--- title: Checklist to Reopen Your Restaurant date: 2021-06-09T13:00:00+02:00 author: Salama canonical_url: "https://choco.com/us/stories/reopening-restaurant" section: Story --- [ choco stories](https://choco.com/us/stories) # Checklist to Reopen Your Restaurant ## Restaurants reopening tips for chefs, managers, and owners in 2021 06/09/2021 ![ - ](/assets/images/blog/_1xAUTO_crop_center-center_none/Choco-BlogSize-16.jpg) With Covid restrictions lifted and **restaurants reopening**, the checklist for ‘chefs and restaurant managers’ can be quite overwhelming. Here’s a tip from our [Choco](https://www.choco.com/) team: don’t freak out! This post will answer many of your questions on how to reopen your restaurant after COVID. [ ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://choco.com/us/stories/reopening-restaurant.md&text=Checklist%20to%20Reopen%20Your%20Restaurant) [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://choco.com/us/stories/reopening-restaurant.md&title=Checklist%20to%20Reopen%20Your%20Restaurant%20) [ ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://choco.com/us/stories/reopening-restaurant.md) From reorganizing your space and menu to finding ways to pivot the [2021 hiring drought](https://choco.com/us/stories/restaurant-industry-labor-shortage), here’s an exhaustive checklist for restaurants reopening. #### Related reading - [ ![ - ](/assets/images/blog/_1xAUTO_crop_center-center_none/restauranthiringdrought.jpg) Hiring New Restaurant Staff in 2021 ](https://choco.com/us/stories/hiring-restaurant-staff-during-industry-labor-shortage) ### Organize and clean your space ▢ Check out your **local inspection requirements** through your local health department and write down a plan to make sure you’re not forgetting anything. ▢ Evaluate your floor plan and consider **reducing seating capacity** to meet safety requirements while maximizing your staff’s capacity; maintain a 6-foot distance among tables if that is required in your local jurisdiction. ▢ Promote **safety** and place hand sanitizers around your space. Use digital menus when you can. ▢ Renovate your interior space and focus on **ambiance** to delight your guests. ▢ Sanitize **tables** and clean **seating surfaces**. ▢ Sanitize and clean the **countertop**. ▢ Don’t forget about **walls**, **ceiling**, and all the other overlooked surfaces such as **backsplashes**, **high shelves**, **drawers**, and even **door handles**. ▢ Disinfect **prep areas** using surface sanitizing products. ▢ Sweep, vacuum, and mop **floors** using floor cleaning products. ▢ Sanitize all **bathrooms**, disinfect toilets, and stock them with soap, toilet paper, and all required supplies. ▢ Refill all **soap dispensers**. ▢ Vacuum **carpets** in the front of house and wash **anti-slip mats** in the back of house. ### Check the maintenance of tools and equipment ▢ Sanitize **refrigerators** and check their maintenance. ▢ Vacuum and clean your refrigerator coils to remove dust. ▢ Clean your **ice machine** and check its maintenance. ▢ Check your **refrigerators' temperatures**, including the back of house and walk-in refrigerators or display cases (40°F or below) and freezers (0°F or below). ▢ Check **dishwasher**'s maintenance and clean it using appropriate detergent and making sure you empty the filter and clear it with a brush, clean spray nozzles, arms, and jets. ▢ Clean and check maintenance of **ovens**, **stoves**, and all cooking equipment including your **deep fryer**, **microwave**, **coffee machine**, **toasters**, **meat slicers** (make sure to unplug them). ▢ Check that all **cooking equipment** work and reach temperatures. ▢ Turn on the **gas line** and check that **pilot lights** work. You might experience some initial smoking due to condensation. ▢ Empty your **grease trap** and replace the lid if necessary. ▢ Sanitize, wash, and rinse all **kitchen utensils**. ▢ Clean the **sinks** and **faucets**, and check their maintenance. ▢ Disinfect **waste disposal areas** and make a plan for **recycling**. ▢ Replace old **pest traps**. ▢ Check your **hoods** maintenance and clean them. ▢ Wash **aprons**, **towels**, **rags**, **uniforms**, **tablecloths**, and **napkins** through the washing machine. #### Related reading - [ ![ - ](/assets/images/blog/_1xAUTO_crop_center-center_none/4949/catalogs.jpg) Three tips to manage your catalog online ](https://choco.com/us/stories/three-tips-to-manage-your-catalog-online-and-offer-great-customer-service) ### Manage your inventory ▢ Organize an **inventory check** together with your team. ▢ Check the **expiration date** of all goods. ▢ Make a list of all kitchen and front of house supplies you need, including but not limited to **cleaning products**, **sponges**, **napkins**, **takeout containers**, **kitchen foil**, and **greaseproof paper**. ▢ Stock up on **face masks**, **gloves**, and **hand sanitizer** for your restaurant staff. ▢ Reorganize all your **shelves** and **drawers**. ### Reassess your Menu ▢ Check your **latest sales report** during this season to know which were the most popular items. ▢ Get in touch with your **vendors** and make a plan for the items that are not available. ▢ Calculate **food costs** and reassess your menu accordingly. ▢ Understand your **new customers** and consider changing your menu accordingly (for example, offering family meals or options for tourists). ▢ Consider using **digital menus**, **boards**, or **disposable paper menus**. #### Related reading - [ ![ - ](/assets/images/blog/_1xAUTO_crop_center-center_none/Choco-BlogSize-13.jpg) Menu Ideas and How to Make them Work ](https://choco.com/us/stories/menu-ideas-and-how-to-make-them-work-for-your-restaurant) ### Build your team ▢ Notify your **old staff** and make sure all the paperwork is in place to bring them back. This might entail updating roles and descriptions on **work contracts** and verifying **employment eligibility**. ▢ Check on **hiring platforms** including websites and apps to recruit new staff. ▢ Consider creating an **employee referral program** and host a **recruiting event**. ▢ Consider offering **benefits** to your employees. ▢ Organize **staff training sessions** and make sure they are updated about all the new changes such as **contactless service**, **new menu**, **delivery**, **inspection rules**, or **cleaning schedule**. ### Communicate with your customers ▢ Update your **opening hours**, type of offer including **delivery** or **indoor dining**, and **contact information** on online platforms such as Google and Yelp. ▢ Update your **payment methods** to include the latest contactless payment options. ▢ Organize a **reopening event**. ▢ Make sure you are spending some time advertising your business online. This entails updating your **website**, creating the buzz on **social media** (for example, through a Facebook event, paid Instagram post, or by contacting local influencers and blogs). ▢ Consider organizing a **giveaway** or offering **special deals**.