requirement #1: tell your shift your SM scheduled you to open for the first time today

requirement #2: ask your shift what to do

opening is very different for every single store, so just do what they tell you

set two alarms

I think it varies store by store but this is how I do it in my Cafe (not a drive thru) store:

1. Turn on ovens first thing when you clock in (this will give them time to warm up while you’re setting up the pastry case)
2. place pastries in their spots in the case (can refer to store resources on the iPad to see where each item goes)
3. Once the ovens are done start heating the sandwiches to go into the display case.
4. Set up the RTDE cases
5. Sort through the recent shipment of sandwiches (which includes dating them)and restock the fridge below the ovens, restock other items like egg bites and pastries
6. Update item availability after everything has been stocked.

I also like to periodically check the brewers and brew fresh coffee as needed. Hope this helps!

Edited to add: am Barista and I open with one shift

Everything. 😂

But in reality, if you’re opening as a barista, it’ll likely be you and at least your supervisor, if not your supervisor and another barista.

There are three main groups of tasks that need to be done at open:

1. Cleaning tasks/back-up prep
2. Coffee/Tea prep
3. Inventory/Shift tasks

You’ll likely be in charge of one of if not both of the first two groups of tasks, again depending on who is there and how your supervisor has you run it. But, it’ll be things like: prepping coffees and teas, making back-ups of things like lemonade, refreshers, iced coffee, sauces, chai, sweet cream, whips, wiping down cabinets and fridges, ensuring FIFO, double checking/doing things missed at close the night before, cleaning floor drains, prepping display cases, etc.

The daily task cards help with this stuff too!

So at my store we have two baristas and a shift, we’re a DT store. When I open with someone who hasn’t opened before or hasn’t opened at our store I will take DT side bc it feels a little more involved, but I can list out both sides just in case. As you’ll be able to see from other comments it’s going to definitely vary from store to store.

DT side-
Make sure brewers and espresso machines are turned on.

Start brewing coffees (we have two brewers, I do 4 total of ice coffee, 3 for Curtis & 1 backup, then assuming I’m still on track time wise I do dark, then blonde, then Pike so pike is freshest right at open. If I’m behind at all I skip and make sure I have Pike ready plus dark.

In between brewing, I get the teas brewing, our store night shift typically has them set out for us, but sometimes I have to get the pitchers and tea bags ready

I also make sure we have our sani bucket and the containers at bar filled.

If I have time or as customers start coming I get our inclusions ready, then stock fridges, make back ups.

Cafe/front:
I personally stock the RTDE case first

Then I stock my fridge with sandwiches, for our store since we get sandwiches daily this involves dating the new sandwiches and making sure fridge has been fifo’ed

Then I start refilling pastries/doing the pastry case.

My store just recently started opening earlier so we’ve had a little more time to get things ready before customers start coming, but be prepared with it being pumpkin launch for there to be more of a rush. Good luck!!!

idk how many people u have but at my store we have 2 baristas as openers. so in the 30 minutes before opening up the cafe, one person will do drains, do glass, get cold brew toddies ready, make mocha, and switch out the chai pumps. i recommend doing it in that order just to make sure everything gets done. the other person will get ice for all the bars, brew teas, coffees, and iced coffee, and grab sani.

after open, the front person will typically get the pastry case ready if it wasnt left overnight (at my store it usually isnt, but sometimes we get lucky). the person on drive is usually busy taking orders and making drinks.

usually our night crew does a pretty good job of stocking us up, so we don’t have to worry about that.

hope this helps!

Don't be afraid to ask what needs done. When I was a shift I would rather be asked easy questions than have to fix something done incorrectly or not at all