Kitchen Opening & Prep / Par Sheet: the full procedure
Open the kitchen and prep to par so the line is fully stocked and ready before the first ticket.
- Applies to: Opening cook / kitchen lead.
- Frequency: Every shift, before service.
- Scope: Covers kitchen opening and par-driven prep. Food-safety specifics (temperatures, holding) follow ServSafe / your local health code.
What you need
- Par sheet / prep list
- Station mise en place
The procedure, step by step
- Power up and check equipment — Turn on and verify ovens, ranges, fryers, and refrigeration. Note any equipment issue. Temperature checks follow ServSafe / local code.
- Count on-hand vs par — For each prepped item, count what’s on hand and subtract from its par level. The difference is today’s prep list — so you prep to demand, not by guess.
- Work the prep list — Complete mise en place and the par-driven prep in priority order, labeling and dating everything (see the Storage & FIFO SOP).
- Stock each station — Build out each station to its setup standard — proteins, sauces, garnishes, tools — so cooks aren’t leaving the line mid-service.
- Confirm the line is set — Verify every station is stocked and ready before the first ticket (the Line Check SOP is the formal pre-service verification).
Quality check before you finish
- Equipment on and checked.
- On-hand counted vs par; prep list built.
- Prep complete, labeled and dated.
- All stations stocked to standard.
- Line confirmed ready before service.
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
- Toast — Prep List / Par Sheet Template (pos.toasttab.com)
- WebstaurantStore — Kitchen Prep Lists (webstaurantstore.com)
About Free Kitchen Opening & Prep SOP
Free printable kitchen opening SOP: the prep sequence driven by par levels — mise en place, prep list, station setup — so the line is stocked and ready before service.
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 a par sheet?
A par sheet sets the target on-hand quantity for each prepped item. At open, the cook counts what is on hand, subtracts from par, and the difference becomes the day’s prep list — so you prep to demand instead of guessing, and the line never runs out mid-service.
What goes in a kitchen opening routine?
Turn on and check equipment, complete mise en place and the par-driven prep list, stock each station, and verify the line is set before the first ticket. Food-safety checks (temperatures, etc.) follow ServSafe and your local code.
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