Coffee Shop Closing Checklist (Free Template)
Closing a coffee shop well decides how the next morning goes. Skip the backflush and the first shots taste bitter; leave milk out and you're pouring money down the drain. This checklist is for the closing barista in a small café. It starts 30 minutes before close, so the heavy cleaning gets done while the last customers finish, and ends with the door locked and the alarm set.
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What you'll need
- Espresso machine cleaning powder
- Blind basket
- Clean cloths and sanitizer
- Mop and bucket
- Cash count sheet
The checklist
Stop brewing new batches of drip coffee 30 minutes before close.
Serve from what's left and make anything else to order.
Start cleaning the parts of the bar you won't need again.
Spare pitchers, the second grinder, the batch brewer, syrups and sauces.
Put the milk back in the fridge.
Wipe down the area where the milk was. Follow your local food safety rules on how long milk can sit out.
Pack away the pastry case.
Store, label, donate or throw out what's left, following your café's rules. Write down what's left over to help with tomorrow's order.
Lock the door at closing time.
Turn the sign around and finish serving anyone already inside.
Backflush the espresso machine with detergent.
Follow the espresso machine cleaning procedure: 5 cycles with detergent, then 5 with clean water, on every group.
Watch out: Never more than 5 cycles with detergent. It wears out the group gasket.
Soak and scrub the baskets.
Only the metal part of each portafilter goes in the soak.
Clean the steam wands and the drip tray.
Wipe each wand from top to tip and clear the holes in the tip.
Brush out the grinder.
Brush out the chute and the dosing area. If your beans go stale overnight, empty the hopper into an airtight container first.
Wash all pitchers, utensils and cloths.
Cloths go in the wash, not on the bar overnight.
Wipe the counters, bar and tables with sanitizer.
Follow the label on the product for how long to leave it.
Restock cups, lids and napkins for the morning.
The opener will thank you.
Sweep and mop the floors, behind the bar last.
Put the chairs up on the tables first so you can reach underneath.
Take out the trash, recycling and coffee grounds.
Rinse the knock box and put new liners in every trash can.
Count the register and fill in the cash count sheet.
Count twice, leave the starting cash for tomorrow and put the rest in the safe.
Watch out: Count cash away from the windows.
Check that every fridge door is closed.
A fridge left open overnight means throwing out everything inside.
Switch off the lights and equipment.
Leave the espresso machine on or off according to your café's rule. Fridges stay on.
Set the alarm and lock up.
Check the back door by hand before you leave by the front.
How to adapt it
- Split the cleaning between two closers: one on the bar, one on the floor.
- Leave a note for the opener about anything unusual, like a slow grinder or low stock.
- Use the leftover pastry count to adjust tomorrow's order.
- Put a QR code by the register so whoever closes can follow the list.
Turn this template into training your team will actually open
In ShowHow, your staff read each step on their phone, with photos, in their own language, and you see who has confirmed it. Start from this template or film yourself doing the job.
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