Opening, closing & the jobs in between

Digital checklists for cafés.A clear list for every shift.

Turn your opening, closing and cleaning routines into repeating tasks in Unpickle. Staff follow the steps, add required photos and leave a completion record your manager can review.

Start your 30-day free trial See how it works

No card required · Then £29 + VAT a month per shop

Daily, weekly & custom repeats
Photo proof where it matters
Task history for managers

unpickle.Example workflow

Recurring task · Every opening day

Open the café

Due 07:30 · 2 of 4 steps checked

Restock cups and lidsCompleted by Maya

Wipe and dry the counterCompleted by Maya

Set out the morning displayAdd a photo of the finished displayPhoto required

Set out tables and chairsReady for the first customers

Two steps and a required photo left to finish.

Illustrative checklist workflow with example steps and staff names. Set the routine and photo requirements for your own shop.

Is Unpickle right for your shop?

Best fit: A café or shop with repeat opening, closing or cleaning jobs that need clear steps, a due time and a record the manager can review.
Your team decides: The procedure, who owns it and what to do when something goes wrong. A completed checklist alone does not prove food-safety compliance.
Start with: One existing routine and a browser on a phone or shared tablet. Add a photo requirement only where the result helps someone check the work.

What your team can do

Make the routine easy to follow and check.

Write the way your shop actually works. Keep each step specific enough that a new starter and an experienced team member know what done looks like.

Write the steps once

Create a task with a clear title, instructions and a checklist. Keep opening preparation, daily cleaning and closing security in routines that make sense to your team.

Instructions at task and checklist-step level

Give each routine a schedule

Choose daily, selected weekdays or a custom recurrence. Set a due time where it matters and assign the work when a particular team member owns it.

Recurring tasks and due times

Ask for a photo of the result

Require a photo for the whole task or a specific step. Staff add the evidence before finishing, so a manager can see the result as well as the tick.

Task-level and step-level photo requirements

Know when a job hits a snag

Staff can report a problem while working through a task. Managers can review the task’s record and follow up on what still needs attention.

Problem reports and completion history

How it works

An opening list built around your counter.

Begin with your existing procedure and make the actions observable. These are example steps to adapt, not a complete food-safety or equipment procedure.

Create “Open the café”
Set the routine to repeat on your opening days, choose a due time before service and add a short set of steps the opener can follow.
Describe the actual job
Replace “sort the counter” with “restock cups and lids, wipe the counter and empty the knock box”. Link the team to your house instructions where more detail is needed.
Add evidence selectively
Ask for a photo of the prepared display if that helps the manager review the setup. Use photo requirements for the steps where seeing the result is useful.
Review and improve the routine
Look at completed tasks and reported problems with the team. Update future tasks when your equipment, opening hours or way of working changes.

A look inside the app

Unpickle demo task list showing Closing clean-down due at 18:30 for the whole team, with zero of five steps completed. — A closing job in the app, with its due time and checklist progress · Demo preview

Start with a useful list

Take your opening and closing routine off the clipboard.

Use our café checklist guide as a starting point, then adapt the steps to your equipment and responsibilities. Your team still needs clear instructions for any issue that needs a manager’s attention.

Get the opening & closing checklist templates

Test one opening and one close.

Keep your first trial focused. Ask a team member to follow the list without a manager talking them through it, then review completed steps, photos and any problems together. Rewrite the instructions that caused confusion.

Copy your current opening or closing list into a recurring task.
Require a photo on one step where the result is useful to see.
Run the shift, review the task history and tighten any unclear steps.

One plan for the whole shop.

£29+ VAT a month, per shop

Every feature included. Unlimited staff, with no charge per person.

Start your 30-day free trial

No card required. Email hello@unpickleapp.com within 30 days of your first payment to request a full refund, no questions asked. Cancel renewal through Billing to stop future payments.

Delivery tracking with invoice scanning
Repeating job lists with photo proof
House knowledge with photos and tags
Low-stock reports and stock counts
Suppliers and staff kept in one place
Simple reports you’ll actually read
Unlimited staff — never per person

Questions before you start

What is a digital café checklist?

A digital café checklist is a set of opening, closing, cleaning or other operational steps staff complete on a device. In Unpickle, checklists sit inside tasks with instructions, repeat schedules, optional photo requirements and a completion record.

Can opening and closing checklists repeat automatically?

Yes. Set a task to repeat daily, on selected weekdays or on a custom schedule, and add a due time when needed. Managers can edit future tasks as the routine changes.

Can we require a photo before a task is finished?

Yes. You can require a photo for a task or an individual checklist step. The required photos must be added before staff can finish the task.

Can we use the checklists for cleaning jobs?

Yes. You can write and schedule cleaning tasks for your café, restaurant, bar or bakery. Adapt them to your equipment instructions and food-safety procedures; recording a completed checklist does not by itself establish compliance.

Do staff need to install an app?

No. Unpickle works in a web browser on a phone, tablet or computer. Managers can also set up a shared shop device so staff do not need individual accounts.

How much do the digital checklists cost?

Unpickle costs £29 + VAT per month per shop, with unlimited staff and all features included. Start with a 30-day free trial; no card is required. Email hello@unpickleapp.com within 30 days of your first payment to request a full refund. Cancel renewal through Billing to stop future payments.

Keep making the day easier

Practical next steps

Checklist templates