Key takeaways
- Split the job by rhythm: daily tasks protect service, weekly tasks protect costs, monthly tasks protect profit and compliance, and quarterly tasks shape the menu and prices.
- Every check should end in a number or a signature. “Check the fridge” becomes “record the fridge temperature and initial it”.
- Compliance dates are easy to miss. SFA sends licence renewal notices up to two months before expiry, and a licence cannot be renewed after it expires.
- Your POS reports should answer most weekly questions: sales by hour, labour against sales, voids and discounts, and item performance.
This checklist is general guidance. Adapt it to your outlet, your landlord’s rules and your licence conditions, and check the current SFA, NEA and SCDF requirements for your premises.
What a restaurant manager is responsible for
In a small Singapore restaurant the manager often covers the floor, the office and part of the kitchen. The job has four parts: running a safe, smooth service; controlling cash, stock and labour; keeping the outlet compliant; and feeding back numbers the owner can act on. A checklist does not replace judgement, but it stops the routine things slipping when the day gets busy, and it lets an assistant manager cover your day off without guessing. For a monthly owner-level review, use our restaurant operations audit checklist.
Use this article with our restaurant SOP template, which explains how to write each procedure, and our opening and closing checklist, which covers the step-by-step shift routine for staff.
Daily: before service
The hour before opening decides how the shift goes. Keep the pre-shift briefing short, about ten minutes, and cover the same points every day so staff know what to expect. When one manager takes over from another, a written shift handover helps.
| Task | What “done” looks like | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| Walk the outlet | Front, kitchen, stores, toilets and bin area checked; issues logged | ☐ |
| Opening checks | Staff opening checklist completed and signed | ☐ |
| Fridge and freezer temperatures | Recorded on the log sheet | ☐ |
| Staffing | Everyone rostered has arrived; gaps covered | ☐ |
| Bookings and events | Reservations, large groups and special requests reviewed | ☐ |
| Menu status | Sold-out items marked in the POS; specials loaded | ☐ |
| Float and payment terminals | Cash float counted; card and NETS terminals tested | ☐ |
| Pre-shift briefing | Sales target, specials, allergen notes, VIPs, one service focus | ☐ |
A useful briefing includes yesterday’s sales against target, the one thing that went wrong and how to avoid it today, and the item you want the team to recommend. Our upselling techniques guide has ideas for that last point.
Daily: during service
During service the manager’s job is to be on the floor, not in the office. Watch for:
- Table flow. Seat guests to balance sections, spot tables waiting too long for their order or bill, and step in before a complaint happens.
- Kitchen timing. Check ticket times and call the pass when a table is falling behind. A kitchen display system helps here: ChaChaCha’s KDS includes station routing, order prioritisation and prep timers.
- Queue. At peak times, keep an eye on walk-ins. ChaChaCha’s queue system sends SMS notifications so guests do not have to wait at the door.
- Voids and comps. Approve voids, discounts and complimentary items yourself, with a reason recorded, rather than lending staff your login.
- Guest check-backs. Visit tables, especially first-timers, and deal with problems while the guest is still there. See our customer service tips.
Daily: close and cash-up
| Task | What “done” looks like | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| Cash count | Drawer counted blind, then compared with the POS figure; variance recorded | ☐ |
| Payment reconciliation | Card, NETS, PayNow and other payments match the settlement | ☐ |
| Voids, refunds and discounts | Reviewed; anything unusual noted with the staff member | ☐ |
| Kitchen close | Food covered, labelled and stored; equipment off; staff closing checklist signed | ☐ |
| Waste log | Items thrown away recorded with reason | ☐ |
| Security | Doors, windows, gas and alarm checked | ☐ |
| Handover note | Issues, repairs needed and tomorrow’s bookings noted for the next manager | ☐ |
Our cash control guide explains blind counts and what to look for in void reports.
Weekly checklist
Weekly tasks are where costs are won or lost. Block one fixed slot, for example Monday afternoon, and do them in the same order each time.
| Task | What to look at | Link | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roster against sales | Hourly sales versus staff hours; trim or add shifts for next week | Rostering guide | ☐ |
| Stock count of key items | High-value and fast-moving items counted; variances investigated | Stock take guide | ☐ |
| Supplier orders and deliveries | Orders placed against par levels; short or damaged deliveries followed up | Supplier management | ☐ |
| Guest feedback | Online reviews and comment cards read; replies sent; recurring issues listed | Customer feedback | ☐ |
| KPI review | Sales, average check, covers, labour cost %, void and discount totals | Restaurant KPIs | ☐ |
| Cleaning schedule | Weekly deep-clean tasks signed off | SOP | ☐ |
| Team check-in | Short one-to-ones; training needs noted | Training checklist | ☐ |
The roster review is the single most valuable weekly habit. Labour is usually your largest controllable cost after food; our labour cost guide shows how to calculate it and set a target range.
Monthly checklist
| Task | What to look at | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| P&L review | Sales, cost of sales, labour, rent, utilities and profit against last month and budget | ☐ |
| Food cost | Actual food cost % from a full stock take compared with theoretical cost from recipes | ☐ |
| Labour cost | Labour cost % including CPF and overtime | ☐ |
| Maintenance | Repairs log reviewed; equipment servicing booked; fridge seals and hood filters checked | ☐ |
| Pest control | Monthly visit happened; service report filed; findings fixed | ☐ |
| Fire safety | Extinguisher tags and gauges checked; exits and routes clear | ☐ |
| Training | Refresher topic delivered; new staff signed off | ☐ |
| Compliance calendar | Licence, contract and servicing dates for the next 90 days checked | ☐ |
| Outstanding balances | Unredeemed vouchers and stored value reviewed | ☐ |
For the food cost line, compare what you should have used with what you did use. ChaChaCha’s inventory features include recipe-level stock deduction, so each sale deducts ingredients by recipe, and recipe costing per menu item. That gives you the theoretical figure; your stock take gives you the actual one. Our food cost guide explains the gap.
If you sell gift vouchers or stored value, the outstanding balance is money you owe in meals. See our guide to restaurant gift vouchers.
Compliance dates to track: licence, pest control and fire safety
These are the items most often forgotten because they only come up once a month or once a year.
- SFA Food Shop Licence. The licence is valid for one year. SFA’s update, renew and cancel page says renewal notices are sent up to two months before expiry, and a licence cannot be renewed after it has expired. Put the expiry date in the calendar with a reminder two months ahead. Our food shop licence guide covers renewal in more detail.
- Pest control. SFA’s food shop self-checklist asks for a signed pest control contract covering rodents, cockroaches and flies for at least 12 months, with inspection or treatment at least once a month. NEA says only NEA-registered vector control operators can be engaged. File each service report and follow up on findings. See our pest control guide.
- Fire extinguishers. The SCDF Fire Code 2023 requires portable extinguishers to be charged, tested, maintained and tagged in line with SS 578. SCDF’s portable fire extinguisher page says the owner or occupant is responsible for inspection and maintenance, and servicing is done by certified servicing companies.
- Kitchen exhaust. The Fire Code also requires the kitchen exhaust hood and duct to be degreased and cleaned by a specialist at least once every 12 months, with records kept by the owner or operator.
- Emergency plan. Review contacts and walk new staff through exits. See our restaurant emergency plan.
| Item | Frequency | Next due | Record kept |
|---|---|---|---|
| SFA Food Shop Licence renewal | Yearly | ________ | Licence displayed; payment receipt |
| Pest control visit | At least monthly | ________ | Service report |
| Pest control contract | At least 12 months | ________ | Signed contract |
| Fire extinguisher servicing | As advised by servicing company | ________ | Tag and service record |
| Hood and duct degreasing | At least every 12 months | ________ | Specialist’s report |
| Grease trap cleaning | As required by PUB and your landlord | ________ | Collector’s record |
For hygiene inspections, our SFA hygiene inspection guide lists what inspectors look for.
Quarterly checklist
| Task | What to do | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| Menu engineering | Sort items by popularity and margin; keep, reprice, rework or remove | ☐ |
| Pricing review | Check supplier price changes against menu prices; see our menu pricing guide | ☐ |
| Utilities | Check the SP Group tariff for the new quarter and compare your bills; see our energy saving guide | ☐ |
| Supplier review | Compare quality, delivery reliability and price; get fresh quotes on big items | ☐ |
| Promotions calendar | Plan the next quarter’s festive and seasonal offers | ☐ |
| Staff reviews | Performance conversations; promotions and training plans | ☐ |
| Systems check | User accounts and permissions up to date; leavers removed | ☐ |
SP Group publishes its regulated tariff on its tariff information page for each quarter. If you buy electricity from a retailer instead, check your contract rate and end date at the same time.
Plan promotions with our festive season guide and promotion ideas.
Which POS reports to use for each check
Most of the weekly and monthly questions above can be answered from your POS rather than from a notebook. Match each check to a report:
| Question | Report to look at |
|---|---|
| Are we staffed for the right hours? | Sales by hour, compared with the roster |
| Is anyone abusing voids or discounts? | Voids, refunds and discounts by staff member |
| Which dishes earn their place? | Item sales with recipe cost, for menu engineering |
| Does cash match? | Payment summary by method, against the settlement and cash count |
| Are loyalty and vouchers working? | Member visits, voucher redemptions and outstanding balances |
ChaChaCha includes reports, automated payment reconciliation, recipe costing, staff permissions and an ERP view for head office if you run several outlets. The back office also includes the AppsPOS AI agent on WhatsApp. Ask us to confirm which of the reports in this table are available as standard and how they are laid out, in a demo on your own menu.
How to make the checklist stick
- Print it and sign it. A checklist on the wall with initials and dates is easier to follow and audit than one in someone’s head.
- Keep it short. If the daily list is longer than one page, split it between the manager and a supervisor.
- Review the list itself. Once a quarter, remove checks nobody uses and add ones that would have prevented last quarter’s problems.
- Share the numbers. Post the weekly KPI figures in the staff area so the team sees why the checks matter.
- Cover days off. Train a second person on every task so nothing waits for one manager.
If you’d like to see how ChaChaCha reports, KDS and staff permissions would support these routines, book a demo with us. Pricing is quote-based, and our restaurant POS page has more detail.
