Line Cook Station Setup (Free Template)
A line cook who starts service with a half-set station spends the rush running to the walk-in. This checklist is for cooks setting up a grill, sauté or cold station in a small restaurant kitchen. It covers what to check, what to prep and what to keep within reach, so the station looks the same no matter who sets it up. Add a photo of your finished station; it says more than the list.
Free, no sign-up. Edit it, print it, share it with your team.
What you'll need
- Prep list for your station
- Labels and a marker
- Clean towels and a sanitizer bucket
- Your station's tools
The checklist
Wash your hands and put on a clean apron.
Tie back long hair and remove any jewelry your kitchen doesn't allow.
Read the prep list and the specials for your station.
Ask the chef about anything you don't know before you start.
Switch on your equipment so it's hot when you need it.
Grills and flat tops take 15 to 20 minutes. Check the fryer oil level and color.
Check what's left from yesterday before you prep more.
Check labels and dates, use the oldest first and follow your local food safety rules.
Prep in order of what takes longest.
Sauces and braises first, chopping and portioning next, garnishes last.
Hone or sharpen your knife before you start cutting.
A sharp knife slips less than a dull one.
Watch out: Never try to catch a falling knife. Step back and let it drop.
Label every container with what's in it, the date and your initials.
Use the same label format as the rest of the kitchen.
Fill your cold drawers and inserts in the same layout every day.
Same place every time means you can reach without looking during service.
Set up backups of everything that runs out in a rush.
A second insert of your bestsellers in the walk-in or lowboy, ready to swap.
Put out your tools: tongs, spatulas, spoons, towels and a sanitizer bucket.
Mix the sanitizer to the strength on the product label, and change it during service.
Store raw proteins below and away from ready-to-eat food.
Use separate cutting boards and tongs for raw and cooked food.
Watch out: Mixing up raw and cooked tools is how guests get sick. Color-coded boards help.
Taste every sauce and seasoning before service.
Use a clean spoon each time.
Tell the chef you're set, and what you're short on.
Do this at least 15 minutes before service so there's time to fix it.
How to adapt it
- Take a photo of a perfectly set station and add it to the last step.
- Write each station's par levels into its own version of this checklist.
- Use color-coded boards and labels if your kitchen has a color system.
- Add a separate breakdown checklist for the end of service.
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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