Restaurant closing checklist (free printable)
By the Daybook teamPublished 20 October 2026Last checked 20 October 2026
Covers: England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with notes for Scotland
The short answer
At close, record PM fridge temperatures, cool or throw away hot-held food, cover and label everything, clean and disinfect surfaces, do the day’s deep-clean task, empty the bins, and lock up. Tick and initial each item.
The checklist
- PM fridge and freezer temperatures recorded
- Food covered, labelled with dates and stored correctly
- Hot-held food cooled quickly, or thrown away
- Raw and ready-to-eat food stored apart
- Surfaces, boards and equipment cleaned and disinfected
- Floors swept and mopped
- Today’s deep-clean tasks done and signed
- Bins emptied; waste in sealed containers
- Cloths and tea towels sent for washing
- Food waste recorded
- Doors, windows and fly screens closed
- Equipment turned off where it should be
The two jobs most often missed
The PM fridge reading, because the last person forgets, and cooling, because hot food is left out while everything else is cleaned. Put both at the top of the list.
Hand over to the morning
Leave a note for the opening team about anything unfinished: a fridge that seemed warm, a delivery due, stock that ran out.
On a phone
In Daybook the Closing Checklist unlocks at the closing time you set, and the PM fridge reading has its own due time, so neither gets forgotten.
Free template
Restaurant closing checklist (PDF)
Sources
Rules can change and differ between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Check with your local authority food safety team if you’re unsure. Daybook helps you keep records. It does not give legal advice or certify training.
Keep this record on your phone
Opening and closing checklists, signed and dated.
Daybook is the food safety diary for UK kitchens. Staff sign each check on their own iPhone; the office reads the week and makes an inspection record for any dates.