FOH Opening Duties: the full procedure
The front-of-house pre-shift sequence so the dining room is clean, set, and guest-ready before the first reservation.
- Applies to: Opening server / host / FOH manager.
- Frequency: Every shift, before opening.
- Scope: Covers the FOH opening routine. Cash float specifics are in the Cash Handling SOP; kitchen open is the BOH SOP.
What you need
- Opening checklist
- POS / register
- Reservation book or system
The procedure, step by step
- Enter and disarm safely — Unlock and disarm the alarm. Note the standard for safe entry (and never opening alone where that is your policy).
- Set the environment — Turn on lights, set music and thermostat, and bring up all FOH systems and POS terminals.
- Set and check tables — Set tables to standard and walk the floor for cleanliness, wobbles, and anything missed at last close.
- Stock the stations — Stock host and server stations: menus, rolled silver, napkins, glassware, condiments, and to-go supplies.
- Prep the host stand — Ready the reservation book / waitlist, today’s reservations and notes, and the floor plan.
- Pre-open walk — Final walk of the dining room, restrooms, and entrance — clean, set, and guest-ready before the first guest or reservation.
Quality check before you finish
- Alarm disarmed; entry per policy.
- Lights, music, thermostat, POS up.
- Tables set and floor walked.
- Host + server stations stocked.
- Reservations/waitlist ready.
- Pre-open walk done — room guest-ready.
This is a free, source-anchored standard operating procedure (SOP) you can print and hand to staff. It documents the work sequence for a Restaurant 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
- Cuboh — Restaurant Opening & Closing Checklist (cuboh.com)
- Lightspeed — Server Sidework / Opening Checklist (lightspeedhq.com)
- WebstaurantStore — Server Sidework (opening) (webstaurantstore.com)
About Free FOH Opening Checklist SOP
Free printable front-of-house opening SOP: the pre-shift sequence — dining room, stations, POS, lights and music — so the restaurant is guest-ready on time.
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 restaurant FOH opening checklist?
Unlock and disarm, set lights/music/thermostat, power up the POS, set and check tables, stock the host and server stations (menus, silver, condiments), fill sani buckets, and do a pre-open dining-room walk. Finish before the first reservation so the room is guest-ready on time.
Why use an opening SOP instead of memory?
A written opening SOP means the room is ready the same way every shift regardless of who opens, nothing (music, a dirty table, an empty POS drawer) is missed, and a new opener can run the shift without a manager walking them through it.
Part of ToolFluency’s library of free online tools for Printables. No account needed, no data leaves your device.