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1. The procedure
2. Steps
Write one action per step, starting with a verb, in the order it happens. Add a note for a safety point or what to do if something is wrong.
Step 1
This is already the first step.
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
This is already the last step.
3. Checks and review
Clarity check
No vague wording found in the steps.
This looks for a short list of words that leave a step open to interpretation. It never stops you printing.
Procedure preview
Close the coffee bar
Standard operating procedure · Meadow Corner
Who does it
Whoever closes the coffee bar
When
Every day at closing time
Procedure owner
Sam Taylor, supervisor
Version
1.2
Effective
November 2, 2026
Review by
February 1, 2027
Purpose
Leave the coffee bar clean, safe and ready for the opening shift, with nothing left switched on that should be off.
What you need
Blind basket, espresso machine cleaner, two clean cloths, sanitizer spray, milk jug brush, closing log
Steps
Serve the last drink 15 minutes before closing and put the "Coffee bar closed" sign on the counter.
Pour leftover milk away, rinse the jugs and put them in the dishwasher.Note: Write any milk thrown away on the waste sheet.
Backflush each group head with the blind basket and cleaner, following the machine's manual.Note: Wear the heat-resistant glove.
Purge and wipe both steam wands with a clean damp cloth.
Empty the grinder hopper into the labeled container and brush out the chute.
Spray and wipe the counter, fridge handles and card terminal with sanitizer.Note: Use the card terminal maker's cleaning instructions.
Check the fridge reads 41°F (5°C) or below and record it in the closing log.Note: If it is warmer, tell the closing lead before you leave.
Switch off the grinder and lights, and set the espresso machine to its overnight mode.
How to check it is done
The opening shift can start the machine without cleaning first. The fridge temperature is written in the closing log. Nothing is left in the drip trays.
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Write a routine down once, so everyone does it the same way. This free SOP generator turns a task into a standard operating procedure: a title, who does it and when, what they need, numbered steps with notes, how to check it is done, and an owner, version and review date. It starts with a sample procedure for closing a coffee bar, so you can see a finished SOP before you write your own.
Write a standard operating procedure
Enter the procedure title, such as Close the coffee bar or Receive a chilled delivery, and who does it and when.
Add a purpose in one sentence and list what the person needs before they start.
Write the steps in the order they happen, one action per step, starting with a verb. Use the arrow buttons to reorder them.
Add a note to any step for a safety point or what to do when something is wrong.
Describe how to check the job is done, then add the owner, version, effective date and review date.
The clarity check flags a short list of words that leave a step open to interpretation, such as "as needed", "properly" or "regularly". It quotes the word it found and suggests what to say instead, and it never stops you printing.
How to write an SOP people follow
Write it with the person who does the job. Watch the routine once and write the steps as they happen, not as you remember them.
One action per step. "Wipe the steam wands" is a step; "clean the machine" is several. Twenty steps is the most this template holds; split a longer routine into two procedures.
Say what done looks like. "The fridge reads 41°F or below" is checkable; "make sure the fridge is cold" is not.
Keep safety in the step. Put the glove, the lock-out or the two-person lift next to the step that needs it, not in a list at the end. OSHA's small business resources cover workplace safety in more depth.
Name an owner and a review date. Procedures drift when equipment or suppliers change. The owner updates the SOP and raises the version number.
Print and use your SOP
Print the procedure for the wall or a binder, or save it as a PDF from the print dialog. Download the steps as a CSV to keep a list of your procedures in a spreadsheet, or save a draft file to edit the SOP here later.