The Complete Café, Restaurant & Bar Cleaning Checklist
A practical daily, weekly and monthly cleaning guide for New Zealand cafés, restaurants and bars
A clean hospitality venue protects customers and staff, supports food safety, creates a great first impression and helps maintain compliance with food safety requirements. Consistent cleaning also extends the life of your equipment and creates a more enjoyable dining experience.
This checklist is suitable for cafés, restaurants, bars, bistros, pubs, licensed premises, food courts and hospitality venues throughout New Zealand.
Daily Cleaning Checklist
Entrances & Customer Areas
☐ Sweep or vacuum entrance floors
☐ Mop hard floors
☐ Clean entrance doors and glass
☐ Wipe reception or host station
☐ Remove fingerprints from glass and stainless steel
☐ Empty rubbish bins
☐ Clean entrance mats
☐ Restock hand sanitiser stations where provided
☐ Check outdoor seating areas
Dining Areas
☐ Wipe and sanitise all tables after each customer
☐ Clean chairs and booth seating
☐ Sweep floors throughout service
☐ Mop floors after service
☐ Clean menus (or menu holders)
☐ Sanitise condiment bottles and holders
☐ Wipe window sills and ledges
☐ Empty rubbish bins
☐ Spot clean walls
☐ Check lighting fixtures for dust
Bar Areas
☐ Clean bar tops
☐ Sanitise service counters
☐ Wipe bar stools
☐ Clean beer taps externally
☐ Clean coffee machines externally
☐ Clean drink preparation benches
☐ Clean sinks
☐ Restock napkins and straws
☐ Empty glass bins
☐ Mop bar floors
Food Preparation Areas
☐ Clean food preparation benches
☐ Sanitise all food contact surfaces
☐ Clean chopping boards
☐ Wipe shelving
☐ Clean sinks
☐ Empty rubbish bins
☐ Clean food storage containers externally
☐ Sweep floors
☐ Mop floors
☐ Check floor drains
☐ Restock paper towels
☐ Refill hand soap
Kitchen Equipment
☐ Clean ovens externally
☐ Clean grills
☐ Clean fryers externally
☐ Clean cooktops
☐ Wipe refrigerators externally
☐ Clean microwave ovens
☐ Clean mixers and food processors
☐ Clean splashbacks
☐ Empty grease trays where applicable
Dishwashing Area
☐ Clean dishwashing benches
☐ Clean sinks
☐ Wipe dishwasher externally
☐ Remove food waste
☐ Empty rubbish bins
☐ Mop floors
☐ Check detergent and rinse aid levels
Public Toilets
☐ Clean toilets and urinals
☐ Sanitise toilet seats
☐ Clean basins
☐ Clean taps
☐ Polish mirrors
☐ Refill soap dispensers
☐ Refill toilet paper
☐ Refill paper towels
☐ Empty sanitary bins
☐ Mop floors
☐ Check odours
Staff Areas
☐ Clean staff kitchen
☐ Wipe benches
☐ Clean lockers
☐ Empty rubbish bins
☐ Vacuum or mop floors
☐ Restock paper towels
Outdoor Dining Areas
☐ Sweep outdoor areas
☐ Wipe outdoor furniture
☐ Empty outdoor bins
☐ Clean umbrellas where required
☐ Remove litter
☐ Clean entrance pathways
Throughout the Day
☐ Wipe tables after every customer
☐ Clean spills immediately
☐ Sweep floors regularly
☐ Empty bins before they overflow
☐ Restock washroom consumables
☐ Maintain soap and sanitiser stations
☐ Clean high-touch surfaces regularly
☐ Keep food preparation benches sanitised
☐ Record food safety cleaning where required
Weekly Cleaning Tasks
☐ Machine scrub hard floors
☐ Deep clean kitchen equipment
☐ Clean exhaust canopies externally
☐ Deep clean refrigerators
☐ Clean freezer doors
☐ Wash rubbish bins
☐ Remove marks from walls
☐ Dust high surfaces
☐ Clean skirting boards
☐ Wash internal glass
☐ Clean ventilation grilles
☐ Deep clean coffee equipment
☐ Deep clean beer taps
☐ Clean storage shelves
Monthly Cleaning Tasks
☐ Deep clean carpets
☐ Pressure wash entrances and outdoor dining areas
☐ Machine scrub dining areas
☐ Deep clean washrooms
☐ Deep clean cool rooms
☐ Deep clean freezers
☐ Inspect flooring
☐ Review cleaning chemical stock
☐ Inspect dispensers
☐ Service vacuum cleaners
☐ Service floor scrubbers
☐ Review cleaning procedures with staff
☐ Inspect emergency exits
☐ Inspect pest control records
☐ Clean ceilings and ventilation grilles
High-Touch Surface Checklist
These surfaces should be cleaned and sanitised regularly throughout the day.
☐ Door handles
☐ Push plates
☐ Tables
☐ Chair backs
☐ EFTPOS terminals
☐ Touchscreens
☐ Menus
☐ Condiment bottles
☐ Coffee machine controls
☐ Beer tap handles
☐ Refrigerator handles
☐ Light switches
☐ Tap handles
☐ Flush buttons
☐ Handrails
☐ Service counters
Hospitality Cleaning & Food Safety Tips
✔ Clean and sanitise food contact surfaces before and after food preparation.
✔ Always use food-safe cleaning and sanitising products.
✔ Follow the manufacturer's recommended contact time for sanitisers.
✔ Separate raw and ready-to-eat food preparation areas.
✔ Empty rubbish bins regularly to minimise odours and pest attraction.
✔ Clean spills immediately to reduce slip hazards.
✔ Keep washrooms fully stocked throughout trading hours.
✔ Use colour-coded cleaning equipment to minimise cross-contamination.
✔ Deep clean kitchen equipment on a scheduled basis.
✔ Maintain cleaning records as part of your food safety programme.
Recommended Colour-Coding System
Red – Toilets and sanitary areas
Yellow – Food preparation equipment, benches and food contact surfaces
Blue – Dining areas, bars, reception and general public areas
Green – Kitchen floors, storage rooms and non-food contact kitchen surfaces
Use separate cloths, mops, brushes and buckets for each colour-coded area to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.
Recommended Cleaning Equipment
- Microfibre cleaning cloths
- Colour-coded cleaning cloths
- Colour-coded flat mops
- Commercial vacuum cleaners
- Wet & dry vacuum cleaners
- Walk-behind floor scrubbers
- Neutral floor cleaner
- Food-safe sanitiser
- Food-grade degreaser
- Glass cleaner
- Washroom cleaner
- Stainless steel cleaner
- Hand soap
- Paper towels
- Toilet paper
- Bin liners
- Disposable gloves
- Wet floor signs
- Grill brushes
- Squeegees
- Scrubbing pads