Opening Procedures

The opening shift sets up the entire day. If a step gets skipped at 9:30 AM, the customer at 12:15 PM is the one who pays for it. Work the checklist in order — the order is designed so equipment is heating, dough is tempering, and the store is clean before the first ticket prints.

Step 1 — Walk-through and security

• Unlock and disarm the alarm.
• Walk the store from front to back. Look for anything unusual — water on the floor, unlocked doors, missing equipment, signs of a break-in.
• If anything looks wrong, do not start opening. Call the manager on duty.
• Turn on lights, music (at the right volume — louder than ambient conversation is too loud), and the open sign.

Step 2 — Equipment and temperatures

• Turn on the oven first. It takes the longest to come up.
• Turn on the make table, prep coolers, and hot wells.
• Check walk-in cooler and walk-in freezer temperatures. Cooler at or below 41°F, freezer at or below 0°F. Log the readings.
• Check make-line and prep-cooler temperatures. Same standards apply.
• If anything is out of range, follow the temperature deviation protocol and notify the manager.

Step 3 — Sanitizer and the 3-compartment sink

• Mix sanitizer at the correct concentration. Verify with the test kit — not by sight, not by smell.
• Fill all three compartments of the 3-comp sink (see L06 — The 3-Compartment Sink). The sink stays filled all day.
• Set up sanitizer buckets with clean rags for the front counter and the line.

Step 4 — Dough

• Pull dough from the walk-in to temper. Cold dough doesn’t stretch right; warm dough proofs too fast.
• Follow the dough handling guidelines for your store’s volume and the day’s forecast.
• Date-check every dough container. FIFO: oldest usable dough out first. Anything past code goes in the discard log, not on the make line.

Step 5 — Stock and prep

• Stock the make line: cheese, sauce, toppings — everything at proper levels, all containers labeled and dated.
• Stock paper goods: pizza boxes, bags, napkins, cup lids.
• Check soda and tea systems. Brew fresh tea — yesterday’s tea goes down the drain.
• Wipe down the dining area, the counter, the bathrooms. Customers will judge the bathroom; check it.

Step 6 — Front of house

• Open the registers. Verify starting cash.
• Log into the POS, KDS, and online order systems. Make sure orders are flowing.
• Unlock the front door at the official open time — not earlier, not later.

Document it

Initial the opening checklist. Log all temperature readings on the temperature log. Note anything that’s not working or needs follow-up so the closing manager isn’t surprised.