How to automate your bar team

#1 - Bar opening checklist

When in the day: First thing, before the bar opens for service.

Who runs it: Bar manager or the senior bartender opening up.

What it is: A morning walk-through that confirms the bar is safe, stocked, and ready to trade. The team checks fridges and bottle wells held overnight, the ice machine is producing, beer line pressures are right, the till is set up, garnishes are prepped, glassware is clean, and the bar surfaces are sanitised. Anything missing or broken gets flagged before doors open.

Available on: Standard.

In practice: At 11am the bar manager walks the bar, finds the ice machine empty (last night's close ran late and it didn't refill), photographs it, marks it on the canvas, and a runner is dispatched for bagged ice while the machine refills. Without the check, the bar opens at noon with no ice and the first round of cocktails is delayed.

Why it works for your bar team: Opening problems compound fast in a bar — no ice means no cocktails, a sticky tap means lost pints, a missed delivery means missing brands. The checklist puts every opening dependency in front of the team in a fixed order, so nothing is missed. The dated record also gives you a clean handover from yesterday's close.

Steps included:

• 1 checklist (opening walk: fridges, bottle wells, ice, beer lines, till, garnishes, glassware, surfaces)
• 1 photo capture for any flagged item
• 1 notes field for issues raised
• 1 signature from the opening team member

More variations: Show more bar opening checklist templates →

#2 - Dialling in espresso

When in the day: Morning, before coffee service starts.

Who runs it: Whoever's on the espresso machine — usually a senior bartender or barista.

What it is: A short calibration check that ensures the espresso machine is producing a good shot for the day. The team weighs the dose in, weighs the shot out, times the extraction, and tastes. Any off-spec result triggers an adjustment — grind tighter, grind coarser, change dose — until the shot is dialled in.

Available on: Standard.

In practice: At 7:30am the barista pulls a test shot, weighs 18g in and gets 36g out in 22 seconds — slightly fast and weak-tasting. They grind a notch finer, pull again, hit 18g in / 36g out in 28 seconds, taste, sign off on the canvas. The first paying customer at 8am gets a properly extracted espresso. Without the calibration, the day's first 20 coffees are inconsistent and customers notice.

Why it works for your bar team: Coffee beans absorb moisture overnight, which shifts how they grind. Without a calibration, the first hour of espresso service is hit-and-miss. The dialling-in workflow captures the day's settings as data — over time you can see how grind, dose, and yield drift, and react to it.

Steps included:

• 1 dose weight input
• 1 yield weight input
• 1 extraction time input
• 1 taste rating
• 1 photo of the final shot (optional)
• 1 signature from the barista

More variations: Show more dialling in espresso templates →

#3 - Daily bar cleaning checklist

When in the day: Through the shift, plus a deep clean after close.

Who runs it: Whoever's on the bar at the time.

What it is: A rolling check that the bar's hygiene-critical surfaces are cleaned at the right cadence — bar top wiped between sittings, glassware washed properly, ice scoops not left in the ice, drip trays emptied, garnish containers covered, beer fonts cleaned, taps polished. The post-service deep clean covers the rest.

Available on: Standard.

In practice: At 9pm the bar starts to fill. The mid-shift cleaning check pings the bar manager, who walks the bar, sees the drip trays overflowing, prompts the team to empty them, and the check is logged. Without the rolling check, the trays overflow into the floor wells and the bar smells of stale beer for the rest of the night.

Why it works for your bar team: Bars get dirty fast and the staff running them don't always notice. The check makes the standards visible, prompts the team at known intervals, and creates a dated record of when each task was done. That record is what an EHO asks for during a visit.

Steps included:

• 1 checklist (rolling: bar top, glassware, ice handling, drip trays, garnishes, fonts, taps)
• 1 photo capture for any flagged surface
• 1 notes field for issues
• 1 signature from the team member running the check

More variations: Show more daily bar cleaning checklist templates →

#4 - Bar closing checklist

When in the day: Last thing, after the last customer leaves.

Who runs it: Bar manager or the last bartender out.

What it is: A final walk-through that confirms the bar is safe and ready for tomorrow. The team washes glassware, drains beer lines as required, refills the ice machine, cashes up the till, secures any opened spirits, covers garnishes, photographs the cash count, and locks up. Anything left undone gets noted for the morning team.

Available on: Standard.

In practice: At 1am the bar manager walks the bar after close, washes the last of the glassware, refills the ice machine, photographs the till count, ticks each station on the canvas, and locks up. The morning team arrives at 11am to a bar they can open immediately. Without the check, a beer line goes uncleaned, the ice machine doesn't refill, and the morning starts on the back foot.

Why it works for your bar team: Bar staff are tired at close and shortcuts feel reasonable. The checklist holds the standard regardless of how busy the night was, and the dated record proves the close was done properly — useful for incident reviews and for handing over between manager teams.

Steps included:

• 1 checklist (closing walk: glassware, beer lines, ice machine, till, opened spirits, garnishes)
• 1 photo of the final till count
• 1 notes field for the opening team
• 1 signature from the closing bartender

More variations: Show more bar closing checklist templates →

#5 - Bar hygiene training

When in the day: Foundational — at induction, refreshed periodically.

Who runs it: Every bartender or barback who handles ice, glassware, or garnishes.

What it is: A training programme covering the food-safety risks specific to a bar — ice contamination (scoops not stored in the ice, no bottles in the ice well), garnish handling (covered, dated, replaced daily), glassware hygiene (washed at the right temperature, polished with the right cloth), and the rules for cross-contamination between bar and food prep areas.

Available on: Standard.

In practice: A new bartender starts on Friday. Before they touch the bar, the canvas walks them through the hygiene rules — why the ice scoop lives in a wall-mounted holder not in the ice, why the garnish lids need to stay on, why a polish cloth is dedicated to glassware. They sign off, and a record is created. Without the training, they put the scoop back in the ice on instinct, and the bar fails its next EHO visit.

Why it works for your bar team: Bar staff often think of food safety as "the kitchen's problem", but bars handle ice, fruit, and garnishes that need just as much care. The training closes that gap, gets the bar-specific rules in front of every starter, and creates the audit-trail evidence an EHO wants to see.

Steps included:

• 1 rich-text training module (ice, garnishes, glassware, cross-contamination)
• 1 understanding check
• 1 photo capture of the bar setup (optional)
• 1 signature confirming understanding

More variations: Show more bar hygiene training templates →

#6 - Coffee machine training

When in the day: Foundational — at induction, refreshed when staff move to coffee service.

Who runs it: Every team member who'll run the espresso machine.

What it is: A training programme covering safe operation of the espresso machine — grinder dose, portafilter handling, steam wand technique, milk texturing temperature, backflushing, cleaning protocols, and what to do if the machine throws an error or trips its safety cutout. The canvas walks each team member through the steps with video guidance and captures their understanding.

Available on: Standard.

In practice: A new bartender is being moved to morning coffee service. Before their first shift on the machine, the canvas walks them through the basics — grind, dose, extraction, milk texturing, machine cleaning — with short videos for each step. They sign off and pull their first shots with a senior on hand. Without the training, they learn by trial and error, the customer experience is patchy, and the machine gets cleaned wrong.

Why it works for your bar team: Espresso machines are temperamental and expensive — improperly trained staff destroy them fast (over-pressurised groups, neglected backflushes, milk left in the steam wand). The training gets the basics in front of every barista before they touch the machine and creates the evidence of training if a machine claim arrives.

Steps included:

• 1 rich-text + video training module (grinder, portafilter, steam wand, cleaning)
• 1 understanding check on each step
• 1 protocol for machine errors
• 1 signature confirming understanding

More variations: Show more coffee machine training templates →

#7 - Sanitiser training

When in the day: Foundational — at induction, refreshed when sanitiser supplier changes.

Who runs it: Every team member who cleans bar surfaces or glassware.

What it is: A training programme covering safe and effective sanitiser use — the difference between cleaner and sanitiser, dilution ratios, contact times, surfaces each product is rated for, and the basics of why high-touch surfaces (taps, fonts, bar tops) need sanitising not just wiping. The canvas captures the team's understanding of each product on the bar.

Available on: Standard.

In practice: A new barback is told to wipe the bar after each sitting. Before they grab a spray bottle, the canvas walks them through what each bottle contains, the dilution it's at, and the contact time needed for it to actually sanitise. They sign off and use the right product on the right surface. Without the training, they spray sanitiser, wipe immediately, and nothing is sanitised — but the team feels like it was.

Why it works for your bar team: Bar staff use sanitiser hundreds of times a shift, but few are taught that it needs contact time to work. The training makes the difference between "wiped" and "sanitised" explicit and gives the team the dilution and contact-time data they actually need to do the job properly.

Steps included:

• 1 rich-text training module (cleaner vs sanitiser, dilution, contact times)
• 1 product list with dilutions and contact times
• 1 understanding check
• 1 signature confirming understanding

More variations: Show more sanitiser training templates →

#8 - Coffee machine risk assessment

When in the day: Foundational — completed when the machine is installed and reviewed annually.

Who runs it: Bar manager with input from the team running the machine.

What it is: A risk assessment covering the H&S hazards of an espresso machine — burns from the group head and steam wand, scalds from milk texturing, pressure-related hazards if the group is mishandled, electrical risks, and the manual-handling risks of milk jugs at full weight. The canvas captures hazards, controls, and the team members trained to operate the machine.

Available on: Standard.

In practice: A new espresso machine is installed at the bar. Before staff start training on it, the manager runs through the risk assessment with the supplier's safety sheet open, captures each hazard, photographs the safety stickers, and notes the controls in place. Without the assessment, the first burn from the steam wand becomes a workplace accident with no documented risk awareness — and your insurance position weakens.

Why it works for your bar team: Coffee machines cause more burns than most bar managers realise — steam wands, group handles, hot milk jugs. The risk assessment documents that you considered each hazard and put controls in place, which is the evidence an HSE inspector or insurer wants if something goes wrong.

Steps included:

• 1 hazard list (burns, scalds, pressure, electrical, manual handling)
• 1 controls list (training, signage, gloves, jug handling)
• 1 photo capture of the machine and signage
• 1 signature from the assessor

More variations: Show more coffee machine risk assessment templates →

#9 - Personal hygiene training

When in the day: Foundational — at induction, refreshed periodically.

Who runs it: Every bar team member.

What it is: A training programme covering handwashing technique and frequency, uniform standards, jewellery rules, hair restraint, the 48-hour exclusion rule for vomiting or diarrhoea symptoms, and the bar-specific point that drinks count as food when it comes to hygiene. The canvas walks each team member through the standards and captures their understanding.

Available on: Standard.

In practice: A new bartender joins the team on Friday. Before their first shift, the canvas walks them through hygiene — handwash after garbage, no jewellery on a glass-handling hand, illness exclusion. They sign off. A week later they cut themselves on a broken glass, and the canvas reminds them of the protocol — gloved over until healed. Without the training, the standards are explained inconsistently and shift by shift.

Why it works for your bar team: Bartenders touch hundreds of glasses, ice scoops, and garnishes per shift, and customers drink what they touch. The training programme gets the rules in front of every team member, captures their understanding, and creates a dated record an EHO can see.

Steps included:

• 1 rich-text training module (handwashing, uniform, jewellery, illness, glassware)
• 1 understanding check
• 1 photo capture of the team member in uniform (optional)
• 1 signature confirming understanding

More variations: Show more personal hygiene training templates →

#10 - Allergen training

When in the day: Foundational — at induction, refreshed when new drinks launch.

Who runs it: Every bar team member who handles drinks or speaks to customers.

What it is: A training programme covering the 14 major allergens as they apply to a bar — sulphites in wine, gluten in certain spirits and beers, milk in cream-based drinks, eggs in some cocktails, tree nuts in liqueurs — plus the protocol for handling a customer disclosure at the bar. The canvas walks each team member through the bar-specific allergen risks and captures their understanding.

Available on: Standard.

In practice: A guest tells the bartender they have a severe nut allergy and asks if they can have a Disaronno cocktail. The canvas-trained bartender knows immediately that amaretto contains traces of bitter almond and refuses politely, offers an alternative, and logs the disclosure. Without the training, the bartender either refuses every drink defensively or serves something dangerous because they didn't know.

Why it works for your bar team: Bar staff are on the front line of allergen disclosures, often with louder ambient noise and faster decisions than the kitchen. The training puts the bar-specific allergen risks in front of them and creates the audit trail an EHO checks during an allergen visit.

Steps included:

• 1 rich-text training module (the 14 allergens applied to drinks)
• 1 understanding check on bar-specific risks
• 1 protocol walkthrough for customer disclosures
• 1 signature confirming understanding

More variations: Show more allergen training templates →

#11 - COSHH training

When in the day: Foundational — at induction, refreshed annually.

Who runs it: Every bar team member who handles cleaning chemicals.

What it is: A training programme covering the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health regulations as they apply to a bar — the chemicals on the bar (sanitiser, glass cleaner, line cleaner, descaler, oven cleaner if there's a back-bar oven), their safety data sheets, the PPE required for each, the storage rules, and what to do in case of a spill or exposure.

Available on: Standard.

In practice: A new barback is asked to clean a beer line on Monday. Before they handle the caustic line cleaner, the canvas walks them through the COSHH module — gloves on, eye protection, contact time, what to do if it splashes. They sign off and clean the line safely. Without the training, they handle line cleaner with bare hands and end up at A&E.

Why it works for your bar team: Beer line cleaner is a strong caustic — bartenders who don't know that get hurt. The training documents that the team has been trained on each chemical in use, which is a legal requirement under COSHH 2002 and the evidence an HSE inspector will ask for.

Steps included:

• 1 rich-text training module (the chemicals on the bar, PPE, storage, spill response)
• 1 product-by-product walkthrough with safety data sheets
• 1 understanding check
• 1 signature confirming understanding

More variations: Show more COSHH training templates →

#12 - Manual handling training

When in the day: Foundational — at induction, refreshed annually.

Who runs it: Every bar team member who lifts kegs, crates, or stock.

What it is: A training programme covering safe lifting posture for the heavy items found on a bar — beer kegs (often 50kg+), spirit crates, ice bags, syrup bottles. The canvas covers when to use a sack truck or trolley, how to lift a keg from the cellar floor, and the rule that two people is better than one for anything over 20kg.

Available on: Standard.

In practice: A new bartender is asked to change a keg on a Friday night. Before they head to the cellar, the canvas reminds them of the technique — knees bent, back straight, use the trolley to wheel the keg upstairs. They use the trolley, change the keg, and finish their shift uninjured. Without the training, they hoist the 50kg keg with their back, and miss the next two weeks of shifts with a slipped disc.

Why it works for your bar team: Cellar work and stock changes are how most bar staff hurt themselves. The training reduces incidents by getting the technique in front of every starter and reinforcing it annually. The record also gives you defensible evidence if a claim arrives — proving the team was trained on safe lifting.

Steps included:

• 1 rich-text training module (lifting posture, when to use a trolley, the two-person rule)
• 1 photo guidance for posture
• 1 understanding check
• 1 protocol for reporting back issues
• 1 signature confirming understanding

More variations: Show more manual handling training templates →