Restaurant SOP Template: How to Create Restaurant Standard Operating Procedures

Restaurant SOP Template: How to Create Restaurant Standard Operating Procedures

A restaurant SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) is a detailed instruction manual for how to do something in your restaurant the right way, every single time. Think of it as a simple, step-by-step instruction manual or checklist for each important process, so any staff member can follow it and get consistent results. And that's what matters most for SOPs.

These procedures cover everything from back-of-house procedures (how to safely do kitchen prep) to the customer-facing tasks like how servers should carry out steps of service. In short, a restaurant SOP spells out exactly how to do something correctly and consistently, so everyone on your team is on the same page.

Why do restaurants need SOPs?

Having clear SOPs in place is crucial for running a smooth and successful restaurant. SOPs ensure consistency, which means every employee performs key tasks the same way, giving each customer the same quality experience every time.

SOPs also reduce mistakes and guesswork by guiding staff through the correct steps. There's way less chance of something important being skipped or done improperly. This doesn't just prevent accidents and food safety issues. But it also leads to more reliable service with fewer surprises.

Another big benefit is faster training and onboarding because a new staff member can read the SOP and understand the job to be done step by step and get up to speed quickly. Well-written SOPs act like built-in training manuals for your restaurant.

Terroni, a multi-location restaurant group, implemented food safety management software to to support their SOP efforts. Their HR and Operations Safety Specialist found that:

They also help you stay compliant with health and safety regulations. When you clearly outline food handling, sanitation, and other safety procedures, you ensure your team meets the required standards and pass both internal (mock) audits and local restaurant health inspections.

All of this leads to a smoother compliant operation and happier customers. When your team is following best practices consistently, guests will notice the reliable service and quality. That boosts overall customer satisfaction and loyalty, which means they'll keep coming back.

What SOPs should a restaurant have?

A restaurant typically needs SOPs for all the key aspects of its operations. This includes both back-of-house and front-of-house processes.

For example, you'll want SOPs for daily opening and closing duties. Outline how to open the restaurant in the morning and shut it down at night in a safe, orderly way.

There should be SOPs for cleaning and sanitizing kitchen equipment and work areas, often called sanitation procedures, to maintain food safety. Food handling and preparation SOPs are critical as well. Cover things like cooking foods to the correct temperatures, avoiding cross-contamination (e.g., using separate cutting boards for raw meat and veggies), and storing ingredients safely.

Many restaurants also have specific SOPs for managing food allergens to prevent allergen cross-contact or cross-contamination and for proper personal hygiene practices for staff (e.g., hand-washing protocols, glove use, jewelry rules). Even routine tasks like how to clean a meat slicer or how to dispose of kitchen waste can have their own SOPs.

If it's routine and important, write it down.

On the front-of-house side, common SOPs would cover customer service and hospitality. This could include the exact steps for greeting and seating guests, taking orders, serving food, handling customer complaints, and processing payments. The goal is to ensure every guest is treated politely and efficiently in a consistent way.

You might have an SOP for the sequence of service, explaining how soon to greet a table, when to check back after food is served, and so on.

Beyond those, think of other operational areas that benefit from standardization. Many restaurants create SOPs for inventory management and stock control. Detail how to receive deliveries, where to store items, and how to do regular stock counts so you don't run out of ingredients or waste money on over-ordering.

There can be SOPs for cleaning schedules (deep-cleaning the fryer every week, or pest control checks every month) and even for cash handling and financial procedures at the register to make sure money is handled and recorded properly.

Any routine process that's important to safety, quality, or efficiency in your restaurant should have a written SOP. When you cover all these areas, from kitchen prep to customer interaction, you create a complete operations manual that keeps your restaurant running like a well-oiled machine.

How do you write a restaurant SOP?

Creating an SOP for your restaurant might sound daunting. But it's a straightforward process if you tackle it step by step. Here's how you can develop an effective SOP:

1. Pick a process and gather expert input

Start by choosing a specific task or process that needs a standard procedure. Something like "How to clean the coffee machine" or "How to handle a customer order from start to finish." Involve the people who know this task best, usually a manager or an experienced employee who does it regularly.

The best SOPs are written or at least guided by someone with hands-on knowledge of the job. They'll know the right way to do it and the common pitfalls to avoid. For obvious reasons, don't ask someone who's never worked the fryer to write the fryer-cleaning SOP.

2. Break down the steps clearly

Outline the task from beginning to end, and break it into clear, numbered steps. Write down what needs to be done, in the exact order it should be done. Keep each step simple and actionable and avoid being too text-heavy. Better yet, leverage short instructional videos to show rather than tell how something is done.

Use plain language and an active voice. It often helps to start each step’s description with a verb, e.g.:

• Wash all utensils in hot soapy water…
• Clean the grill…
• Record the temperature…
• Greet the customer…

If the process has decision points or different outcomes, incorporate those as well or use sub-steps. The key is that anyone reading the SOP should be able to follow it without needing extra explanation. If they need to ask questions, your SOP isn't done yet.

3. Include important details and safety notes

As you write the steps, add any crucial details that a person needs to know to do it right. This could be specific measurements (e.g., "Add 5 mL of sanitizer per liter of water"), timing ("Bake for 15 minutes"), or standards ("Heat oil to 350°F"). Important details also include visual aids like step-by-step photos or videos of the SOP in action.

Note any safety precautions or checkpoints in the procedure (e.g., "Wear cut-resistant gloves when slicing" or "If the fridge temperature is above 40°F, inform the manager immediately.") These details ensure the SOP isn't just a generic outline but a practical guide with all the necessary info to do the job properly.

4. Define the scope and responsibilities

It's good practice for an SOP document to start with a brief section on purpose and scope, i.e., why this SOP exists and who it applies to. For example, an opening paragraph might say:

You might also list roles and duties (e.g., restaurant manager responsibilities). Like "The Head Chef is responsible for updating this SOP" or "All servers must follow this procedure for handling customer complaints." Defining this upfront makes it clear when and by whom the SOP should be used.

After that, the document would list the procedure steps in order, and possibly any resources needed (e.g., forms or checklists to fill out during the process).

5. Test and refine the SOP

Once you've drafted the SOP, don't finalize it without a test run. It’s important to have someone who's not overly familiar with the task (e.g., a newer employee) follow the SOP step by step while you observe. See if they can complete the task using only the instructions you’ve written.

This test will quickly reveal if any instructions are unclear, if steps are missing, or if the order is confusing. Encourage them to ask questions if something is ambiguous. Every question they have is an opportunity to improve the SOP. After testing, adjust the wording or add details to fix any problem areas. You want the final SOP to be as close to foolproof as possible.

6. Implement and train

With the SOP written and tested, introduce it to your team. Go through it during a staff meeting or training session. Explain not just how to do the procedure, but why each step is important. This helps staff appreciate the reasons behind the rules. And if you’re using a food safety mobile app, give staff a quick live demo showing them how to start a task and open the visual instructions.

For example, "We sanitize the counters after washing them because the sanitizer kills germs left behind by soap and water." When people understand the why, they're way more likely to actually do the thing. Make sure everyone understands the SOP and has access to it for reference.

By following these steps, you'll end up with an SOP that's clear, accurate, and actually usable. Remember, an SOP is a living set of instructions. It might need updates as your restaurant or processes change, whether you store them physically or as step-by-step instructions attached to digital monitoring tasks. But a well-crafted SOP will save you a lot of headaches by preventing mistakes and misunderstandings from the start.

Who should create and approve restaurant SOPs?

The best SOPs come from collaboration. The Food Safety Leader or Executive Chef usually lead the process, but it should involve the staff who actually perform the tasks. This ensures the procedure is realistic and effective, not just theoretical nonsense written in a vacuum.

Once written, the final version should be reviewed and approved by a senior manager or food safety lead. Having an approval step adds accountability and keeps standards consistent across multiple locations. It's also your last line of defense against a poorly written SOP making it into circulation.

What is an example of a restaurant SOP?

To make all this more concrete, let's look at a simple example of a restaurant SOP. Suppose we want to create an SOP for cleaning and sanitation (how-to cleaning instructions for managers and employees). An SSOP in a restaurant service might look something like this:

This example shows how an SOP spells out each part of the sanitation process in order, so that every team member follows the same procedure for a consistently clean and safe workplace. In a full SOP document, there might be additional notes or "Resources" listed at the end.

The goal is that for any routine task or scenario in your restaurant, an employee can refer to the SOP and know exactly how to handle it from start to finish.

How do you implement and maintain restaurant SOPs?

Writing an SOP is only part of the job. You also need to implement it effectively and keep it up to date. Here are some tips to make sure your SOPs actually work in practice:

1. Train your team

Don't just hand out SOP documents and assume everyone will follow them . Take the time to train your staff on each SOP. This can be part of new employee orientation and also an ongoing practice.

Walk employees through the SOP steps, maybe even do a live demonstration if applicable. Physically go through the motions of the cleaning procedure or role-play a customer service scenario. Make sure employees understand why each step is important, not just the rote actions.

The same goes for digital food safety management if you’re using a tool to implement and enforce SOP training. Show staff how to open a monitoring task and access the visual step-by-step instructions that they always have access to without needing to open a SOP folder or walk over to the “SOP wall”.

When staff know the reasons behind a rule, they're more likely to stick to it. Encourage questions and clarify anything that's unclear during training.

2. Make SOPs accessible

Keep your SOPs where employees can easily find and reference them. Going digital is a great option. You might store all your SOPs on a shared drive, company intranet, or a food safety management app, so that anyone can pull them up on a tablet or phone when needed.

If you can simply start with digital SOPs (like the kind FoodDocs provides), it’ll be easier to update, distribute, and manage version control. Many restaurants post critical SOPs in the relevant work area. The cleaning SOP, for example, might be laminated and hung by the dishwashing station and the handwashing SOP by the sink.

The easier it is for your team to refer to the SOP in the moment, the more likely they will use it correctly.

3. Supervise and reinforce

Managers and supervisors should observe whether SOPs are being followed in day-to-day operations. In the beginning, employees might forget or skip steps. Gentle reminders or corrections will help reinforce the new standard.

One of the greatest challenges of supervising food safety on a paper-based system is how much longer it takes. Grabbing a clipboard and walking around to complete checks can quickly turn into 1-2 hours each day, compared to 5-10 minutes with a digital-first approach.

You can incorporate SOP adherence into your routine checklists or audits. A shift manager could have a checklist that includes "Are opening SOPs completed?" or "Verify that the cooling SOP was followed for today's batch of soup."

Over time, following the SOP will become a habit for everyone, but consistent oversight and a culture of accountability are key to get to that point. Also, recognize and praise staff when you see them executing procedures correctly. Positive reinforcement goes a long way to create a strong company culture.

4. Review and update regularly

Restaurants are dynamic. Menus change, equipment gets upgraded, new regulations come out, staff turnover happens. Your SOPs need to keep up with these changes. It's a good practice to review each SOP at least once a year to ensure it's still accurate and effective.

If you find an SOP is out of date (e.g., it references a piece of equipment you no longer use, or an old menu item, or an outdated law), update it immediately rather than waiting. Likewise, if an incident occurs, that's a cue to revisit the SOP and see if it needs improvement to prevent that issue in the future.

Keep version control of your documents so everyone knows they're looking at the latest instructions. Regularly fine-tuning your SOPs will help ensure that they remain reliable, up-to-date tools for your team. Paper SOPs can pose challenges such as:

• Getting rid of all the old paper SOPs
• Replacing them with more paper ones
• Keeping the risk high for damaged or lost SOP sheets

As a best practice, if you can use digital food safety and SOP management software across every location, you’ll be able to standardize safety and maintain compliance much faster and more efficiently.

How often should restaurant SOPs be updated?

Restaurant SOPs should be reviewed at least once a year or any time there's a major change in your menu, staff structure, or equipment. If a new law or food safety regulation appears, update the relevant SOP right away.

Many successful restaurants set quarterly reminders to check a few SOPs at a time so it never becomes overwhelming. The more dynamic your operation, the more often you should refresh your SOPs to match how your team really works today, not how they worked six months ago.

How do I retire or replace an outdated SOP?

Version the document, set an end date, and remove old copies physical locations. Or if you use a digital SOP management solution, update them under the appropriate product settings and inform your team. And then:

• Label the new file with a version number and date
• Announce the change
• Collect and discard printed old versions
• Update links in your digital hub

Make it impossible for someone to accidentally use the old version.

How do SOPs support food safety compliance?

SOPs are the backbone of a strong food safety program. They show inspectors that your team follows documented, consistent processes for cleaning, cooking, storage, and hygiene. A clear SOP trail also makes it easier to trace problems if something goes wrong.

If an inspector asks how your kitchen prevents cross-contamination or verifies fridge temperatures, having a written SOP demonstrates that your process is systematic and verifiable. It's not just "we do it," it's "here's exactly how we do it."

How can FoodDocs help with restaurant SOPs?

If writing and managing all these SOPs sounds like a lot of work, the good news is there are smart tools that can help. FoodDocs offers a restaurant food safety management software that makes creating and maintaining restaurant SOPs much easier.

Using FoodDocs, you can actually generate a whole set of standard operating procedures automatically just by answering a few questions about your business. The software uses AI and built-in expertise to produce 15+ ready-made SOP templates tailored to common restaurant needs.

This includes SOPs for allergen management, cleaning and sanitation, contamination prevention, personal hygiene, pest control, equipment cleaning, opening and closing procedures, and more. Essentially all the foundational SOPs a typical food business would require. You can customize these templates further if needed, but it saves you weeks of time compared to writing each SOP from scratch.

FoodDocs also helps you implement them with your team. The platform comes with a mobile app and dashboard that incorporate your SOPs into daily routines. You can assign monitoring tasks (e.g., a daily fridge temperature check or an end-of-shift cleaning task) to your staff, and each task can have educational, step-by-step instructions attached, including photos or videos, right in the app.

This means when an employee goes to do a task, they can literally follow the SOP on their phone or tablet, checking off steps as they go. The software will send reminders and notifications so that tasks aren't forgotten and get completed consistently and correctly.

Another benefit is that all your SOPs and food safety logs get centralized. Instead of keeping paper binders or scattered files, FoodDocs stores your procedures and records in one place, giving managers a real-time overview of compliance.