Shifts and cash
Restaurant Closing Checklist
Complete this form when service ends, before the till and kitchen are cleared down. Do not leave an open table until morning, because an order carried overnight can become mixed into the next day's revenue. You can use the same form for a lunch close. Complete the date and shift fields for that service.
If the Z report cannot be produced that night, still complete the closing form but mark the report as outstanding. Record the reason in the notes and try again that night. In a franchise location, this sheet answers the head office question, "Who closed the venue?" Do not skip the form when one person closes alone. One signature can shorten the discussion the following day.
Do not put the lunch close and night close on the same sheet. The lunch round may be shorter, but open tables and the cash drawer must still be recorded. The night round also includes the Z report. Keeping two sheets in the same file makes it possible to identify which service produced a variance. Writing two shifts on one sheet leaves responsibility for the signature unclear.
How to use this form
- The closing manager should carry the form while making the round. Saying the venue is closed from a desk does not replace checking open orders and the printer queue.
- Close open tables before counting the cash drawer. Reversing the order means the count may include cash from an order that is still open and inflate the variance.
- Mark yes or no on every line and add your initials. A skipped line may return the next morning as a cash variance or a cold storage door left open.
- Record cash variances, voided orders, and orders closed without payment in the notes column. Leaving these notes until the next day makes responsibility unclear.
- Write the Z report number on the form. Without that number, the fiscal close and Ritapos end of day cannot be linked for that night.
- Sign the form and keep it on file for at least one month. During a Z report or cash drawer review, this sheet shows who closed the venue that night.
How this maps to Ritapos
This form records the physical closing round, not the report itself. Reviewing open orders, counting the cash drawer, transferring cash to the safe, and checking the day's sales summary are the digital parts of the same job in Ritapos. The fiscal cash register Z report and the Ritapos end-of-day time must fall within the same business day. If one closes at midnight and the other at 4:00 a.m., cash and fiscal receipts will not align.
Review voids and discounts in the activity log and add a short note to the sheet. When a manager opens both the form and the report the next day, they can see the same night from both sides. Keep the cash variance form in the same file as this checklist. One records the round, while the other records the figures.
This form is an educational checklist. It does not change your local authority, food registration, or occupational health and safety obligations. Confirm local requirements in writing.
