4 ways to automate bar opening checklists

#1 - Simple checklist

Who it's for: Single-site bars where the duty manager opens up themselves and just wants the paper checklist on a phone instead.

What it is: A bar opening checklist is the set of tasks done before service so the bar is ready and safe. This version is the tick-list of 15 opening tasks, plus a notes field. It covers lines and taps, fridges and stock, glassware, garnishes, tills, and a clean, safe customer area.

Available on: Basic.

In practice: A single-site pub opens at noon. The supervisor works down the list, ticks each task, notes the lager line poured cloudy and needs a clean, and the bar opens ready rather than fixing problems mid-service.

Why it works: The list lives on the canvas, so opening doesn't depend on the opener remembering all fifteen steps. The notes field flags anything that needs following up before or during service.

Steps included:

• 1 checklist (15 opening tasks: lines, fridges, glassware, garnishes, tills, customer area)
• 1 notes field

When to upgrade:

1. Opening is handed to rota staff who don't all know what "ready" looks like
2. You need the open captured with a photo
3. You want photo proof and a signature for a multi-site standard

#2 - With guidance

Who it's for: Bars where opening is delegated to whoever is on the rota, not always the same trained person.

What it is: The simple checklist with a guidance note at the top, explaining what makes a bar genuinely service-ready: fridges cold and stocked, lines and nozzles flushed, glassware clean, and tills floated and reconciled to the float.

Available on: Standard.

What it adds to the previous template:

1. The steps that lose you the first hour of service are called out
2. New openers know what "ready" means, not just the task names
3. The open is consistent whoever runs it

Why it works: The guidance sits with the list, so a new opener reads what matters as they work, not in a training session weeks ago.

Steps included:

• 1 guidance note (what makes the bar service-ready)
• 1 checklist (15 opening tasks)
• 1 notes field

When to upgrade: When the open would benefit from a photo record (Bar Opening #3), or with photo and signature evidence (Bar Opening #4).

#3 - With photo evidence

Who it's for: Teams that want proof the work was done to standard, not just a ticked list, whether for an EHO, head office, or their own peace of mind.

What it is: The guided checklist plus a photo, taken on completion, as a record of the finished work alongside the ticks.

Available on: Standard.

What it adds to the previous template:

1. A photo of the finished work, captured at the time
2. Proof that holds up to an inspector, not just a ticked box
3. A visual record kept alongside the checklist

Why it works: A photo taken on completion is far stronger than a tick. It shows the state things were actually left in, not just that someone said the work was done.

Steps included:

• 1 guidance note
• 1 checklist
• 1 notes field
• 1 photo of the finished work

When to upgrade: When the record needs a name against it, a signature, for a multi-site standard (#4 - With photo and signature).

#4 - With photo and signature

Who it's for: Multi-site groups where each bar's open has to meet the same standard and be checkable from head office.

What it is: The checklist plus a photo of the ready bar and an opening signature. The photo shows the state the bar opened in; the signature confirms who opened it.

Available on: Standard.

What it adds to the previous template:

1. A photo of the ready bar or anything flagged, captured at the time
2. A signature naming who opened the bar
3. A complete record (checklist, photo, signature) a group auditor treats as best practice

Why it works: A photo and signature taken at the open are far stronger than a recollection. An area manager can see each site opened to standard without visiting.

Steps included:

• 1 guidance note (what makes the bar service-ready)
• 1 checklist (15 opening tasks)
• 1 notes field
• 1 photo (the ready bar)
• 1 signature (opening sign-off)

When to upgrade: When you want Poppi to flag an incomplete open to the manager, or pull every site's opens into one report. Those versions are coming in the next post update.

How to pick the right version

You don't need to know our product to choose. Just answer three questions about how your bar opens.

Is it always you opening, or do other people do it too?

If you open yourself and know every step, a plain list is enough. The moment rota staff open, "ready" needs to be on the screen. If only you open, #1 is fine. If anyone else does, start at #2.

Do you need photo proof?

A ticked checklist says the work was done; a photo shows it. If a record is enough, stop at #2. If you want visual proof, #3 adds a photo.

Do you need proof, or is a record enough?

A record tells you the open was logged. Proof is something an area manager can review. If a record is enough, stop at #3. If you run more than one site, #4 adds a signature.

Related reading

• Bar closing checklist - the end-of-night counterpart to this open
• Kitchen opening checklist - the same opening discipline for the kitchen
• Daily bar cleaning checklist - the cleaning side of the bar in more detail

Frequently asked questions

What should a bar opening checklist include?

Getting the bar service-ready and safe: checking fridges are cold and stocked, flushing lines and taps, preparing glassware and garnishes, floating tills, and cleaning the customer area. The exact list depends on your bar, but those areas are the backbone of a good open.

Why record the open rather than just doing it?

Because an unrecorded open is easy to rush and impossible to check. A logged open means the bar is ready before customers arrive, gives a clear record of anything flagged, and lets a multi-site operator confirm every bar opened to the same standard.

Should I keep a photo of the finished work?

A photo is the strongest proof the work was done to standard, beyond a ticked list. Version #3 adds a photo; version #4 adds a signature on top, for a record an inspector or head office can rely on.

Who should sign off the open?

The person responsible for the shift, usually the duty manager or bar supervisor. Version #4 captures their signature so the record names who opened the bar, which matters across multiple sites where head office needs each open owned by someone.

Where to go next

A good open is what keeps the first hour of service from being firefighting. A recorded checklist turns "we always open properly" into something you can see across every site. The versions above move from a simple list to a signed photo record.

Five more versions are coming in the next refresh that bring AI into the open. Poppi can flag an incomplete open to the manager, and pull every site's opens into one report. Those need more review time and will land separately.

→ Build your own bar opening checklist on Pilla. The Basic plan unlocks the simple checklist today.