Hiring minors at a restaurant in Tennessee (2026)
Hiring a teenager at a Tennessee restaurant in 2026: the 10 p.m. school-night rule and the parent consent form at 16–17, 3 hours on a school day at 14–15, the break minors can't waive, the alcohol-sales limit, and two example weeks.
October 27, 2026
Seattle restaurant pay rules (2026): wages, tips, scheduling and sick leave
What a Seattle restaurant must pay: the $21.30 minimum wage in 2026 and $22.14 in 2027 with no tip credit, Secure Scheduling for large food service companies, the city's paid sick and safe time, and Washington's service-charge, break and overtime rules, with worked examples.
October 26, 2026
Hiring minors at a restaurant in Massachusetts (2026)
Hiring a teenager at a Massachusetts restaurant in 2026: a work permit for everyone under 18, 9 hours a day and 48 a week at 16–17, a 10 p.m. school-night cutoff, an adult supervisor after 8 p.m., and two example weeks.
October 25, 2026
Hiring minors at a restaurant in Arizona (2026)
Hiring a teenager at an Arizona restaurant in 2026: no work permit, Arizona's 9:30 p.m. school-night limit for 14- and 15-year-olds against the federal 7 p.m., no hours limits at 16–17, the cooking ban under 16, and two example weeks.
October 24, 2026
Hiring minors at a restaurant in Virginia (2026)
Hiring a teenager at a Virginia restaurant in 2026: employment certificates from the state for under-16s, the federal hours Virginia adopts, no hours limits at 16–17, Virginia's cooking ban at 14–15, alcohol rules, the training wage, and two example weeks.
October 23, 2026
Hiring minors at a restaurant in Washington (2026)
Hiring a teenager at a Washington restaurant in 2026: a minor work permit endorsement and a parent/school authorization form, 16 hours in a school week at 14–15 and 20 at 16–17, no cooking under 16, frequent breaks, and two example weeks.
October 22, 2026
Washington restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What Washington restaurants must pay in 2026: the $17.13 minimum wage with no tip credit, Seattle's $21.30 and other local rates by employer size, service-charge disclosure, tip pools, meal and rest breaks, paid sick leave and overtime, with worked examples.
October 21, 2026
Hiring minors at a restaurant in New Jersey (2026)
Hiring a teenager at a New Jersey restaurant in 2026: online working papers for everyone under 18, no one under 16 where alcohol is served, 8 hours a day and 40 a week at 16–17, the 30-minute meal break, and two example weeks.
October 20, 2026
Berkeley restaurant pay rules (2026): wages, tips, scheduling and sick leave
What a Berkeley restaurant must pay in 2026: the city's $19.61 minimum wage with no tip credit, the Fair Workweek Ordinance for restaurant groups of 100 or more, predictability pay and the right to rest, Berkeley's paid sick leave, and California's overtime and breaks, with worked examples.
October 19, 2026
Hiring minors at a restaurant in Michigan (2026)
Hiring a teenager at a Michigan restaurant in 2026: work permits through the state's new online portal from October 2, 2026, 3 hours a day in a school week under 16, 24 a week at 16–17, the $11.67 minor wage, and two example weeks.
October 18, 2026
Pre-shift huddle agenda template: a 10-minute team meeting before every shift
A 10-minute pre-shift huddle agenda for a café or restaurant team, minute by minute, with a two-week rotation of food safety topics, a printable huddle sheet, and the federal rule on paying for the time.
October 17, 2026
Hiring minors at a restaurant in North Carolina (2026)
Hiring a teenager at a North Carolina restaurant in 2026: a youth employment certificate for everyone under 18, the 11 p.m. school-night rule, who may work where alcohol is served, the federal hours for 14–15, and two example weeks.
October 17, 2026
Equipment maintenance log and schedule: espresso machine, ice machine, hoods and refrigeration
An equipment register, a preventive maintenance schedule and a repair log for a small restaurant or café, covering the espresso machine, ice machine, hood filters, refrigeration coils and dish machine, with the FDA Food Code, OSHA and EPA rules behind them.
October 17, 2026
The grand opening plan for a new café: soft opening, week one and the rush
A practical grand opening plan for a new café, from the soft opening and the opening-day schedule to staffing for a rush you can't predict. It covers paid rehearsal shifts, Florida's licensing inspection, Google's opening date, giveaways and the first week's debriefs.
October 17, 2026
Setting up payroll for the first time: a checklist for a Florida restaurant or café
Before your first paycheck, a new Florida restaurant needs an EIN, the right federal and state accounts and a few forms from every hire. EIN, W-4 and I-9, Florida reemployment tax, new-hire reporting, E-Verify, tips and choosing a pay frequency, with official sources.
October 17, 2026
Keeping owners, managers and crews aligned across locations
How a café or restaurant group keeps every store on the same page. A meeting rhythm up to a monthly managers' meeting, what goes in the logbook, chat and schedule, what reaches the owner at once, going through the manager, and after-hours messages.
October 16, 2026
Legal must-knows for a new restaurant manager: minors, breaks, overtime, harassment and retaliation
The federal rules a new café or restaurant manager is responsible for on every shift, quoted from the Department of Labor, the eCFR and the EEOC: teen hours and equipment, breaks, the workweek and overtime, off-the-clock work, harassment reports and retaliation, with links to state rules.
October 16, 2026
Pest control log template: sightings, service visits and IPM for a small restaurant
A pest control log for a restaurant or café, with integrated pest management (IPM) basics from the EPA, what the FDA Food Code expects, what to record for every sighting and every service visit, and how to choose and work with a licensed pest control company.
October 16, 2026
Hiring minors at a restaurant in Georgia (2026)
Hiring a teenager at a Georgia restaurant in 2026: work permits under 16, why the federal 3-hour school day beats Georgia's 4, no hours limits at 16–17, no serving alcohol at 17 or younger, and two example weeks.
October 16, 2026
Labor cost percentage: schedule to your sales forecast, then review it every week
Labor cost % is labor cost divided by sales. How to turn next week's sales forecast into a labor budget, build the schedule to it, and run a 15-minute weekly labor review that tells you whether a bad week was a sales miss or extra hours, with hypothetical numbers.
October 16, 2026
Hospitality training for a café or restaurant team: role-play scripts and a two-week plan
How to train hospitality, not just tasks. A ten-minute role-play people don't dread, six scripts for the moments that go wrong most (the wait, the wrong order, the allergy, the service dog, the regular, closing time), a two-week plan and the federal rule on paid training time.
October 15, 2026
Bookkeeping setup for a new café: a chart of accounts, a weekly close and what to give your accountant
A practical bookkeeping setup for a small café or restaurant. A chart of accounts outline built around prime cost, a weekly and monthly close routine, the documents your accountant will ask for, and how long the IRS says to keep records.
October 15, 2026
Receiving log and delivery checklist: temperatures, rejections, shorts and credits
A receiving routine for a small restaurant or café, with the FDA Food Code temperatures for deliveries, when to refuse product, how to record shorts, substitutions and credits, and a receiving log you can copy.
October 15, 2026
Hiring minors at a restaurant in Ohio (2026)
Hiring a teenager at an Ohio restaurant in 2026: the new 9 p.m. option for 14- and 15-year-olds from October 9, 2026, why federal law still stops them at 7 p.m., work permits, the 30-minute break for every minor, Ohio's cooking ban, and two example weeks.
October 15, 2026
Menu photography with a phone: a café's guide to food photos that sell
How to shoot menu photos for a café with a phone. It covers light, backgrounds and angles, the iPhone and Pixel settings that matter, editing without faking it, the photo specs Google, DoorDash and Grubhub ask for, and a one-morning shoot plan.
October 15, 2026
Ordering and inventory across locations: central or local, and transfers
How a café or restaurant group runs ordering and inventory across stores. Central, local or split ordering, one item list with pars per store, shared vendors, transfers recorded on both sides, and the Food Code points for a central kitchen.
October 14, 2026
Restaurant insurance basics for a new café: liability, property, workers' comp, liquor, business interruption and cyber
The insurance a new café usually talks through with an agent, explained with official sources. What general liability and property cover, why business interruption and flood need a separate look, when liquor liability and cyber come up, and what to ask before you sign.
October 14, 2026
Food safety self-inspection checklist: a monthly walk-through by Food Code area
A monthly self-inspection for a small restaurant or café, organized the way the FDA Food Code is (people, food, equipment, water and waste, the building, chemicals), with what to check in each area, how to score it and how to close out what you find.
October 14, 2026
Community partnerships for a new café: schools, gyms, offices and farmers markets
How a new café can work with the neighbors who bring repeat customers, from schools, gyms and offices to farmers markets and local events. It covers what to offer each, school snack rules, food donation protections, Florida event licensing and sales tax, and how to follow up without spamming.
October 14, 2026
Michigan restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What Michigan restaurants must pay in 2026: the $13.73 minimum wage and $5.49 tipped wage, the yearly steps to 50% by 2031, written consent at hire, who owns tips, service-charge notices, sick time and overtime, with worked examples.
October 14, 2026
Opening week at a new café: the schedule, the daily review and what to measure
How to run the first week after a café opens. A schedule built for a rush you can't forecast yet, what to carry over from the soft opening, the eight numbers to write down every day, a short nightly review and what to change, and not change, before week two.
October 13, 2026
Vendor payment terms for a new café: net terms, COD, minimums, credits, and how to negotiate
What net 14, COD and 2/10 net 30 mean for your cash, the federal prompt-payment rules on produce, how to handle shorts, substitutions and credits at the back door, and what you can reasonably ask a supplier for when you're new.
October 13, 2026
Hiring minors at a restaurant in Pennsylvania (2026)
Hiring a teenager at a Pennsylvania restaurant in 2026: work permits for everyone under 18, the alcohol rule that keeps under-16s out of many restaurants, 28 hours in a school week at 16–17, the 30-minute break, and two example weeks.
October 13, 2026
Employee handbook outline for a small restaurant: what to include
A section-by-section outline for a small restaurant or café employee handbook, from pay, tips and breaks to illness reporting, harassment and safety, with the official federal source behind each legal topic, the policies to write in your own words, and how to get every new hire to read and sign it.
October 13, 2026
Forecasting weekly sales from your POS history, so you can staff to it
A sales forecast doesn't need a data scientist. Pull the same weekday from recent weeks, weight the recent ones more, adjust for what you know is coming, split the day by hour and check how close you got, with hypothetical numbers.
October 13, 2026
Meat slicer cleaning procedure for a deli, café or restaurant: the 4-hour rule, a step-by-step and a log
How to clean and sanitize a meat or deli slicer safely, with the FDA Food Code's 4-hour cleaning rule, a step-by-step procedure to post by the slicer, a cleaning log, the OSHA guarding and unplugging rules, and the federal rule that keeps everyone under 18 off it, including cleaning it.
October 12, 2026
Measuring guest experience without surveys nobody answers
How a café or restaurant can measure the guest experience from signals it already has: complaints, remakes, comps, wait quotes, review themes and ten minutes of watching the floor. A one-page weekly scorecard, your own baseline instead of someone else's, and one fix a week.
October 12, 2026
Music, sound and atmosphere at a café: playlists, volume and music licensing basics
How a small café can set the right sound for each part of the day, and the music licensing basics - why a personal streaming account isn't enough, what ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and GMR licenses are, and when the 17 U.S.C. § 110(5) exemption for radio and TV may apply.
October 12, 2026
Manager shift log template: a handover the next manager will read
A manager shift log and handover template for a small restaurant, covering sales and labor, staff, guest issues, food safety, maintenance, cash and follow-ups, with what to write in each section, the illness and injury rules behind it, and how to run it in the Mays logbook.
October 12, 2026
Cook County restaurant pay rules (2026): wages, tips, scheduling and sick leave
What a Cook County restaurant must pay in 2026: where the county's $15.40 minimum wage applies and where Illinois's does, the $9.25 tipped wage, the training and youth rules, the county's paid leave for any reason, and Illinois's tip, meal break and overtime rules, with worked examples.
October 12, 2026
Comparing your locations fairly: the numbers and the formulas
Which numbers to compare across the stores of a café or restaurant group, the formula for each, and six rules that keep it fair, from shared definitions and per-hour measures to young stores, transfers and shared costs, with hypothetical numbers.
October 11, 2026
Raising menu prices without losing guests: when, which items and how to tell people
A new café's costs rarely stay where they were on opening day. When to review prices, how a simple menu-engineering grid shows which items to raise and which to rework, how to work out the new price, and how to roll it out to staff, menus and guests, with a worked example in made-up numbers.
October 11, 2026
Hiring minors at a restaurant in Illinois (2026)
Hiring a teenager at an Illinois restaurant in 2026: the Child Labor Law of 2024 for under-16s, 3 hours on a school day and 8 of school and work combined, work permits from the school, the $13.00 youth wage, and two example weeks.
October 11, 2026
Walk-in cooler organization chart: what goes on which shelf, and FIFO
A printable walk-in cooler chart that stores food top to bottom by the cooking temperature the FDA Food Code uses, with the 6-inch floor rule, covers, labels and date marks, first in first out, a door sign you can post, and how to set the shelves up for counting in Mays.
October 11, 2026
Building an email and text list for a new café, legally
How a new café can build its own email and text list without breaking the rules. It covers CAN-SPAM for email, TCPA consent for marketing texts, Florida's telephone solicitation law, carrier rules, opt-outs, sign-up wording and what to keep on file.
October 11, 2026
The last 30 days before opening a café: a countdown checklist
A week-by-week countdown for the last 30 days before a café opens. The permit application and pre-opening inspection, equipment tests, hiring paperwork, training and paid rehearsals, first orders, checklists and the schedule for opening week, with who owns each task.
October 10, 2026
Accessibility basics for a café under the ADA: entrances, counters, service animals and your website
What the ADA expects from a small café, from DOJ guidance and the 2010 ADA Standards - barrier removal in an existing space, the entrance and route, counters and tables, service animals and the two questions staff may ask, websites, and tax help for access work.
October 10, 2026
Hiring minors at a restaurant in New York (2026)
Hiring a teenager at a New York restaurant in 2026: working papers for 14- to 17-year-olds, a posted hours schedule, 28 hours in a school week at 16–17, a 10 p.m. school-night curfew, the jobs teens can't do, and two example weeks.
October 10, 2026
Line check template: temperatures, pars and labels before service
A pre-service line check for a small restaurant kitchen, station by station, covering product temperatures, pars, labels and date marks, thermometers and sanitizer, with what to do when a reading is out of range and how to run it as a form that flags bad readings.
October 10, 2026
Beyond Google: Apple Maps, Yelp and Bing Places for a new café
Google isn't the only map. How a new café claims and fills in its Apple Maps place card (now through Apple Business), its Yelp page and its Bing Places listing, what each one verifies and allows, Yelp's rule on asking for reviews, and a monthly routine that keeps every listing matching.
October 10, 2026
Special requests and dietary needs without slowing the line
How a café or restaurant can say yes to swaps, dietary needs and special requests without stalling service. Sort requests into preferences, diets and allergies, decide your yes list in advance, put the common swaps on the POS, price them, use words like gluten-free carefully, and train one script.
October 9, 2026
Hiring minors at a restaurant in Texas (2026)
Hiring a teenager at a Texas restaurant in 2026: no work permit, Texas's 8-hour day for 14- and 15-year-olds against the federal 3 on a school day, no hours limits at 16–17, the jobs teens can't do, and two example weeks.
October 9, 2026
Card processing fees for a café: interchange, markups, and the rules on surcharges and cash discounts
Where a card fee goes, how flat-rate and interchange-plus pricing differ, how to find your real rate on the statement, and what Visa's rules and state laws say about surcharges and cash discounts, quoted from the sources. Not legal advice.
October 9, 2026
Server sidework checklist: opening, running and closing (free template)
A server sidework template for a small full-service restaurant, with opening, running and closing duties by station, a weekly rotation chart, the FDA Food Code rules behind the cloths, ice scoops and silverware, a check-out step that makes it stick, and how to load it into Mays.
October 9, 2026
The break-even point for a small café: fixed costs, variable costs and a worked example
How much a new café has to sell to cover its costs. Sort fixed from variable costs, work out the contribution margin, turn break-even into a daily sales and ticket target, and test what a rent rise or a price change does to it, with hypothetical numbers.
October 9, 2026
Hiring and developing a general manager for each location
Every store in a café or restaurant group needs one person who owns its results. What a general manager owns, promoting or hiring, building a bench, a 90-day plan, and the federal rules on salaried managers, quoted from the eCFR.
October 8, 2026
Wi-Fi, laptops and seating at a café: choosing a policy, wording the signs and what staff say
Should a small café welcome laptops all day, limit them at lunch or skip Wi-Fi? The trade-offs, the options in between, how to set up guest Wi-Fi safely, sign wording that doesn't sound hostile, and scripts for staff when a table needs to turn.
October 8, 2026
Hiring minors at a restaurant in California (2026)
Hiring a teenager at a California restaurant in 2026: a work permit from the school for everyone under 18, 3 hours on a school day at 14–15, 4 at 16–17, the kitchen jobs teens can't do, and two example weeks checked against every limit.
October 8, 2026
Allergen matrix template for a small restaurant (all 9 major US allergens)
A ready-to-use allergen matrix covering the nine major US food allergens, sesame included, with how to fill it in from recipes and supplier labels, the cross-contact column most matrices miss, what the FDA Food Code expects, and a routine for keeping it current.
October 8, 2026
Short video for a new café: Reels and TikTok on a phone, no agency
How a new café can shoot Reels and TikToks on a phone. It covers the phone settings, framing in 9:16, light and sound, a 15-second shot list, editing and captions in the apps, music rules for business accounts, and what gets a video recommended.
October 8, 2026
Food safety before you open a café: the certified food protection manager and the person in charge
What the FDA Food Code asks of a new café before opening, in its own words. The person in charge, the certified food protection manager in §2-102.12, how states adopt the Food Code differently, and the food safety habits to have running before the first guest.
October 7, 2026
Paying for the build-out and equipment: SBA 7(a), 504 and microloans, and leasing vs. financing
How a new café can pay for its build-out, espresso machine and walk-in. What SBA 7(a), 504 and microloans can and can't be used for, in the SBA's own words, how equipment loans and leases differ, and what to have ready before you talk to a lender.
October 7, 2026
Restaurant cleaning schedule template: daily, weekly and monthly, by area
A master cleaning schedule for a small restaurant, area by area (line, prep and dish, walk-in and storage, dining room and bar, restrooms, outside), split into daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly jobs, with the FDA Food Code rules behind the timing and a version you can paste into Mays.
October 7, 2026
Instagram for a new café: what to post in the first 90 days
A 90-day Instagram plan for a new café. It covers the account setup, what to post each week, Reels, Stories and Highlights, scheduling, hashtags, music rules for business accounts, working with local creators the FTC way, and how to read your insights.
October 7, 2026
New Jersey restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What New Jersey restaurants must pay in 2026: the $15.92 minimum wage and $6.05 tipped cash wage, the small and seasonal employer rate, the weekly tip make-up, the side-work rule, tip pools and card fees, sick pay for tipped staff and overtime, with worked examples.
October 7, 2026
Serving guests with disabilities: what the front-of-house team says and does
The staff side of accessibility at a café or restaurant. Communicating with guests who are blind, deaf or hard of hearing, or who have a speech disability; seating and wheelchairs; service animals under 28 CFR 36.302(c) and ADA.gov guidance; and a one-page guide for your team.
October 6, 2026
Consistency in coffee and food: recipe specs, dial-in routines and spot checks
How a small café makes the same latte and the same sandwich every day, whoever is working. Write a spec for every item, dial in the espresso at open and after every change, measure instead of eyeballing, and spot-check a few items every week.
October 6, 2026
Incident report form for a restaurant: injuries, illness complaints and what to record
A same-day incident report form for a restaurant or café, for guest and employee injuries, illness complaints, allergic reactions and foreign objects, with what to record, when the FDA Food Code expects you to call the health department, OSHA's reporting deadlines and the CDC's clean-up guidance.
October 6, 2026
A 13-week cash flow forecast for a new café, with a template you can copy
Profit tells you whether the café works. Cash tells you whether you can pay Friday's payroll. Build a rolling 13-week cash flow forecast week by week, with a template table, a worked example in made-up round numbers and a weekly routine to keep it current.
October 6, 2026
Prime cost for a new restaurant: what it is and how to track it every week
Prime cost is your cost of goods sold plus your total labor cost, the two biggest costs in a restaurant. What goes into each, how to calculate it for a week from counts, invoices and payroll, and a 20-minute Monday routine, with hypothetical numbers.
October 6, 2026
Sharing staff between locations: scheduling, overtime and pay
How a café or restaurant group shares people between stores. A home store for everyone, one schedule per person, the federal rules on adding up hours at two locations (one company or several), two pay rates in a week, and the drive between stores.
October 5, 2026
Order accuracy and remakes at a café: how to track them, find the cause and count the cost
Every remade drink costs ingredients, bar time and a guest's patience. How to log remakes in a few seconds, sort them by where they went wrong, work out what one costs (with made-up numbers), and fix the cause instead of the cup.
October 5, 2026
New employee orientation checklist for day one: paperwork, tour, safety and the first shift
A day-one orientation checklist for a restaurant or café new hire, from the forms to finish before the first shift to the tour, the safety and food-safety basics the rules require, and the hand-off to the station, with who signs off each line.
October 5, 2026
Coffee bar opening and closing checklist: espresso machine, grinders and milk
A station-level opening and closing checklist for the espresso bar, with a step-by-step backflush, grinder care, steam wands and milk pitchers, alternative milks and allergens, and the FDA Food Code rules behind them.
October 5, 2026
Snowbird season in South Florida: a restaurant and café playbook for November to May
How South Florida restaurants and cafés get ready for snowbird season, from forecasting off last season and ramping the schedule week by week to hiring and training early, Florida's new wage rates, peak-week time-off rules, inventory, reviews and stepping down around mid-May.
October 5, 2026
ID check policy and refusal log for a restaurant that serves alcohol (with Florida's rules)
An ID checking policy for a café or restaurant that serves beer, wine or cocktails, with Florida's under-21 law, the IDs that count toward its defense, the rules for employees under 21 and under 18, the responsible vendor program, a refusal script, a refusal log and a training record.
October 4, 2026
Uniform and dress code policy for a restaurant or café: a fill-in template with the Food Code rules
A fill-in dress code for a café or restaurant by role (front of house, kitchen, bar and delivery), the FDA Food Code rules on hair, jewelry, nails and clean clothing quoted word for word, who pays for uniforms under federal wage law, religious dress, an issue and return log, and a sign-off sheet.
October 4, 2026
Handling the morning rush at a small café: line flow, station setup and peak staffing
How to get a new café through the morning rush. Map the line from the door to the pickup shelf, set up each station before the doors open, give everyone one job, and staff the peak hours from your own sales by hour.
October 4, 2026
Sewage backup procedure for a restaurant: the first 15 minutes, when to close, what to throw out and the clean-up
A sewage backup procedure for a café or restaurant: the FDA Food Code rule to stop and call the health department, sewage or clear water, what can stay open, the food to throw out, a clean-up procedure, a discard log, an incident record and a drain prevention checklist.
October 3, 2026
Training sign-off sheet template: one page per station, signed by trainer and trainee
A training sign-off sheet for each station in a café or restaurant, with the trainer, the trainee, dates, the competencies written as things you can watch someone do, three levels from shown to signed off, a team training matrix, and when a sign-off has to be redone.
October 3, 2026
Daily temperature log sheet for hot and cold holding: a printable template with corrective actions
A printable daily temperature log sheet for hot and cold holding in a café or restaurant, with one row per unit and check time, corrective-action codes, a thermometer check line and a manager sign-off, plus how to fill it in so an inspector can read it.
October 3, 2026
Service standards for a small café: greeting, order taking and the handoff
A one-page service standard for a new café, built around three moments (the greeting, taking the order and the handoff), with the words to use, what never to do, and how to train it so it holds up at 8 am on a Saturday.
October 3, 2026
Vomit and diarrhea clean-up procedure for a restaurant: a written plan and a kit checklist (free template)
A written clean-up procedure for vomiting and diarrheal events in a café or restaurant, the kit to keep ready, a step-by-step plan staff can follow, a clean-up record and a training sign-off, with the FDA Food Code rule and EPA's norovirus list quoted word for word.
October 2, 2026
Employee meal policy for a restaurant or café: a staff meal template, the meal log and the rules
A fill-in staff meal policy for a café or restaurant (who gets a meal, what's included, the day-off discount, where and when to eat), a staff meal log, how to count shift meals in food cost, and the Food Code and federal pay rules quoted word for word.
October 2, 2026
Reopening after a closure or remodel: a checklist for a café or small restaurant
A reopening checklist for a café or small restaurant coming back from a seasonal closure, a long break or a remodel, covering the health department, flushing the water lines the EPA way, equipment and ice machines, food left behind, pests, staff and a soft first day.
October 2, 2026
Slips, trips and falls in a restaurant: a floor safety checklist, a spill procedure and a ladder check
A floor safety program for a café or restaurant built on OSHA's walking-working surfaces rules, with a shift floor walk checklist, a five-step spill procedure, a mat and drain plan, a step ladder check, footwear policy wording, and the Food Code rules on mops and absorbents.
October 1, 2026
PPE hazard assessment for a restaurant: a walk-through template, the written certification OSHA asks for, and a training record
How a café or restaurant does the personal protective equipment hazard assessment OSHA requires, with a station-by-station walk-through template, the written certification, a PPE list by task, the training each person needs, who pays for what, and a yearly review.
October 1, 2026
Employing minors in a Florida restaurant or café: hours, breaks, proof of age and the jobs teens can't do
The Florida and federal rules for hiring 14- to 17-year-olds in a restaurant or café. Minimum age, proof of age, hours on school days and in summer, meal breaks, the equipment teens can't touch (slicers, bakery mixers, fryers, delivery driving), alcohol and penalties, with official sources.
October 1, 2026
Glove use policy for a café or restaurant: when to wear them, when to change them, and which gloves to buy
A fill-in glove use policy for a café or restaurant, built on the FDA Food Code's no-bare-hand-contact rule and its 2026 glove rules, with the change triggers, a station chart, which glove material suits which task, a training sign-off and the inspection mistakes to avoid.
September 30, 2026
Menu change rollout checklist: recipe card, cost, allergens, POS and staff tasting
A one-page rollout checklist for any menu change in a café or restaurant, from a new item to a recipe tweak, a supplier swap, a price change or a removal, with which steps each kind of change needs, an owner and a date for each, the allergen check most changes miss, and a launch-day check.
September 30, 2026
Arizona restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What Arizona restaurants must pay in 2026: the $15.15 minimum wage and $12.15 tipped wage, Flagstaff and Tucson rates, written tip-credit notices, tip pools, paid sick time for tipped staff and overtime, with worked examples.
September 30, 2026
Sushi rice, curing, smoking and fermenting: when a restaurant needs a variance, what to send, and a pH log
Which kitchen processes need a variance and a HACCP plan under the FDA Food Code 2026, from acidified sushi rice and house-cured bacon to smoking and sprouting, what a variance request contains, Florida's special process and waiver forms, and a pH calibration and acidification log.
September 29, 2026
Sanitizer buckets and wiping cloths: a setup procedure and a test strip log
How to set up and run sanitizer buckets for wiping cloths in a café or restaurant, with a one-page procedure, a bucket map by station, a test strip log, the FDA Food Code rules on wet and dry cloths, concentration, test kits and labels, and what to do when a reading is off.
September 29, 2026
Bakery production schedule template: par by day, batch sizes and bake times
A bakery production schedule you can print: a par for every item by day of the week, batch sizes rounded to full trays, an oven timeline worked back from opening, and a daily sheet that records sell-out times and leftovers so next week's par is better.
September 29, 2026
Time as a public health control: a written procedure and a 4-hour log for a café or restaurant
How to hold food out of temperature control on purpose under the FDA Food Code's time as a public health control rule, with the 4-hour and 6-hour options, a one-page written procedure to fill in, a time-mark log, what goes wrong in inspections, and when not to use it.
September 28, 2026
Kitchen deep-clean checklist: the quarterly jobs behind, under and above the line
A quarterly kitchen deep-clean checklist for a small restaurant or café, with step-by-step jobs for hood filters and the plenum, walk-in condenser and evaporator coils, the floor and walls behind the line, ice machines and the dish area, plus who should not do which job and how to plan the night.
September 28, 2026
Oakland restaurant pay rules (2026): wages, tips, scheduling and sick leave
What an Oakland restaurant must pay in 2026: the city's $17.34 minimum wage with no tip credit, the hotel rates under Measure Z, Oakland's paid sick leave and balance limits, and California's overtime, meal and rest breaks, with worked examples.
September 28, 2026
Sous vide and vacuum packing in a restaurant: the Food Code rules, a HACCP plan outline and the logs
When a restaurant can vacuum pack, cook sous vide or cook-chill without a variance, what the FDA Food Code 2026 HACCP plan must contain, the 48-hour exception, Florida's special process approval, and a production log, label and twice-daily cooler check to print.
September 27, 2026
Grease trap and interceptor service log for a restaurant: the records your sewer utility asks for, and the kitchen habits that cut pump-outs
A grease trap and interceptor log for a café or restaurant, with what the FDA Food Code, the EPA pretreatment program and your sewer utility each require, an equipment sheet, a service log, a daily checklist to keep grease out of the drains, and hauler checks.
September 27, 2026
Restroom cleaning checklist and log for a café or restaurant (free template)
A restroom cleaning checklist for a café or small restaurant, with opening, check-round and closing duties, a weekly deep clean, a check log for the back of the door, a supply par list, and the FDA Food Code rules an inspector checks in a toilet room.
September 27, 2026
Food safety quiz for restaurant employees: 20 questions with an answer key
A 20-question food safety quiz for café and restaurant staff on handwashing, bare-hand contact, illness reporting, holding, cooking, cooling and reheating temperatures, date marking, allergens and sanitizer, with an answer key tied to the FDA Food Code and a plan for running it.
September 26, 2026
Dish machine and three-compartment sink log template: temperatures and sanitizer, every shift
A printable warewashing log for a café or small restaurant, with one sheet for a hot-water dish machine, one for a chemical (low-temp) machine and one for the three-compartment sink, the FDA Food Code numbers behind each column, and what to do when a reading is out of range.
September 26, 2026
Delivery driver and pickup handoff checklist for cafés and restaurants
A handoff checklist for third-party delivery drivers and pickup orders, covering the pickup shelf, matching order numbers, sealed bags, hot and cold timing, drivers staying out of the kitchen, and a daily handoff log for the orders that go wrong, with the FDA Food Code lines behind it.
September 26, 2026
Food allergy order ticket and kitchen alert procedure: from the guest to the plate
A step-by-step procedure for an allergy order in a café or small restaurant, with an allergy ticket layout, the kitchen reset, the expo check, hand delivery, an allergy order log, a counter-service version and what to do if something goes wrong, built on the FDA Food Code.
September 25, 2026
Mock health inspection scoring sheet: run the inspector's form before the inspector does
A mock health inspection for a restaurant or café, scored the way the FDA's model inspection report is marked (IN, OUT, N.O., N.A., corrected on site, repeat), with all 56 items, a simple house score and correction deadlines taken from the Food Code.
September 25, 2026
Catering order form and event sheet template: headcount, allergens, timeline, pickup or delivery
A catering order form for taking the order and an event sheet for running it, for a café or small restaurant, with headcount, the nine major food allergens, a timeline worked back from the drop-off, pickup or delivery details, holding temperatures and a sign-off at handoff.
September 25, 2026
Farmers market and pop-up booth checklist for a café: the packing list, the setup, temperatures and the Food Code rules for a temporary stand
A farmers market and pop-up booth checklist for a café or restaurant, with the FDA Food Code rules for a temporary food establishment, what Florida's DBPR inspects at an event, a packing list, a booth setup checklist, an hourly temperature log and a teardown list.
September 24, 2026
Employee illness reporting form and exclusion chart: the Food Code's five symptoms, six illnesses and when people come back
A printable employee illness reporting form and exclusion chart for a café or restaurant, built on the FDA Food Code's reporting rules (the five symptoms and the "Big 6" illnesses), with when to exclude or restrict, when someone can come back, and the written illness policy the 2026 Food Code adds.
September 24, 2026
Food manager certification and food handler training in Florida: who needs what, and by when
Florida's two food safety credentials for restaurant and café staff, explained for new owners. Who needs a certified food protection manager and when one must be on site, the 60-day food handler training rule, approved providers, the proof inspectors ask for, and how it works under FDACS.
September 24, 2026
Color-coded cutting board chart for a restaurant kitchen, with a cleaning and replacement log
A color-coded cutting board chart for a café or restaurant kitchen, a printable wall chart, where each color lives, the FDA Food Code rules on cleaning between raw and ready-to-eat food, the 4-hour cleaning rule, scored boards, wood boards, and a weekly board condition and replacement log.
September 23, 2026
Handwashing procedure and hand sink checklist for a café or restaurant (free template)
A handwashing procedure, a when-to-wash chart, a hand sink checklist for every shift and a manager's observation log for a café or small restaurant, built on the FDA Food Code's handwashing and hand sink rules.
September 23, 2026
Ohio restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What Ohio restaurants must pay in 2026: the $11.00 minimum wage and $5.50 tipped wage, the $405,000 small-business line, the tip credit make-up, overtime and its small-employer exception, tip pools, paydays and pay stubs, with worked examples.
September 23, 2026
Cooking and reheating temperature log for a restaurant: the Food Code temperatures, where to probe, and a log to print
A cooking and reheating temperature log for a café or restaurant, with the FDA Food Code 2026 final cooking temperatures by food, the microwave and roast rules, reheating for hot holding to 165°F within 2 hours, how to take the reading, corrective actions and a station card.
September 22, 2026
First aid kit checklist for a restaurant or café: what to stock, where to keep it, and a restock log (free template)
A first aid kit checklist for a café or small restaurant, with what OSHA and the FDA Food Code say about first aid supplies, eyewash and bandages on food handlers, what to do when someone cuts themselves during prep, a monthly check and a use log.
September 22, 2026
Restaurant chemical inventory and SDS binder index (free template)
A chemical inventory list, an SDS binder index and a quarterly label audit for a café or restaurant, built on OSHA's Hazard Communication standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) and the FDA Food Code's chemical storage rules, with the November 2026 update date.
September 22, 2026
Linen and laundry procedure for a café or restaurant: wiping cloths, aprons, napkins and a laundry log
A laundry procedure for a café or restaurant, with the FDA Food Code rules on wiping cloths, aprons, cloth napkins and bread basket liners, how often each is washed, where soiled and clean linens go, washing in-house or using a linen service, a par sheet and a laundry log.
September 21, 2026
Consumer advisory for raw or undercooked food: menu wording templates for eggs, burgers and raw fish
When a café or restaurant needs a consumer advisory under the FDA Food Code, the two parts it must have (disclosure and reminder), ready-to-copy wording for printed menus, menu boards, online ordering and catering, a menu review sheet and what to tell staff.
September 21, 2026
Prep list template by station: the daily sheet, with prep pars, labels and a handoff
A daily prep list template for a small kitchen, one sheet per station (grill, cold station, pastry) with prep pars, on hand, how much to make, shelf life and initials, plus the Food Code rules on date marking, cooling and container labels that the sheet has to respect.
September 21, 2026
San Diego restaurant pay rules (2026): wages, tips, scheduling and sick leave
What a San Diego restaurant must pay in 2026: the city's $17.75 minimum wage with no tip credit, the 2027 rate, earned sick leave under the city ordinance, and California's daily overtime, meal and rest breaks, with worked examples.
September 21, 2026
Catering delivery temperature log: pack-out, the drive, arrival and what happens to leftovers
A catering transport temperature log for a café or restaurant, with the FDA Food Code 2026 holding temperatures, time as a public health control for a drop-off, what to probe and when, a hand-off note for the client, Florida's catering rules and what to do when a reading is off.
September 20, 2026
Holiday hours and staffing plan template: one page per holiday
A one-page holiday planner for a café or small restaurant, filled in once per holiday, with the dates, last year's sales next to this year's estimate, the hours and menu, the staff you need by daypart, time-off cutoffs, every place your hours are posted, and a short look back afterwards.
September 20, 2026
Food truck commissary checklist: water and waste tanks, propane, generator and a daily log
A daily commissary checklist and log for a food truck anywhere in the US, built on the FDA Food Code's mobile water and waste rules, with tank readings in gallons, the drinking-water hose, waste dumping and flushing, propane and generator checks, and the record your health department may ask for.
September 20, 2026
The multi-location owner's weekly check: a one-page scorecard for every store
A weekly scorecard for an owner with two or more cafés or restaurants, with the same fifteen lines for every location, green, yellow and red limits you set, a 45-minute Monday routine and a rotating visit, so you see which store needs you before the problems reach the guests.
September 20, 2026
Buffet and self-service station checklist: food guards, utensils, clean plates and an hourly temperature log
A buffet and self-service checklist for a brunch buffet, salad bar or coffee condiment bar, with the FDA Food Code 2026 rules on food guards, serving utensils, clean plates for second trips, trained attendants, holding temperatures and the 4-hour clean, plus an hourly log and an attendant card.
September 19, 2026
Staff cell phone policy template for a café or restaurant
A ready-to-adapt staff cell phone policy for a café or restaurant. Where phones go during a shift, when they can come out, handwashing after touching one, phones used for work (clock-in, tasks, schedules), after-hours messages and pay, photos, and the labor-law limits on what a policy can ban.
September 19, 2026
Smoothie and juice bar prep and par sheet (free template)
A prep and par sheet for a smoothie and juice bar, with pars by daypart, a smoothie pack build card, a produce yield test for pressed juice, and the Food Code rules for cut fruit, greens and frozen fruit, in printable tables.
September 19, 2026
Power outage and boil-water notice checklist for a café: when to close, what to keep and what to throw out
A printable emergency checklist for a café or small restaurant facing a power outage or a boil-water notice, with the Food Code rule on when to stop and call the health department, what to log while the power is out, the water you can use, and the decisions to make before you reopen.
September 19, 2026
Dumpster and trash area checklist for a restaurant: lids, drain plugs, cardboard and a cleaning log
A daily and weekly checklist for a café or restaurant's trash, recycling and dumpster area, built on the FDA Food Code's refuse rules, with a trash run procedure, a pickup and cleaning log, questions for your hauler, pest prevention and the federal rule that keeps under-18s off the baler.
September 18, 2026
Broken glass procedure for a restaurant: the ice bin, the line and the floor
What to do when glass breaks in a café or restaurant, step by step for the ice bin, the prep area and line, the dining room floor and a guest's plate, with a glass kit checklist, a breakage log, prevention rules and the FDA Food Code and OSHA rules behind them.
September 18, 2026
How to thaw frozen food safely in a restaurant: the four Food Code methods and a thawing log
The four ways the FDA Food Code allows a restaurant or café to thaw frozen food, with the 41°F and 70°F limits, how to plan pulls for big holiday roasts, date marking after thawing, the mistakes inspectors see, and a pull sheet and thawing log to print.
September 18, 2026
Vendor contact sheet and order guide: reps, cutoffs, order days, minimums and delivery windows
A vendor contact sheet and order guide for a small restaurant or café, with a page per vendor (rep, account, cutoff, delivery days and window, minimum, terms, credit policy), a weekly ordering calendar and an item-by-item order guide, plus what the Food Code and the IRS expect you to keep.
September 18, 2026
Bar opening and closing checklist for a restaurant: ice, garnish, glassware, draft lines and the close
A bar opening and closing checklist for a restaurant or café bar, with the FDA Food Code rules on ice, ice scoops, garnish, glassware, the hand sink and beverage lines, the federal rule on mixing cocktails ahead, mid-shift checks, a weekly list and a draft line cleaning log.
September 17, 2026
Shellfish tag log: keeping oyster, clam and mussel tags for 90 days
How a café or restaurant that serves oysters, clams, mussels or scallops in the shell keeps the shellstock tags the FDA Food Code requires, with a receiving check, the last-sold date, a 90-day filing system, a tag log, a raw bar display rule and what to do when a tag is missing.
September 17, 2026
Donating leftover food from a restaurant or café: a procedure, a donation log and the liability law
How a café or restaurant donates surplus food safely, with what the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act protects since the 2023 amendments, what the FDA Food Code 2026 says about donation, what to donate and what not to, a partner sheet, packing and label rules, and a donation log.
September 17, 2026
Workers' compensation for a Florida restaurant or café: who needs it, exemptions and what to do after an injury
When a Florida restaurant or café must carry workers' compensation (four or more employees), how corporate officer and LLC member exemptions work, the penalties for going without, and the steps and deadlines after a kitchen injury, with Florida DFS and OSHA sources.
September 17, 2026
North Carolina restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What North Carolina restaurants must pay in 2026: the $7.25 minimum wage and $2.13 tipped cash wage, which parts of the state act reach a restaurant the FLSA covers, the tip-pool rule for smaller businesses, tips on payday, written pay notices and local preemption, with worked examples.
September 16, 2026
Philadelphia restaurant pay rules (2026): wages, tips, scheduling and sick leave
What a Philadelphia restaurant must pay in 2026: Pennsylvania's $7.25 minimum wage and $2.83 tipped cash wage, the city's sick leave law and the rate for tipped workers' sick time, Fair Workweek for large restaurant chains, and the state's tip rules, with worked examples.
September 14, 2026
Required workplace posters for a Florida restaurant or café, with official download links
The federal and Florida posters and notices a new restaurant or café has to put up, from the minimum wage, reemployment assistance, workers' comp and child labor notices to the FLSA, EEO and OSHA posters, who needs each one, and where to get it free.
September 10, 2026
Pennsylvania restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What Pennsylvania restaurants must pay in 2026: the $7.25 minimum wage, the $2.83 tipped cash wage and the $135 a month tip test, the side-work cap, tip pool notices, card fees, service charges, overtime and Philadelphia rules, with worked examples.
September 9, 2026
Chicago restaurant pay rules (2026): wages, tips, scheduling and sick leave
What a Chicago restaurant must pay in 2026: the $17.05 minimum wage and $12.96 tipped wage, the paused tip credit, the city's two banks of paid leave, the Fair Workweek law for large restaurant groups, and Illinois's meal breaks and tip rules, with worked examples.
September 7, 2026
Lost and found log for a restaurant: a form, a 30-day rule and what to do with what's left
A lost and found log for a café or restaurant, with a tag for each item, how to hand it back to the right person, a 30-day holding period, special handling for IDs, cards, phones and medicine, and Florida's statute for restaurants quoted word for word.
September 5, 2026
Florida sales tax for restaurants and cafés: what's taxable, the county surtax and the DR-15
How Florida sales tax works for a new restaurant or café, from registering and what counts as a taxable meal to tips, comps, the county surtax, filing the DR-15 and how often you file, with Florida Department of Revenue sources.
September 3, 2026
Illinois restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What Illinois restaurants must pay in 2026: the $15.00 minimum wage and $9.00 tipped cash wage, the youth and new-hire rates, Chicago and Cook County rates, tip pools, meal breaks, overtime and paid leave, with worked examples.
September 2, 2026
San Francisco restaurant pay rules (2026): wages, tips, scheduling and sick leave
What a San Francisco restaurant must pay in 2026: the city's $19.61 minimum wage with no tip credit, the city's paid sick leave and balance limits, the formula retail scheduling rules for chain restaurants, and California's overtime and breaks, with worked examples.
August 31, 2026
CO2 and nitrogen cylinder safety for a restaurant or café: soda, draft beer and nitro coffee, with a weekly check and a leak plan
A CO2 and nitrogen safety plan for the gas behind soda, draft beer and nitro cold brew, with OSHA's exposure limits for carbon dioxide, what fire codes ask of bulk CO2 tanks, a cylinder list, a weekly check, a cylinder change procedure, what to do when an alarm goes off and a training record.
August 29, 2026
Florida food service licensing for a new café or restaurant: DBPR or FDACS?
Who licenses your Florida food business, DBPR's Division of Hotels and Restaurants or FDACS, and what each one asks before you open, from plan review and the license application to the opening inspection, with official fees and sources.
August 27, 2026
Georgia restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What Georgia restaurants must pay in 2026: why the federal $7.25 minimum wage and $2.13 tipped cash wage apply instead of Georgia's $5.15, the tip credit make-up, overtime, tip pools and breaks, with worked examples.
August 26, 2026
New York City restaurant pay rules (2026): wages, tips, scheduling and sick leave
What a New York City restaurant must pay in 2026: the $17.00 minimum wage and $11.35 tipped cash wage, no increase in 2027, side-work and spread-of-hours rules, the city's Protected Time Off Law and the fast food Fair Workweek law, with worked examples.
August 24, 2026
Liquor inventory count sheet and pour cost: counting partial bottles, the formula and the federal rules for a bar
A liquor count sheet and pour cost worksheet for a restaurant bar: counting partial bottles by tenths or weight, the pour cost formula with a worked example, what to check when it's high, and the federal TTB rules on dealer registration, purchase records and refilling bottles.
August 23, 2026
Lockout/tagout for a restaurant kitchen: which equipment it covers, a written procedure and the yearly inspection
When OSHA's lockout/tagout standard applies in a café or restaurant kitchen, why unplugging covers most countertop equipment, which machines need a written procedure, the lock and tag rules, training and the yearly inspection, with an equipment list, a one-machine procedure and the records to keep.
August 22, 2026
Lease renewal checklist for a café or restaurant: the notice deadline, your occupancy cost and what to renegotiate
A lease renewal checklist for a café or restaurant: a 12-month countdown to the option notice deadline, an occupancy cost worksheet, the clauses to reread (rent steps, CAM, repairs, ADA, the personal guarantee), Florida's repeal of sales tax on rent, and two letters.
August 21, 2026
Hiring a prep cook: job description, knife and labeling training, and a prep list template
A prep cook job description, what food preparation workers earn according to the BLS, knife and slicer safety training, labeling and date marking under the FDA Food Code (7 days, day of prep is day 1), storage order, and a prep list template you can copy.
August 20, 2026
New York restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What New York restaurants must pay in 2026: the $17.00 and $16.00 minimum wages by region, the tipped cash wages, the written tip-credit notice, spread-of-hours and call-in pay, uniform maintenance pay, tip pools and overtime, with worked examples.
August 19, 2026
Scheduling for back-to-school and the end of summer
How a small café or restaurant gets through the switch from summer to school season, from collecting new availability early and the hour limits for teen workers to forecasting from last year, a labor budget, open shifts and trades, with worked numbers.
August 18, 2026
Los Angeles restaurant pay rules (2026): wages, tips, scheduling and sick leave
What a Los Angeles restaurant must pay in 2026: the city's $18.42 minimum wage with no tip credit, the hotel and fast food rates, the city's paid sick leave, why the Fair Work Week law skips restaurants, and California's overtime and breaks, with worked examples.
August 17, 2026
Certificates of insurance from vendors and contractors: a request letter, a tracking log and the Florida checks
How a café or restaurant asks vendors and contractors for a certificate of insurance, what to ask for, how to check a Florida contractor's license and workers' comp coverage or exemption in the state's databases, with a request letter, a renewal letter and a tracking log.
August 16, 2026
Banquet event order (BEO) template for larger catered events
A banquet event order template for a café or small restaurant taking on a larger event, with the guaranteed count, room and setup, a minute-by-minute run of show, food and drink by course, staffing, rentals, billing, and the signatures that make it the one version everyone works from.
August 15, 2026
Hot-holding and cooling: the two food safety steps new cafés get wrong
The FDA Food Code rules for hot holding, reheating and two-stage cooling that Florida enforces, the mistakes new cafés make with soup wells and big batches, cooling methods that work, a worked cooling log, and the records that show an inspector it's under control.
August 14, 2026
Hiring servers and cashiers: job description, POS and cash training, and the allergen questions to always ask
A front-of-house job description for servers and counter cashiers, BLS pay data (tips included), a POS and cash training checklist, the allergen questions every server and cashier should ask, what the FDA Food Code says about major food allergens, and dress codes.
August 13, 2026
Texas restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What Texas restaurants must pay in 2026: the $7.25 minimum wage and $2.13 tipped cash wage, how the federal FLSA and the Texas Minimum Wage Act split the work, the tip credit make-up, overtime and tip pools, with worked examples.
August 12, 2026
Cutting food waste in a small café, starting with a waste log
Where a small café's food waste comes from, how to keep a waste log staff will actually fill in, how to read it every week with a worked example, and the fixes that follow, from FIFO and date marking to par levels, bake-off plans, portions and donation.
August 11, 2026
Denver restaurant pay rules (2026): wages, tips, scheduling and sick leave
What a Denver restaurant must pay in 2026: the city's $19.29 minimum wage and $16.27 tipped wage, the 2027 rates, Colorado's hourly tip test, daily overtime, meal and rest periods and paid sick leave, with worked examples.
August 10, 2026
How to run a slow-weekday promotion without discounting your brand
How a café can fill a slow weekday window without training guests to wait for a discount: find the slow hours, pick one goal, choose a promotion that adds value, do the break-even math, follow the FTC rule on "free" offers and test for four weeks.
August 9, 2026
How long to keep employee records at a restaurant: a retention schedule and a personnel file checklist
How long a café or restaurant keeps payroll records, time cards, tip reports, W-4s, I-9s, applications, injury logs and minors' proof of age under federal and Florida rules, what goes in a separate confidential file, a personnel file checklist, a retention schedule and a yearly purge.
August 8, 2026
A 30-minute onboarding plan for every new hire
A minute-by-minute plan for the first 30 minutes of a new hire's first shift, plus what to prepare the day before, how to pick and brief a buddy, short quizzes that catch misunderstandings early, and the check-ins for the first two weeks.
August 7, 2026
Hiring a shift lead: what the role owns, a job description, promotion criteria and a 30-day plan
What a café or restaurant shift lead owns (opening and closing, the cash, call-outs), a job description you can post, how to decide between promoting from within and hiring from outside, scenario interview questions, and a 30-day plan for a new lead.
August 6, 2026
California restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What California restaurants must pay in 2026: the $16.90 minimum wage and higher city rates, no tip credit, the $20.00 fast food wage and who it covers, daily overtime and double time, and meal and rest break premiums, with worked examples.
August 5, 2026
Promoting your first shift lead: what to hand over, and what not to
How to promote a small café's first shift lead, covering who to pick, a one-page role card, what to hand over now and what to keep, opening and closing ownership, cash and keys, Florida's person-in-charge rules, pay and tips, and a 30-day handover.
August 4, 2026
Boulder restaurant pay rules (2026): wages, tips, scheduling and sick leave
What a Boulder restaurant must pay: the city's $16.82 minimum wage in 2026 and $18.17 in 2027, the tipped wage for food and beverage workers, who the city rate covers, and Colorado's tipped test, daily overtime, meal and rest periods and paid sick leave, with worked examples.
August 3, 2026
Robbery and late-night closing safety for a café or restaurant: a closing procedure, what to do in a robbery and the records after
A closing safety procedure and a robbery response plan for a café or restaurant, based on OSHA's recommendations for late-night retail, with cash limits, the back door and trash run, walking out together, what staff do during and after a robbery, a monthly security check and the reports that follow.
August 2, 2026
How to label grab-and-go food at a café: what goes on the label, dates and a template
How a café can label the sandwiches, salads and snacks it packs for a grab-and-go case. What the Food Code says goes on the label, allergens, date marking and the seven-day limit, a label template, a master list, an end-of-day pull and the checks before you print.
August 1, 2026
Seasonal menu changes without the chaos
An eight-week plan for launching a seasonal menu at a small café, covering picking items, recipe testing, costing, allergens, staff training, updating the POS, signage and online menus, and retiring what's leaving, with a worked example.
July 31, 2026
Hiring a dishwasher or porter: job description, safety training and the closing checklist
A dishwasher and porter job description, what dishwashers earn according to the BLS, the safety training OSHA expects for cleaning chemicals and safety data sheets, burns, slips and walk-ins, the rules for teens, and a closing checklist for the dish station.
July 30, 2026
Massachusetts restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What Massachusetts restaurants must pay in 2026: the $15.00 minimum wage and $6.75 service rate, the shift-by-shift make-up, the 2024 ballot question, who can share tips and service charges, federal overtime for restaurants, earned sick time, PFML and paydays, with worked examples.
July 29, 2026
Starting a catering side business from your café (Florida)
How a licensed Florida café can add catering, covering what DBPR requires, keeping food safe on the road under the Food Code, pricing per person, quotes, deposits and invoices, and staffing event days, with worked numbers and a pack-out checklist.
July 28, 2026
Edgewater restaurant pay rules (2026): wages, tips, scheduling and sick leave
What an Edgewater, Colorado restaurant must pay in 2026: the city's $18.17 minimum wage, the $13.50 tipped wage and the city's larger tip credit, the 2027 rate tied to Denver's, and Colorado's tipped test, daily overtime, meal and rest periods and paid sick leave, with worked examples.
July 27, 2026
How to clean an ice machine: daily, weekly and monthly checklists for a café
How a café or restaurant can keep its ice machine and ice bin clean. What the Food Code says about ice, the scoop and cleaning frequency, daily and weekly checks, a deep-clean routine to run by the manufacturer's manual, the signs it's overdue, and a log.
July 26, 2026
Table turn tracking sheet for a restaurant: time each step from seat to reset, and find the slow one
How to measure table turns and table time in a small restaurant without rushing guests, with a timing sheet for the host stand, the formulas for turns and revenue per available seat hour, a summary by daypart and party size, a worked example and what to change once you know where the minutes go.
July 25, 2026
What delivery apps really cost a small restaurant
DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub commissions from their own pricing pages, what's left of a $30 order after commission and packaging, how much to mark up menu prices, city commission caps, and an order-accuracy checklist.
July 24, 2026
Hiring a line cook: job description, a working interview plan and a station checklist
A line cook job description you can adapt, what restaurant cooks earn according to the BLS, a two-hour paid stage with a scoring sheet, and a station training checklist built on the FDA Food Code's cooking and holding temperatures.
July 23, 2026
Colorado restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What Colorado restaurants must pay in 2026: the $15.16 minimum wage and $12.14 tipped wage, Denver, Edgewater and Boulder rates, the hourly tipped test, tip pool notices, daily overtime, meal and rest periods, sick leave and FAMLI, with worked examples.
July 22, 2026
Loyalty programs for small cafés: punch cards, points or nothing?
Punch cards, points or no program at all? What each costs a small café, the margin math with made-up numbers, how to write the rules, track redemptions and train staff, and how to run a 90-day test before you commit.
July 21, 2026
Employee referral program for a restaurant: the policy, the referral form and the payout log
A ready-to-use employee referral program for a café or restaurant, with a one-page policy, a referral card, a payout log, how much to pay and when, who's eligible, how to keep hiring fair, and how the IRS and the Department of Labor treat a referral bonus in payroll and overtime.
July 20, 2026
Employee tip report form and daily tip record (free template)
A daily tip record for staff and a monthly tip report form for a café or restaurant, built on what the IRS says a tip statement must include now that Form 4070 is historical. The 10th-of-the-month deadline, the $20 rule, tip pools, service charges, an employer tracker and record keeping.
July 19, 2026
Wildfire smoke plan for a restaurant: checking the AQI, the patio, delivery drivers and the California, Oregon and Washington rules
A wildfire smoke plan for a café or restaurant, with how to check the AQI for PM2.5 at the start of each shift, what California, Oregon and Washington require (communication, training, controls, N95 respirators), who on a restaurant team is exposed, a shift log and a plan to fill in.
July 18, 2026
Google Business Profile for a new café: the setup that brings people in
A practical Google Business Profile setup for a café that's been open a few months, covering verification, categories, regular and holiday hours, photos, the menu link, attributes, posts, Q&A and reviews, plus a monthly 20-minute upkeep routine.
July 17, 2026
Hiring a barista: job description, interview questions and a first-week checklist
A barista job description you can copy, what baristas earn according to the BLS, interview questions that predict a good bar shift (and the ones to leave out), a short paid bar test, and a first-week training checklist with sign-offs.
July 16, 2026
Virginia restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What Virginia restaurants must pay in 2026: the $12.77 minimum wage and the steps to $13.75 and $15.00, the $2.13 tipped cash wage, overtime and the new July 2026 remedies, tips as wages, gratuity disclosure, paid sick leave from 2027 and paydays, with worked examples.
July 15, 2026
Handling customer complaints in person and online
Five steps any staff member can follow when a guest complains, what they can offer without a manager, what to do when a guest says your food made them sick (and how Florida's complaint process works), how to log complaints, and how to answer them online.
July 14, 2026
Montgomery County, Maryland restaurant pay rules (2026): wages, tips, scheduling and sick leave
What a Montgomery County, Maryland restaurant must pay in 2026: the county's $18.00, mid-size and small-employer rates, the $4.00 tipped wage with its wage statement and quarterly report, the youth rules, sick and safe leave, and Maryland's tip and overtime rules, with worked examples.
July 13, 2026
Walk-in cooler failure: what to do in the first hour, a log and a restock check
A step-by-step plan for a café or restaurant whose walk-in cooler stops holding temperature while the power is still on, covering the first ten minutes, quick checks before you call for service, where to move food, a temperature log, the call on what to keep, and a restock check.
July 12, 2026
Break schedule template for a restaurant: meal and rest breaks by shift, with cover
A daily break schedule for a café or restaurant, with each person's shift, the breaks it needs, a planned start, who covers and the time actually taken, plus the federal rules on paid and unpaid breaks, where state law adds more, and how to slot breaks around the rush.
July 11, 2026
Holiday and event staffing for a small café
How to staff a small café for holidays and local events, from listing the dates and forecasting the day to blackout dates, publishing early, planning overtime on purpose and catering days, with worked numbers and the overtime and holiday pay rules.
July 10, 2026
Overtime approval form and policy for a restaurant: plan it, approve it, pay it
An overtime pre-approval policy, a request form and a weekly overtime review sheet for a café or restaurant, with the federal rules behind them, including why overtime worked without approval still has to be paid, and how to keep surprise overtime off the schedule.
July 9, 2026
Tennessee restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What Tennessee restaurants must pay in 2026: the federal $7.25 minimum wage and $2.13 tipped cash wage, who the FLSA covers, the 30-minute break and the server waiver, automatic gratuities, paydays and final pay, and why cities can’t add rules, with worked examples.
July 8, 2026
Staff turnover in restaurants: keeping your first team
What turnover in restaurants looks like in the official numbers, what it costs you, and six things that help a small restaurant keep its first team, from the first week and a predictable schedule to recognition, a next step, check-ins and a good exit.
July 7, 2026
Saint Paul restaurant pay rules (2026): wages, tips, scheduling and sick leave
What a Saint Paul restaurant must pay in 2026: the $16.37 minimum wage and the micro-business rate, how a restaurant counts its size, no tip credit, the youth rate, the two-step 2027 increase, earned sick and safe time, and Minnesota's tip-pool and overtime rules, with worked examples.
July 6, 2026
Server section chart template: sections, a fair rotation and the cut order
A server section chart for a small restaurant or café with table service. Number the tables, group them into sections, fill in a nightly section sheet with breaks, sidework and the cut order, rotate sections fairly, and keep the host's seating even.
July 5, 2026
When an employee quits: a resignation and offboarding checklist for a café or restaurant
What to do when someone at your café or restaurant gives notice. Confirming the last day in writing, covering their shifts, final pay rules, tips and PTO, removing access, keys and uniforms, the exit conversation, W-2 and records, plus an acceptance letter and a checklist to copy.
July 4, 2026
Handling call-outs and no-shows without wrecking the shift
A call-out policy staff can follow, a backup list, the fastest ways to find cover, fair attendance records, and the leave and food-safety rules that limit what you can do about a sick call, with a policy template.
July 3, 2026
Cross-training matrix template for a café or restaurant: who can cover which station
A cross-training matrix (skills matrix) for a small café or restaurant, ready to copy. The four skill levels, how to fill it in honestly, how to find the gaps that make call-outs painful, a 30-day cross-training plan, the pay and minors rules that apply, and how to keep it current.
July 2, 2026
Maryland restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What Maryland restaurants must pay in 2026: the $15.00 minimum wage and $3.63 tipped cash wage, the tip-credit wage statement, Montgomery, Howard and Prince George's county rates, the small-restaurant exemption, tip pools, overtime and sick and safe leave, with worked examples.
July 1, 2026
Food cost for a small restaurant: plate costing and menu pricing basics
How to cost a plate (yields included), price a menu item from a target food cost, keep costs current when vendor prices change, and compare plate costs with what you actually use, with a worked example.
June 30, 2026
Minneapolis restaurant pay rules (2026): wages, tips, scheduling and sick leave
What a Minneapolis restaurant must pay in 2026: the city's $16.37 minimum wage for everyone, tips on top, the 2027 change, sick and safe time, Minnesota's breaks and tip-pool rules, and overtime after the federal 40 hours, with worked examples.
June 29, 2026
How to cost a coffee drink: espresso, milk, syrup, cup and lid, with a cost card
How a café can work out what each coffee drink really costs, from the espresso dose and the milk poured to the syrup, cup, lid, sleeve and straw. Formulas, a worked cost card for six drinks in hypothetical figures, a waste allowance, pricing from a target and a review routine.
June 28, 2026
Fire extinguisher inspection log and fire safety checklist for restaurants
A fire extinguisher register, a monthly inspection log, an annual service record and a hood suppression log for a café or restaurant, with OSHA's rules (29 CFR 1910.157) quoted word for word and the parts your fire marshal decides.
June 27, 2026
Your weekly manager meeting: a 30-minute agenda that works
A 30-minute weekly meeting for a small restaurant's owner and managers, with a fixed agenda (follow-ups, numbers, people, customers, fixes), the data to bring, rules that keep it short, follow-ups turned into tasks, and a notes template to copy.
June 26, 2026
Restaurant job application form template: what to ask, and what to leave off
A one-page job application form for a café or restaurant, ready to copy. What each section is for, the questions federal agencies say to leave off (age, disability, citizenship, children, photos), background check and criminal history rules, minors, and what to do with the form after you hire.
June 25, 2026
Minnesota restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What Minnesota restaurants must pay in 2026: the $11.41 minimum wage with no tip credit, Minneapolis and Saint Paul rates, why you can’t require a tip pool, card tips, the new rest and meal breaks, earned sick and safe time and Paid Leave, with worked examples.
June 24, 2026
Opening a second location: what to standardize first
A second café or restaurant shows what runs without you. What to standardize first, from checklists and recipes to roles, training, cash, inventory and scheduling, what can differ by store, the Florida licensing and payroll points a second store adds, and an owner's weekly visit checklist.
June 23, 2026
How to calibrate a food thermometer: the ice-point check, when to do it and a log
How a café or restaurant can check and calibrate its probe thermometers. It covers the Food Code's accuracy rule, an ice-point check step by step, what to do when a probe reads off, how often to check, a thermometer list and a calibration log you can print.
June 22, 2026
How to price milk alternatives and add-ons: formulas for oat milk, extra shots and syrups
How a café can price oat, almond and soy milk swaps and add-ons like an extra shot or syrup: measure what you use, cost each drink by size, pick one of three upcharge formulas, cost a free swap, and keep allergens clear.
June 21, 2026
Emergency action plan for a café or restaurant: a fill-in template for fire, gas, evacuation and roll call
A fill-in emergency action plan for a café or small restaurant, built on OSHA's six minimum elements, with who calls 911, how everyone hears the alarm, exit routes and assignments, a meeting point and roll call, plus how to train staff and run a two-minute drill.
June 20, 2026
Planning labor for a slow season
When sales drop, the schedule has to follow. Read sales by hour and daypart, turn a labor target into hours, trim shifts before cutting people, share cuts fairly, cross-train, and know where fair workweek laws apply, with worked numbers.
June 19, 2026
How to welcome regulars by name: a guest-notes practice for a small café
A simple practice for remembering regulars at a café: how to learn a name without it being awkward, what to write in a guest note and what never to, how to share notes, why allergies are asked every time, and how to forget on request.
June 18, 2026
Nevada restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What Nevada restaurants must pay in 2026: the $12.00 minimum wage with no tip credit, daily overtime for staff paid under $18.00, tip pools, paid rest breaks and meal periods, paid leave, Clark County food handler cards and final pay, with worked examples.
June 17, 2026
Cash handling for a small restaurant: tills, drops and daily reconciliation
A cash routine for a small café or restaurant, from a fixed starting bank and blind closing counts to safe drops, paid-outs, voids and refunds, over/short tracking and the deposit log, with a sample count sheet and the federal rule on docking pay for shortages.
June 16, 2026
How to run a café pastry case: ordering, display and end-of-day waste
A practical pastry case program for a café that buys in or bakes off. Choose the lineup, order by day of the week from what actually sold, receive and fill the case safely, label it, decide what happens to what's left at close, and adjust the order every week from a one-page sheet.
June 15, 2026
Petty cash log and policy template for a café or restaurant
A petty cash policy, slip, log and weekly count sheet for a café or small restaurant, built on a fixed (imprest) fund the IRS describes in Publication 583. What petty cash is for and not for, limits and approvals, missing receipts, topping the fund back up, and how long to keep the records.
June 14, 2026
How to take a week off as a café owner: a coverage plan, a decision list and a handover sheet
How a café or small restaurant owner can take a real week off. Pick the week, name a person in charge for every shift, write down which decisions they make alone, hand over contacts and routines on one sheet, agree a single daily check-in, and practise with a day off first.
June 13, 2026
Hiring your first restaurant team: roles, job posts and interviews
The roles a small café or restaurant needs, a job post that brings the right applicants, a structured interview, paid trial shifts, and the new-hire paperwork (Form I-9, W-4, Florida new-hire reporting and E-Verify), plus Florida's rules for hiring teens.
June 12, 2026
How to change your café's opening hours: read the hourly numbers, run a trial, staff it and tell everyone
How to decide whether your café should open earlier, close later or drop a slow day, and how to make the change cleanly: read sales and labor by hour, count the hidden costs, run a four-to-six-week trial, staff it within the teen hour rules, and update every listing on one checklist.
June 11, 2026
South Carolina restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What South Carolina restaurants must pay in 2026: the federal $7.25 minimum wage and $2.13 tipped cash wage, who the FLSA covers, the Payment of Wages Act’s written notice and final pay, alcohol server training and why cities can’t set a rate, with worked examples.
June 10, 2026
Food truck opening and closing checklists (free template)
A food truck checklist template — water and wastewater tanks, generator and propane, the commissary run, temperatures on the move, open and close — plus Florida's mobile food vehicle rules, with who does each task and a copy-and-paste version.
June 9, 2026
How to run a monthly all-staff meeting at a café or restaurant: a 45-minute agenda, paid time and the follow-up
How to run a monthly all-staff meeting that a café or small restaurant team actually finds useful. When to hold it, a 45-minute agenda you can copy, collecting questions in advance, why the time is paid under federal law, and the notes and follow-up that make the next meeting worth coming to.
June 8, 2026
How to mystery-shop your own café: a guest visit scorecard, the shopper brief and what to do with the results
How to run your own mystery shopper visits at a café or small restaurant. Choose what to measure, find and brief shoppers, use a guest visit scorecard you can copy, stay on the right side of the FTC's review rule, and turn the results into training rather than blame.
June 7, 2026
Interview scorecard and reference check form for restaurant hiring (free template)
A one-page interview scorecard for café and restaurant hiring, with must-haves, a 1-to-4 scale that says what each score sounds like, a working interview line and a decision box, plus a reference check form and the EEOC and FTC rules on questions, background checks and records.
June 6, 2026
Pizza shop opening, closing and cleaning checklists (free template)
A pizza shop checklist template — dough, ovens and hood, the make line at 41°F, slices at 135°F, time-marked toppings, cooling and a weekly deep clean — with who does each task, the proof to ask for and a copy-and-paste version.
June 5, 2026
How to handle a health inspection visit, step by step
What to do when the health inspector walks into your café or restaurant: who meets them, what to have ready, answering questions, fixing problems on the spot, signing the report and the follow-up, with the FDA Food Code sections behind each step.
June 4, 2026
Oregon restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What Oregon restaurants must pay in 2026: the Portland metro, standard and nonurban minimum wages before and after the July increase, no tip credit, tip pools with kitchen staff, timed meal and rest breaks, predictive scheduling, sick time and Paid Leave Oregon, with worked examples.
June 3, 2026
Juice and smoothie bar checklists (free template)
A juice and smoothie bar checklist template — produce washing, cut fruit and greens at 41°F, blender and juicer cleaning, the FDA juice rules for bottled and by-the-glass juice, and open/close — with who does each task and a copy-and-paste version.
June 2, 2026
How to handle an employee who's always late: a tardiness policy, the talk and the pay rules
How to handle a café or restaurant employee who keeps arriving late, with a tardiness policy you can copy, a conversation that finds the cause, a four-step ladder, and the federal rules on rounding and docking pay.
June 1, 2026
How to run month-end inventory: the count, the cutoff and the value
A month-end inventory routine for a café or small restaurant: when to count, who counts, the invoice cutoff that keeps food cost honest, pricing the count the same way every month, a worked example in hypothetical figures, and the checks before it goes to your bookkeeper.
May 31, 2026
Customer feedback card and QR survey template: five questions, one scale and a follow-up rule
A customer feedback card for a café or restaurant that works on paper and as a QR survey, with five questions on a 1 to 5 scale, an open question, a contact box guests can skip, a 24-hour follow-up rule for low scores and a weekly tally sheet.
May 30, 2026
Bakery opening, closing and cleaning checklists (free template)
A bakery checklist template for ovens and proofers, allergens and labels, the display case, cooling custard and a weekly deep clean — with who does each task, the proof to ask for, the Food Code rules behind it and a copy-and-paste version.
May 29, 2026
Fryer oil log: filter, top off, test and change, with a cost check and the rules on teens and hot oil (free template)
A fryer oil log for a small restaurant or café, with a daily filter-and-check routine, signs it's time to change the oil, a weekly cost check with hypothetical figures, used-oil storage, shared-fryer allergens and the federal rules on which teens may use a fryer or handle hot oil.
May 28, 2026
Connecticut restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What Connecticut restaurants must pay in 2026: the $16.94 minimum wage, the $6.38 and $8.23 tipped cash wages, why counter staff get the full wage, side work, the seventh-day premium, reporting pay, paid sick leave and paydays, with worked examples.
May 27, 2026
Café opening, closing and cleaning checklists (free template)
A complete café checklist template — opening, mid-shift, closing and a weekly deep clean — with who does each task, what proof to ask for, the FDA Food Code rules behind the milk, grinder and ice lines, and a copy-and-paste version.
May 26, 2026
Missed punch and time card correction form: a fill-in template, the rules behind it and a weekly review
A missed punch and time card correction form for a café or small restaurant, with the federal rules on hours worked and records, a short policy for staff, how managers should fix a punch, a worked example and a weekly review that finds why punches get missed.
May 25, 2026
Gift card policy for a café or restaurant: a fill-in template, the federal five-year rule and a monthly check
A fill-in gift card policy for a café or small restaurant, with what the federal gift card rule says about expiration dates and fees, how bonus and donation cards differ, a cashier procedure and a monthly check that keeps the unredeemed balance honest.
May 24, 2026
Comps, voids and discounts log: approval limits, reason codes and a weekly review (free template)
A comps, voids and discounts log for a café or small restaurant, with plain definitions, approval limits by role, a short list of reason codes, a nightly log sheet and a 20-minute weekly review that finds patterns without accusing anyone.
May 23, 2026
Florida restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What Florida restaurants must pay in 2026: the $14.00 minimum wage, the $10.98 cash wage for tipped staff, what servers and bartenders vs. cooks and dishwashers are owed, tip pools, overtime and breaks, with worked examples.
May 22, 2026
Key, alarm code and safe access log for a restaurant: who has what, and what to change when someone leaves
A key and access log for a café or restaurant, with an inventory of every key, code and combination, an access matrix by role, a numbered key issue and return log, alarm code and safe combination change logs, a lost-key report and a quarterly access audit.
May 21, 2026
Missouri restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What Missouri restaurants must pay in 2026: the $15.00 minimum wage and $7.50 tipped cash wage, what a 2025 law changed after Proposition A, the small-business exemption, tip pools, overtime, final pay and why cities can’t set their own rate, with worked examples.
May 20, 2026
Catering and phone orders without a host at the counter
How a small café handles phone calls during the rush, how to work out what missed calls cost you, a catering workflow from inquiry to quote, deposit and delivery, and which calls a phone receptionist can take off your team's hands.
May 19, 2026
Employee write-up form for a restaurant: documented coaching and written warnings (free template)
A write-up form for a café or restaurant, with a lighter coaching note for the first conversation, a written warning you can copy, a worked example, rules for writing facts instead of labels, and the federal limits on what you can't discipline people for, quoted from the law.
May 18, 2026
Monthly P&L review for a café: the lines to read and the questions to ask
A monthly profit and loss review template for a café or small restaurant, with the P&L laid out around prime cost, the lines worth reading every month, the questions to ask when one moves, a worked example in hypothetical numbers, and a one-hour routine that ends in three actions.
May 17, 2026
Employee pay advance policy for a restaurant or café: a request form, a repayment agreement and the federal wage rules
A pay advance policy for a small restaurant or café, with what the Labor Department's handbook says about deducting an advance from pay, why interest and fees are a problem, the extra care tipped staff need, a request form, a signed repayment agreement and an advance log.
May 16, 2026
Restaurant social media content calendar template: weekly themes for a small café
A month-at-a-glance social media calendar for a café or small restaurant, built on a weekly theme for each day, with a content bank, a one-hour monthly planning session, who shoots and who posts, the staff photo and review rules, and what to write down after each post.
May 15, 2026
Shift swap request form template: rules, manager approval and the overtime check
A shift swap and hand-off request form for a café or small restaurant, with the swap rules to post, the five checks a manager makes before approving (overtime, qualifications, minors, availability, rest), a swap log, and the federal rules on workweeks and hours worked.
May 14, 2026
Wisconsin restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What Wisconsin restaurants must pay in 2026: the $7.25 minimum wage and $2.33 tipped cash wage, the $5.90 opportunity wage, the signed tip declaration, paid short breaks, the minors’ meal rule, monthly paydays and why cities can’t set a rate, with worked examples.
May 13, 2026
Health inspection prep for a new restaurant (Florida edition)
How Florida's DBPR inspects restaurants and cafés, what high priority, intermediate and basic violations mean, the ten violations cited most often, a self-inspection checklist, the records to keep and what happens after a violation.
May 12, 2026
Time-off request form and policy template for a small restaurant
A time-off policy you can fill in and a one-page request form for a café or small restaurant, with notice periods, blackout dates, how requests are decided, how many people can be off at once, and how sick leave fits in, with links to the state paid sick leave rules.
May 11, 2026
Employee availability form template for a café or restaurant
A one-page availability form for café and restaurant staff, with a weekly grid that separates "can't work" from "rather not", the hours each person wants, a school section for minors, dates for temporary changes, and the federal hours limits for 14- and 15-year-olds.
May 10, 2026
Tip-out sheet template: cash tips and card tips by shift, tip-outs and what each person keeps
A nightly tip-out sheet for a restaurant or café, with each person's card and cash tips, tip-outs given and received, what they keep and their initials, plus shift totals, a weekly summary for payroll, and the DOL and IRS rules the sheet has to respect.
May 9, 2026
Delegating as a new restaurant owner: what to hand off first, and a delegation ladder
How a new café or restaurant owner can start handing work to the team, covering a one-week time audit, how to pick the first tasks to hand off, a five-step delegation ladder from "watch me" to "own it", decision limits, and how to check work without taking it back.
May 8, 2026
Standardizing recipes, checklists and training across locations
How a café or restaurant group keeps the same latte, checklist and training at every store. One master copy of each standard, a change process that reaches every store on the same day, training that travels with the person, and cross-store checks.
May 7, 2026
Iowa restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What Iowa restaurants must pay in 2026: the $7.25 minimum wage and $4.35 tipped cash wage, the 40% tip credit, the starting rate for new hires, the $300,000 coverage line, paydays, deductions and pay statements, and why counties can’t set a rate, with worked examples.
May 6, 2026
Your first 50 Google reviews: replying when you're new
Why replies matter for a new café, how to answer 5-, 3- and 1-star reviews (with templates), when to reply, how to turn a complaint into a fix, and what Google's review policy and the FTC's review rule don't allow.
May 5, 2026
Your second location: what changes for you as the owner
A second café or restaurant changes the owner's job more than anyone else's. Run an absence test, build systems before you hire into them, split local from group-wide decisions, plan your week across stores, and protect the first store while the second ramps up.
May 4, 2026
How to set up an espresso bar workflow for speed: zones, drink sequencing and a two-barista split
How to make a café's espresso bar faster without rushing anyone. Lay the bar out in zones from cup to handoff, sequence each drink so the shot and the milk finish together, batch matching drinks, pick one two-barista split, and time 20 drinks to find your real bottleneck.
May 3, 2026
Large parties at a café or restaurant: the booking, the table and the check
How to host large parties without wrecking everyone else's service. Decide what "large" means for your room, take the booking on one form, choose a set menu or pre-order, staff and pace the table, take orders by seat, split the check, and explain an automatic service charge as the IRS treats it.
May 2, 2026
The first 30 seconds: the greeting, the wait and quoting times you can keep
What happens in the first half-minute of a visit to a café or restaurant. Who owns the door, how to greet when you're slammed, how to quote a wait time you can keep, what to do when the quote slips, a simple paper waitlist, and the phone that rings during the rush.
May 1, 2026
Steps of service on one page: counter, table and the hybrid in between
How to write your café or restaurant's steps of service on a single page. The steps for table service and for order-at-the-counter service, who owns each one, the timing you promise, the handoffs that break, and how to keep the page true once it's on the wall.
April 30, 2026
Utah restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What Utah restaurants must pay in 2026: the $7.25 minimum wage and $2.13 tipped cash wage, the training wage for minors, Utah’s written tip-pool rule, breaks for minors, food handler permits, paydays and final pay within 24 hours, with worked examples.
April 29, 2026
Café inventory from day one: par levels, counts and ordering
How to set par levels, what to count daily and what to count weekly, FIFO and date marking, a waste log, ordering around your vendors' delivery days, and the basics of theoretical vs. actual usage, with a worked par example.
April 28, 2026
Equipment list and layout for a new café's coffee bar: categories and the questions to ask
An equipment list for a new café's coffee bar, by category, with the questions to ask before you buy each piece, the Food Code rules that shape the layout (hand sinks, the three-compartment sink, certified equipment) and how to lay out the bar from order to handoff.
April 27, 2026
Building the menu for a small café: the fewest ingredients and the fastest drinks
How to build a first menu for a small café that a small team can make fast and well. Start from a short list of ingredients, build drinks as a grid, time every item at the bar, keep food simple, and know what the menu tells the health department and the equipment list.
April 26, 2026
Opening and closing duties for a one-person shift: a checklist for working alone
How to write opening and closing duties for a café shift worked by one person: who can work alone, both checklists in the right order, handwashing between register and food, breaks when nobody can relieve you, and safety check-ins.
April 25, 2026
Choosing a location for your café: foot traffic, lease basics and questions to ask a landlord
How to judge a space for a new café before you sign. Count the foot traffic yourself, check zoning and the health department's plan review first, understand the lease terms that matter most, and take a list of questions to the landlord and to your lawyer.
April 24, 2026
Writing a café concept and a one-page plan before you sign anything
How to turn the idea of a café into a concept you can test and a one-page plan you can hand to a partner, a landlord or a lender. The concept sentence, the nine boxes of a lean plan, a filled-in example and the questions that show where the plan is still weak.
April 23, 2026
Alabama restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What Alabama restaurants must pay in 2026: the federal $7.25 minimum wage and $2.13 tipped cash wage, who the FLSA covers, teen hours, breaks and time records, child labor certificates, alcohol rules for young staff, the new overtime tax deduction and Birmingham’s voided wage, with worked examples.
April 22, 2026
Training your first hires in one week
A day-by-day plan for a new café hire's first week — SOPs in one place, short quizzes, shadow shifts and sign-offs — plus Florida's food handler and food manager deadlines, and what counts as paid training time.
April 21, 2026
Managing your former coworkers, and handling conflict between them
How a newly promoted café or restaurant manager can lead people who were peers last week, covering the first conversations, the coworker who wanted the job, friendships and the group chat, enforcing a rule on a friend, being tested, and conflict between two of your team.
April 20, 2026
Daily sales and cash report template: the Z-report summary, deposits and overs and shorts on one page
A one-page daily sales and cash report for a small restaurant or café, with the Z-report summary (gross, discounts, refunds, net, tax, tips), sales by tender, every drawer's over or short, the deposit, and a weekly roll-up, plus what the IRS says to keep and for how long.
April 19, 2026
The numbers a new restaurant manager owns: labor %, food cost % and sales per labor hour
The formulas behind the three numbers most café and restaurant managers are judged on, labor cost percentage, food cost percentage and sales per labor hour, with a hypothetical week worked through, what a manager can actually move on a shift, and a daily, weekly and monthly routine.
April 18, 2026
Call-outs and no-shows: covering shifts without burning out your best people
How a new café or restaurant manager can handle call-outs without leaning on the same reliable people every time, covering a cover log, rotating the ask, making no a safe answer, a short-staffed plan, not becoming the permanent backup yourself, and fixing the causes.
April 17, 2026
Feedback on the floor: coaching in the moment, and writing it down
How a new café or restaurant manager can give feedback during a shift, covering when to stop someone on the spot, the 60-second private correction, coaching a skill at the station, praise that teaches, a coaching log, and when to move to a written warning.
April 16, 2026
Louisiana restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What Louisiana restaurants must pay in 2026: the federal $7.25 minimum wage and $2.13 tipped cash wage, who the FLSA covers, final pay in 15 days and penalty wages, paydays, fines, the under-16 meal break, alcohol server permits and why parishes can’t set a rate, with worked examples.
April 15, 2026
Tip pooling for new restaurant owners: fair and legal
Who can and can't be in a tip pool under the FLSA, why managers and owners can't take from it, tip credit vs. no tip credit, card fees, Florida's tipped wage, and three ways to split the pool with a worked example.
April 14, 2026
Running a pre-shift meeting people actually listen to
How a new café or restaurant manager can run a pre-shift meeting the team pays attention to, covering five-minute prep, one message per huddle, asking instead of telling, praise in public and corrections in private, keeping promises, bad news, split crews and the eye-rollers.
April 13, 2026
Weekly inventory count sheet template: shelf-to-sheet order, units and par
A printable weekly inventory count sheet for a café or restaurant, laid out in the order you walk the store, with a count unit and pack size for every item, full cases and loose units counted separately, par next to the count, and the rules that keep two counters' numbers the same.
April 12, 2026
Staff schedule template for a small café: a weekly grid with roles and coverage rules
A printable weekly staff schedule for a small café, with coverage rules by daypart and role written above the grid, a row per person with roles and hour limits, a coverage count to check before you post, and the federal overtime, break and minor-hour rules to check it against.
April 11, 2026
Your first 30 days as a restaurant manager: what to learn, who to meet, and what not to change yet
A week-by-week plan for a new café or restaurant manager or newly promoted shift lead, covering getting the job in writing, learning every station and the building, one-on-ones with the team, the numbers and rhythms to learn, and the short list of things to fix on day one.
April 10, 2026
Indiana restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What Indiana restaurants must pay in 2026: the $7.25 minimum wage and $2.13 tipped cash wage, who the state law covers, the 2026 tip-pool law and who counts as tipped, the federal youth wage, paydays, final pay and teen and alcohol-server rules, with worked examples.
April 8, 2026
Time clock, breaks and overtime: first-month payroll mistakes to avoid
One-way rounding, unpaid early clock-ins, missed punches fixed from memory, break rules you assumed, overtime counted by pay period, bonuses left out of the regular rate — the payroll mistakes new cafés make in month one, with the federal and Florida rules.
April 7, 2026
Kentucky restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What Kentucky restaurants must pay in 2026: the $7.25 minimum wage and $2.13 tipped cash wage, why weekly overtime is the federal rule but the seventh day is Kentucky’s, paid rest breaks and the lunch window, tip pools, paydays, final pay and banned deductions, with worked examples.
April 1, 2026
Opening and closing checklists your staff will actually follow
Why café checklists get ignored, how to write tasks two people do the same way, when to ask for photo proof, assigning by role and shift, weekly jobs that carry over, reviewing and rejecting — plus a sample opening and closing checklist.
March 31, 2026
Kansas restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What Kansas restaurants must pay in 2026: the $7.25 minimum wage and $2.13 tipped cash wage, why most restaurants follow the federal 40-hour overtime rule instead of the state’s 46, the $20 tip test, paydays, final pay and deductions, teen hours and alcohol servers, with worked examples.
March 25, 2026
Food temperature logs for a new café: what inspectors look for, and how to stop doing them on paper
The temperatures that matter (41°F, 135°F, the two-stage cooling rule, reheating), what a temperature log should record, how often to check, the Florida specifics, and when wireless sensors beat a clipboard.
March 24, 2026
West Virginia restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What West Virginia restaurants must pay in 2026: the $8.75 minimum wage and $2.62 tipped cash wage, the location-by-location coverage rule, the 20% side-work line, paid short meal breaks, paydays and final pay, teen hours and alcohol rules, with worked examples.
March 18, 2026
How to build your first restaurant staff schedule (without spreadsheets)
A step-by-step way to build a new café's first schedule — dayparts and coverage, positions, availability, a labor % target, publishing and swaps — with the Florida wage and break rules that apply.
March 17, 2026
Oklahoma restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What Oklahoma restaurants must pay in 2026: the $7.25 minimum wage and $2.13 tipped cash wage, the 2025 change to the tip credit, who the state law covers, paydays and final pay, teen hours and breaks, alcohol server licenses and the $15 ballot question, with worked examples.
March 11, 2026
How many apps does a new restaurant really need?
Scheduling, time clock, checklists, temperature logs, training, team chat, reviews and inventory — the typical tool for each, its public list price, what a one-location café would pay in total, and what an all-in-one app replaces.
March 10, 2026
Nebraska restaurant pay rules (2026): what to pay tipped and non-tipped staff
What Nebraska restaurants must pay in 2026: the $15.00 minimum wage and the $2.13 cash wage that stays put, the $12.87 tip credit, paid sick time, the training wage for new hires under 20, final pay, teen hours and alcohol servers at 19, with worked examples.
March 4, 2026
The first 90 days of a new café: a week-by-week operations playbook
A practical plan for the first three months of a new café — roles, opening and closing checklists, food-safety logs, the schedule rhythm, first counts, reviews, labor and training — and where one app can carry it.
March 3, 2026