash out.
- Drawer reconciled; deposit prepped.
- Equipment powered down; locked up.
This is a free, source-anchored standard operating procedure (SOP) you can print and hand to staff. It documents the work sequence for a Coffee Shop 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
- Texas Coffee School — Espresso Machine Cleaning (close) (texascoffeeschool.com)
- Clive Coffee — Espresso Machine Cleaning & Maintenance (clivecoffee.com)
About Free Coffee Shop Bar Closing SOP
Free printable cafe bar closing SOP: breakdown, clean group heads and steam wands, store milk and food, and shut down — so the bar is clean and ready for open.
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
What is on a coffee shop closing checklist?
Break down the bar, backflush and clean the group heads, soak portafilters/baskets, clean the steam wands and grinder, store or discard milk and food per date, wipe surfaces, empty/clean drains, and shut down equipment. A clean close is what makes the morning open fast.
Why clean the espresso machine nightly?
Coffee oils and milk residue build up fast and turn rancid, ruining flavor and harboring bacteria. Nightly backflushing and cleaning (per the Equipment Cleaning SOP) keeps shots tasting right and the machine reliable.
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