Bar Opening: the full procedure
Warm up, stock, and dial in the bar so the first customer gets a dialed-in shot on time.
- Applies to: Opening barista.
- Frequency: Every morning, before open.
- Scope: Covers bar opening. Espresso dialing-in detail is in the Espresso & Drink Prep SOP.
What you need
- Opening checklist
- Scale + timer
- Espresso machine + grinders
The procedure, step by step
- Power up and warm up — Turn on the espresso machine and grinders early — they need ~20–30 min to reach stable operating temperature; verify water is on and tanks are filled.
- Stock the bar — Stock cups/lids, beans, milk, syrups, sleeves, and to-go supplies; set up the milk fridge and pastry case.
- Calibrate and dial in — Calibrate grinders and pull test/re-seasoning shots to dial in espresso to recipe (see the Espresso SOP) before serving.
- Test the steam wand — Purge and test the steam wand; confirm it builds pressure and the wand is clean.
- Set up POS and float — Bring up the POS and set the counted cash float (see the Cash Handling SOP).
- Pre-open check — Quick walk of the bar, seating, and restroom; open on time, ready to serve.
Quality check before you finish
- Machine + grinders warmed to temp; water on.
- Bar, milk fridge, pastry case stocked.
- Espresso dialed in (test shots).
- Steam wand tested + clean.
- POS up; float set.
- Pre-open walk done; open on time.
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
- Barista Life — Coffee Shop Opening Procedures (baristalife.co)
- Texas Coffee School — Espresso Machine Best Practices (texascoffeeschool.com)
- Perfect Daily Grind — Dialling In Espresso (perfectdailygrind.com)
About Free Coffee Shop Bar Opening SOP
Free printable cafe bar opening SOP: warm up the espresso machine and grinders, stock the bar, set up milk and syrups, and dial in before the first customer.
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 opening checklist?
Turn on and warm up the espresso machine and grinders (they need time to come to temp), stock the bar (cups, lids, beans, milk, syrups), set up the milk fridge and pastry case, then dial in the espresso with test shots before opening the doors.
Why warm up the espresso machine before opening?
A commercial espresso machine and grinder need time to reach stable operating temperature for consistent extraction — pulling shots cold gives sour, uneven results. Warm-up plus a dial-in is why the open SOP starts well before the first customer.
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