Restaurant Cook SOPs

This template contains Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for restaurant cooks, encompassing a wide range of kitchen operations. These SOPs ensure food safety, efficiency, and high-quality service.

The first SOP focuses on opening kitchen operations and includes arriving on time and in proper attire, conducting a kitchen inspection, turning on equipment, checking inventory levels, preparing and inspecting ingredients, setting up workstations, reviewing prep lists and prioritizing tasks, performing food safety checks, coordinating with the team, and preparing for opening service.

Food preparation and mise en place are covered in SOP 2. Key steps involve reviewing prep lists and recipes, maintaining cleanliness and sanitation, gathering ingredients and tools, sorting and organizing ingredients, following specific preparation techniques, batch cooking when necessary, labeling and dating all prepped items, checking portions for consistency, maintaining cleanliness during prep, communicating with other stations, and conducting a final check before service.

SOP 3 details cooking techniques and execution during service. This includes starting service with a fully prepared station, reviewing the order system, reading and confirming each order, cooking dishes according to recipe standards, controlling cooking times, communicating with team members, tasting and adjusting seasoning, plating consistently, monitoring food quality, handling special requests, working cleanly and efficiently, managing timing for multiple orders, handling emergencies gracefully, and resetting between rushes.

Cleaning and sanitization protocols are outlined in SOP 4. This involves maintaining cleanliness during service, post-service breakdown and sanitization of stations, cleaning of equipment, proper handling of dishes and cookware, waste disposal, cleaning of floors and walls, inspecting drains and plumbing, restocking and resetting stations, end-of-shift cleaning checklists, and weekly deep cleaning.

SOP 5 emphasizes handling kitchen equipment safely, which includes familiarizing oneself with the equipment, inspecting it before use, setting it up properly, following safe operation practices, wearing protective gear, staying alert, turning off and unplugging equipment after use, cleaning and storing equipment properly, reporting malfunctions or accidents, scheduling regular maintenance, and conducting safety drills. The remaining SOPs address food storage and inventory (SOP 6), managing food waste (SOP 7), handling customer special requests (SOP 8), plating and presentation standards (SOP 9), and closing kitchen operations (SOP 10).