Friday Ready guide · team routines
A café closing-to-opening handover the next shift can use
“Everything is fine” gives an opener little to work with. “We're low on milk” still leaves them guessing how much is available, what is due and who is dealing with it.
A useful handover records what has changed, what remains unfinished and what the next person needs to do. Keep it short enough to read before the shift, with enough detail to support a decision. The same approach can work in a restaurant or takeaway.
By Friday Ready · Reviewed 11 October 2026
1. Put the record where both shifts will find it
Choose one shared location: a dated paper sheet in an agreed place, or a shared digital record the relevant staff can access. Decide who writes it, who reads it and who covers those roles when the usual person is away.
Show the trading date, closing lead, intended opening lead and time of the update. Keep the previous record available so unfinished actions do not disappear when a new sheet starts.
2. Record exceptions, with links to the normal checks
Use the existing opening, closing and food-safety records for routine checks. The handover should point to outstanding issues and relevant records rather than create conflicting copies.
The Food Standards Agency's Safer Food, Better Business pack includes opening and closing checks, management guidance and a diary. Use the appropriate food-safety system for your location and operation. A handover note alone does not establish that food or equipment is safe. Official catering guidance.
For each exception, write the current position, the next action, the responsible person, the deadline and where completion will be recorded. Replace “someone needs to order cups” with a counted quantity and an assigned action.
Invented example: a Saturday opening
The following situation and quantities are invented, not taken from a customer. Stock described as usable assumes the venue's normal suitability checks have been completed.
| Area | Position at close | Next action | Owner and deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cup stock | 45 of the standard takeaway cups counted; no confirmed delivery | Check supplier availability and agree a backup before ordering | Duty manager, before Saturday opening |
| Sandwich prep | 6 usable portions recorded; agreed Saturday target is 24 | Opener verifies the stock, then plans the 18-portion gap | Opening lead, before lunch preparation |
| Grinder | Second grinder unavailable; fault reported, reference recorded | Check repair update and brief the team on the agreed service plan | Duty manager, before opening |
The prep figure is a starting point, not permission to carry food over or a universal target. Use your own safe storage arrangements and demand evidence. For how to set the target itself, read café prep levels without overproducing.
3. Escalate issues that cannot wait
A safety concern or an issue requiring action now needs the venue's immediate response and escalation procedure. Do not leave it for the opener to discover in a note. Record the concern, action taken, person informed and any restrictions or unresolved decision, in the appropriate system.
For ordinary operational issues, agree a contact route and a backup decision-maker. The record should show whether the team can resolve the issue within its authority or needs the manager's decision.
4. Let the opener confirm the position
Reading the handover is the start. The opener checks what has changed overnight, verifies the relevant stock or equipment position and confirms who will act.
A simple action record can contain:
| Field | What to write |
|---|---|
| Issue | A specific observable problem |
| Current position | Count, status or record reference, with time |
| Next action | One clear step |
| Owner and deadline | Who is acting and when it is needed |
| Completion | Result, time and any remaining action |
“Done” is less useful than “delivery confirmed for 08:15; reference recorded”. If the deadline cannot be met, record the revised plan and who agreed it.
5. Review repeated issues after a trial
Try the routine across a full week, including a busy day and a change of staff. Then review missed actions, repeated shortages and questions the opener still had to ask.
If the same shortage appears every day, investigate the count, order or delivery routine. If the same task remains unfinished, check the time available, instructions and responsibility. Add fields only when they solve a repeated gap.
Where stock and prep decisions need connecting, see stock control and prep planning. For cleaning, food-safety and allergen responsibilities, explore Hygiene Ready support.
Start with tomorrow's opener
Choose one handover location and agree the closing and opening responsibilities. Use the fields above, brief the relevant staff and set a date to review the first week's records.
If you need to understand why the wider operation keeps losing information, start with the £150 Friday Test. For a known handover problem, enquire about a quoted Friday Fix. The work is scoped around your venue and the routines your team needs.