Description

Most restaurant training sounds like this: “Just follow Maria around for a few shifts.” So the new hire learns whatever Maria happens to do. On Tuesday it’s Maria; on Thursday it’s someone who does it differently. By the second week, they’re on a Friday rush with half the menu memorized and no idea what the call-out rule is.

Then they quit, and you start over.

The problem isn’t the people you hire. It’s that training lives in whoever is working that day. This kit puts it on paper. Every new hire gets the same welcome, the same plan, the same trainer method, and the same sign-off, plus check-ins at the moments people usually decide whether to stay.

What’s inside the printable kit (14 pages):

• How to Use This Kit: what you need, the order to work in, and when to update.
• Before Day One: everything to set up before the new hire walks in, plus a fill-in message to send them: start time, where to go, who to ask for, and what to wear and bring.
• Day One Checklist: a welcome and tour (including safety), first tasks, and a 10-minute check-in at the end of the shift.
• Training Plan for Kitchen and Training Plan for Front of House: seven shifts, from shadowing to supervised to working alone, with the SOP pages to use on each shift and a “ready to work on their own” sign-off.
• Trainer Guide: the show, do, check method, six rules for trainers, and a skill sign-off table.
• Knowledge Check: a template for writing your own questions on your menu, standards, and house rules, with a pass mark.
• Check-Ins at 7, 30, and 90 Days: the questions to ask before someone quietly decides to leave.
• House Rules: a fill-in page for attendance, calling out, shift swaps, phones, meals, dress code, and clocking in, signed on day one.
• Onboarding Tracker: every new hire on one page.
• Common Mistakes to Avoid: six ways onboarding goes wrong.

What’s inside the companion spreadsheet:

• One row per new hire: role, start date, trainer, and progress
• A Next Step column that tells you exactly what’s due for each person
• Overdue check-ins flagged in red
• Shadow and supervised shift counts set by role, so a dishwasher and a server get different plans
• A training record of who was trained on what, by whom, and when it was signed off
• 30-day and 90-day retention, average days until a new hire can work alone, and average knowledge check score
• Comes loaded with example new hires whose dates move with today’s date, so you can see every status the first time you open it

Built for real restaurants:

• Printable PDF, US Letter size, in black and white
• Spreadsheet works in Excel and Google Sheets
• Works on its own, or alongside the Kitchen and Front of House SOP Packs for station-by-station training
• No theory and no filler, just what happens on each shift until a new hire is ready

Who it’s for: owners and managers of independent restaurants, cafes, bars, and food trucks who hire often and are tired of training the same position over and over.

How often to use it: for every new hire, from the week before their first shift to their 90-day check-in. Review the kit every 90 days, and update it whenever your menu, SOPs, or policies change.

Pairs with the Kitchen SOP Template Pack and the Front of House SOP Template Pack. The training plans point straight to their station pages.

Instant digital download: one PDF and one spreadsheet (.xlsx). The printable kit is not a fillable form. Hiring paperwork, break, and scheduling rules vary by state and city. This kit tracks training; it is not legal or HR advice.