I'm Abdel, a McDonald's crew member. Closing shifts can be tiring, and a good close is one of the most considerate things you can do for the next team. I have seen how much it helps the people who open the next morning.
Closing times, tasks, security steps, and rules about who may work late may vary by market, franchise organization, and restaurant. Follow your manager's direction and approved checklists, and never share security details.
What closing usually involves
A closing shift usually has two parts: serving guests until the restaurant or drive-thru closes, and preparing the restaurant for the following day. The cleaning and restocking can take a lot of time, and you may be tired before you get started.
Depending on your training and restaurant, closing tasks may include:
| Area | Examples |
|---|---|
| Kitchen | Cleaning equipment as trained, and handling food according to procedures |
| Stations | Wiping, sanitizing, and restocking |
| Beverage area | Cleaning machines and nozzles as instructed |
| Dining area | Cleaning tables, floors, and restrooms, and emptying bins |
| Outside | Checking the lobby, entrance, or drive-thru area, if your restaurant asks you to |
| Whole restaurant | Completing the closing checklist with the manager |
Only clean equipment or use chemicals after you have been trained to do so. Some tasks, such as handling fryer oil, require specific training and may be restricted.
Plan your close
Strong closers begin thinking about the end well before it arrives. During quieter moments before closing, you may be able to do some of the following:
- Restock anything you can.
- Wipe surfaces as you go.
- Clean what is no longer in use, if your manager says you may.
- Ask what the priority is and who is doing what.
Be careful not to let early cleaning hurt guests' experience. Your restaurant must still serve people properly until closing time, and it is frustrating for a guest to be told that something has "already been cleaned" if it should still be available. Follow your manager's direction about what can be done early.
Working efficiently without cutting corners
It is tempting to skip steps when you are tired. But skipped cleaning becomes the morning team's problem, and sometimes a food safety problem too. A few things will help you work faster the honest way:
- Use a set route. Work from top to bottom and from the back to the front, so you do not clean the same area twice.
- Gather your supplies first. Avoid unnecessary trips.
- Divide the work clearly. Know who is doing what.
- Finish one area. Half-finished jobs get forgotten.
- Help each other out. When you are done, ask who needs a hand.
Follow chemical instructions carefully. Never mix products, and use the correct dilution, tools, and protective equipment as you were trained. A wet floor sign takes only a moment and might prevent an injury.
Staying safe at night
Late shifts can raise some extra safety concerns. Your restaurant should have procedures, so make sure you know them:
- Follow security steps exactly, particularly around doors and cash.
- Do not open locked doors for anyone unless your manager tells you to.
- Tell a manager at once about anyone who makes you feel unsafe.
- Do not confront anyone or chase after anyone. Your safety matters more than anything else.
- Be careful when you take out trash at night. Follow your restaurant's rules, and do not go alone if that is not allowed.
- Plan your way home. Leave with others when possible, and let someone know if you are traveling alone.
Tired people make more mistakes, so slow down when using hot equipment, chemicals, or ladders, if ladders are in use at all.
Set up the next team
Think about what you would want to find at the start of an opening shift. A good close means that:
- Stations are clean and stocked as far as your procedures require.
- Supplies are where they belong.
- Equipment problems have been reported to the manager, with details.
- Food has been dealt with according to the rules, and labeled correctly.
- Notes for the next team have been passed along.
A short note can save a lot of confusion:
The dessert machine was making a strange noise at 10 p.m. The manager knows. Large lids are running low in the back.
This guide on effective communication gives more on why this matters.
Getting along on a closing team
Closing crews can become close, partly because everyone wants the same thing: to finish properly and go home. Keep the mood positive, but do not let joking slow down the work or become unsafe. Do your share, and do not disappear when the mop comes out. People remember who stayed to finish and who just happened to be on a long break.
If you often leave later than scheduled, speak to your manager. You should clock in and out correctly and be paid for your time according to the rules that apply. Do not work unrecorded time, even if you feel you ought to help out.
Handling late nights
Getting to sleep after a closing shift can be harder than you may expect, because your body is still alert. Give yourself time to wind down, avoid heavy meals and bright screens if you can, and try to plan for a late start if you have to be somewhere the next morning. If you work a close followed by an early opening, tell your manager how it is affecting you. Rules about rest between shifts vary, so ask what applies.
Before you leave
Take one last look at your area, and ask your manager whether anything else is needed. Check that you have your belongings, and make sure that you clock out correctly. It only takes a minute, and it can save you from a call or a forgotten task later.
If you are new to the drink area, this guide to the beverage and dessert station explains how it works.
Final thoughts
Nobody will thank you in person for a clean floor at 6 a.m. But the opening team will feel it right away, and so will the guests who walk into a clean restaurant.
Plan early, work your way through the checklist, stay safe, and leave the restaurant in the state you would want to find it. Then you can go home knowing the job is finished and done well.
