Bar Opening Procedure

Time Required: 30 minutes
Who Does This: Bar staff (assigned by Fai)
When: Daily at 14:00 (2pm) before venue opens

Quick Reference Checklist

Complete these in order. Tick each item as you finish:

Bar Equipment Setup

☐ Turn on all fridge lights
☐ Prepare garnish stations (limes, lemons, mint - see quantities below)
☐ Fill ice wells completely (bar + cooler)
☐ Set up beer taps (check CO2, run lines, check temperature)

Venue Preparation

☐ Turn on exterior sign lights
☐ Write today's timetable on blackboard (get schedule from Kop/Roy)
☐ Turn on cable lights throughout venue
☐ Arrange seating for tonight's event (check event runsheet)
☐ Turn on table lamps

Final Check

☐ Walk through venue - everything looks ready?
☐ Music playing (Spotify: "Opening Mix" playlist)
☐ Fridges fully stocked and cold

Done When: All items ticked, venue ready to receive customers at 16:00

Detailed Procedure

BEFORE YOU START

You'll need:

Pre-checks: ☐ Check if there's an event tonight - special setup needed?
☐ Confirm what time doors open (usually 16:00, sometimes earlier)

STEP 1: Bar Equipment Setup (15 minutes)

What you're doing: Getting the bar ready to serve drinks efficiently

Turn on Fridge Lights

  1. Go to each fridge (Front Bar has 2, Back Bar has 3)
  2. Open fridge door
  3. Switch on internal light (switch is inside top-right corner)
  4. Check fridge is cold (should feel like a normal fridge, not warm)

What good looks like:

If fridge is warm: Tell Fai or Kop immediately - may need to move stock to working fridges

Time this should take: 3 minutes

Prepare Garnish (Limes, Lemons, Mint)

Standard quantities (adjust based on expected crowd):

How to do it:

  1. Get cutting board, sharp knife from bar tools drawer
  2. Wash limes, lemons, mint in sink with clean water
  3. Cut limes into wedges:
    • Cut lime in half lengthways
    • Cut each half into quarters lengthways
    • You get 8 wedges per lime
  4. Cut lemons into wheels:
    • Cut off both ends
    • Slice across into 5mm thick circles
    • You get about 6 wheels per lemon
  5. Put mint in small container with water (keeps it fresh)
  6. Store all garnish in covered containers in bar fridge

What good looks like:

Time this should take: 8 minutes

Fill Ice Wells

Ice well locations:

How to do it:

  1. Get ice scoop from bar tools (NEVER use glass or your hands)
  2. Go to ice machine (behind back bar)
  3. Fill ice bucket completely
  4. Carry carefully to ice well (don't spill on floor - slip hazard)
  5. Pour ice into well
  6. Repeat until well is completely full (ice should be level with top)
  7. If filling cooler: Do this last, fill about 2/3 full

What good looks like:

Important: If ice machine is empty or broken, tell Fai/Kop immediately. We need to buy ice from 7-Eleven.

Time this should take: 6 minutes

Set Up Beer Taps

How to do it:

  1. Check CO2 pressure gauge (should be in green zone, around 30-35 PSI)
    • If in red zone (low), tell Fai - may need to change CO2 tank
  2. Run beer lines:
    • Pull each tap handle forward
    • Let beer run until it comes out clear (not foamy)
    • Discard this first beer (it's been sitting in lines overnight)
  3. Check temperature:
    • Beer should come out cold
    • If warm, check keg fridge temperature (should be 3-5°C)
  4. Wipe down tap handles with clean cloth

What good looks like:

If tap is not working: Tag it with "OUT OF ORDER" sign, tell Fai

Time this should take: 5 minutes

STEP 2: Venue Preparation (10 minutes)

What you're doing: Making the venue look open and inviting

Turn on Sign Lights

Which signs:

How to do it:

  1. Sign switches are behind front bar, near POS system
  2. Flip switches labeled "SIGN 1" and "SIGN 2" to ON position
  3. Go outside and check they're lit up
  4. If not working: Check circuit breaker first, then tell Kop

What good looks like:

Time this should take: 2 minutes

Write Timetable on Blackboard

What to write:

Where to get info:

Example:

TONIGHT - Saturday 30 Dec
Doors: 16:00 | Show: 20:00

20:00 - Support Band
21:30 - Headliner

Tickets at door: 500 THB

What good looks like:

Time this should take: 3 minutes

Turn on Cable Lights

Where they are:

How to do it:

  1. Flip switches labeled "CABLE LIGHTS" to ON
  2. Walk around venue to check all sections are lit
  3. If any section isn't working: Tell Kop (might be bulb out)

What good looks like:

Time this should take: 2 minutes

Arrange Seating (If Needed)

Check first:

If seated show:

If standing show:

What good looks like:

Time this should take: 3 minutes (or skip if no changes needed)

Turn on Table Lamps

How to do it:

  1. Go to each table with a lamp
  2. Switch on lamp (usually switch on cord)
  3. Check bulb works

What good looks like:

Time this should take: 2 minutes

STEP 3: Final Checks (5 minutes)

Walk Through Checklist

Do a lap of the venue and check: ☐ Music is playing at low volume (Spotify: "Opening Mix" playlist)
☐ All areas are lit properly
☐ No obstacles or trip hazards
☐ Toilets are clean and stocked (check toilet paper, soap, paper towels)
☐ Smoking area is set up (ashtrays clean, chairs arranged)
☐ Bar has everything you need for service
☐ Fridges are fully stocked

If anything is missing or broken: Tell Fai or Kop before opening

Common Mistakes

Mistake #1: Not filling ice wells completely

Mistake #2: Using old/brown garnish

Mistake #3: Not checking event schedule

Mistake #4: Forgetting to test beer taps

Emergency Contacts

If something is broken or you need help:

Issue Type Contact Phone
Bar equipment broken Fai (Bar Manager) [Insert number]
Electrical/technical Kop (Operations) [Insert number]
Emergency Eddie [Insert number]

Tips for New Staff

Training Notes

Version Control

Version Date Updated By What Changed
1.0 30/12/2024 Aaron Initial creation from Fai's notes
       
       

Last Reviewed: 30/12/2024
Next Review Due: 30/03/2025 (review every 3 months)
Document Owner: Fai (Bar Manager)

Revision #3
Created 2025-12-30 07:08:35 UTC by Aaron Winning
Updated 2025-12-30 07:18:42 UTC by Aaron Winning