Opening Procedures

The opening procedure is the foundation of the service day. A well-executed open sets the trajectory for everything that follows.

General Opening Timeline

4:30 AM — Pitmaster/Owner arrives

• Arrive on-site
• Confirm all equipment is on-site and accounted for
• Begin smoker fire start procedure (see Smoker Fire Management SOP)

5:00 AM — Meat loaded

• Brisket on smoker (Lowry's + God-Win Brisket Rub only — no All-Purpose)
• Ribs on smoker with Rib Rub applied
• Pork butts on smoker if applicable
• Water pan filled
• Temperature target confirmed: 225–250°F

6:00 AM — Prep crew arrives

• Confirm all prep crew present or communicate gaps to owner immediately
• Review today's projected volume and station assignments
• Begin coleslaw production per recipe
• Begin mac & cheese production per recipe
• Begin Haitian mac & cheese production per recipe
• Begin pikliz production if not pre-made
• Baked beans pulled from refrigerator (pre-loaded cold with raw diced onions and bell peppers)
• Cornbread production begins per recipe

9:00 AM — Station setup

• All side dishes in hot holding or appropriately staged
• Fry station set up: oil filled, temperature verified
• Service counter cleaned and organized
• Serving utensils, trays, containers, napkins, sauces staged
• Square POS confirmed operational, items and prices verified
• Cash drawer counted and confirmed
• Sanitizer station filled and tested
• Gloves available at all stations

10:30 AM — Pre-service walk

• Owner/shift lead does a complete walk of all stations
• Any gap identified is addressed before service opens
• Staff briefed on today's specials, any sold-out items, and service priorities
• Smoker temps confirmed, meat progress assessed

11:00 AM — Service opens

See also: sops/smoker-fire-management.md, equipment/equipment.md (fryer setup), and checklists/morning-startup.md for the quick daily checklist.