Set up the bar before service and close it down cleanly, with stock, cash and hygiene covered.
A bar runs on preparation. Missing limes, a half-empty ice well or an unbalanced till slow down service and cost money. A shared checklist means every bartender sets up and closes the same way.
Adapt the stock items to your menu and add any local rules about service of alcohol that your staff must follow.
15 items. Fill it in on screen or print a copy.
On a Friday, the opening bartender finds the ice machine producing slowly. She notes it on the checklist, orders bagged ice before 6 pm and tells the manager. At close, the night bartender records that two spirits are below par so the morning order includes them.
State liquor laws set hours of sale, and a recorded last call time is simple evidence that service stopped on time. Daily stock counts also support pour cost tracking, because bottles are small, valuable and easy to lose without a count from one shift to the next.
| Opened by | Gabby, Copper Fox Tavern, Milwaukee, 3:30 pm |
|---|---|
| Ice | Machine normal, wells full by 4:00 pm |
| Garnishes | Limes, lemons and oranges cut and labeled 3:45 pm |
| Opening float | $300 counted, matches |
| Taps | IPA line foaming, flagged to manager |
| Closed by | Drew, last call 1:40 am |
| Below par | House bourbon 2 bottles (par 4), tonic 1 case |
Gabby flagged the foaming IPA tap at opening rather than waiting for complaints, so the manager could check the gas pressure before the Friday crowd. Drew wrote last call as an exact time, which is the detail most likely to be asked about later.
Follow your food safety rules and discard at the end of each day unless they are stored correctly.
The closing bartender and a manager, if possible.
Yes, combine it with the restaurant lists.
No. Follow the rules of your licensing authority.
Recork or seal them, write the opening date on the label, and follow a house rule on how many days each type can be poured. Record the open bottles in the stock count as partials so the next order is not short. Bottles past the house limit are logged as waste, not quietly poured.
State liquor law sets the latest legal hour for sales, and some states also limit how late drinks can be consumed on the premises. Stop service at the set time, collect glasses as your state rules require, and write down when the last drink was served. Staff should know the exact local hour, not a rough one.
More for the same job
Once the bar opening and closing checklist is in place, the next question is usually about shifts and hours. Book a demo to see how EZTime handles scheduling and time tracking.