Restaurant, Kitchen and Hotel Staff Meeting Agenda Templates

In restaurants, hotel kitchens and hospitality teams, meetings have to fit around service. A good kitchen or restaurant meeting is short, practical and focused on what matters tonight and this week: covers and bookings, menu changes, what’s run out, allergens, food cost and the rota. A clear agenda keeps it tight, so the team can get back to prep.

On this page you’ll find free restaurant, kitchen and hotel staff meeting agenda templates in Microsoft Word, a sample weekly kitchen meeting, a pre-shift lineup agenda, outlines for front-of-house, hotel and housekeeping meetings, and topic ideas.

Free restaurant and kitchen staff meeting agenda templates

Templates for chef and kitchen meetings, executive chef meetings and hotel staff meetings. Download them free and edit in Word or Google Docs.

Kitchen staff meeting agenda example

Here is a 30-minute weekly meeting for a hotel restaurant kitchen, held between lunch and dinner service. It covers results, the new menu, one food safety point and the week ahead, then moves straight into a tasting.

Holding the meeting between services means nobody has to come in on a day off, and ending with a tasting turns the menu briefing into something the team can see and taste.

Pre-shift meeting (lineup) agenda

A pre-shift meeting, also called a lineup or huddle, is a 5- to 15-minute briefing held just before service. It’s the most frequent and often the most useful meeting in a restaurant. A typical agenda:

1. Covers and bookings. Expected guests, large parties and busy times.
2. VIPs and special requests. Regulars, celebrations, dietary needs and accessibility.
3. Menu updates. Specials, items that have run out (“86’d”), and dishes to recommend.
4. Allergens. Any changes to ingredients and the allergen process for tonight.
5. Service focus. One thing to do especially well tonight, such as greeting times or upselling desserts.
6. Stations and sections. Who is where, breaks and cover.
7. Quick motivation. A shout-out for great work or a guest compliment.

Keep it standing, keep it short, and finish in time for everyone to be ready at their station before doors open.

Agendas for different hospitality meetings

Restaurant staff meeting (all staff)

A monthly meeting for both front-of-house and back-of-house teams. For general staff meeting formats, see our staff meeting agenda templates.

1. Welcome and wins from the month
2. Sales, covers and guest review highlights
3. Menu, drinks and pricing changes
4. Service standards and one area to improve
5. Health, safety and hygiene reminders
6. Rota, holidays and upcoming events
7. Recognition and open questions

Chef and kitchen team meeting

1. Food cost, waste and stock levels
2. Menu changes, recipes and plating standards
3. Supplier issues and deliveries
4. Equipment and maintenance
5. Food safety, cleaning schedules and inspections
6. Training and new starters
7. Rota and prep for the week ahead

Front-of-house meeting

1. Guest feedback and online reviews
2. Service steps and timing
3. Menu knowledge and recommendations
4. Reservations, walk-ins and table turns
5. Drinks, wine and upselling
6. Complaints handling
7. Rota and sections

Hotel daily operations meeting

A short morning briefing for hotel department heads, often called the daily ops meeting or morning briefing.

1. Occupancy, arrivals and departures
2. VIPs, groups and special requests
3. Events, meetings and banquets today
4. Maintenance issues and out-of-order rooms
5. Guest complaints from the last 24 hours
6. Staffing and department updates

Banquet and events meeting

Held before large functions to review the event plan with kitchen, service and events staff. See also our event agenda templates.

1. Event details: timings, numbers and room setup
2. Menu, dietary requirements and service style
3. Staffing and roles
4. Equipment, audio-visual and décor
5. Client contact and special requests
6. Questions and final checks

Housekeeping meeting

1. Rooms to clean, priorities and early check-ins
2. Quality inspection results
3. Guest comments on cleanliness
4. Supplies and linen
5. Safety: chemicals, lifting and lone working
6. Recognition and questions

Restaurant and kitchen meeting topic ideas

Tips for better hospitality meetings

• Fit meetings around service. Hold them before a shift or between services, not on days off.
• Keep pre-shift meetings under 15 minutes. Standing up helps keep them short.
• Bring front and back of house together. Many service problems start with poor communication between the kitchen and the floor.
• Make it easy to follow. Many hospitality teams speak different first languages, so use simple words, visuals and demonstrations.
• Show, don’t just tell. Taste new dishes and demonstrate new procedures during the meeting.
• Recognize good work. Share guest compliments and thank people by name.
• Follow up where the team will see it. Post key points on the kitchen board or team chat, and record food safety briefings in your records.

Related meeting agenda templates

You may also need a staff meeting agenda, safety meeting agenda, training agenda, event agenda or customer feedback meeting agenda. Or browse all meeting agenda templates.