--- title: "Ghost Kitchen & Dark Kitchen Weekly Checklist" canonical: "https://peakscaleops.com/checklists/ghost-kitchen-weekly-checklist/" --- > Source: https://peakscaleops.com/checklists/ghost-kitchen-weekly-checklist/ [Checklists](/checklists/) / [Ghost Kitchen & Dark Kitchen](/checklists/ghost-kitchens/) / Weekly Checks # Ghost Kitchen & Dark Kitchen Weekly Checklist A Ghost Kitchen & Dark Kitchen shares surfaces between brands and runs on delivery timings, so the deep jobs need a protected weekly slot. These 3 checks are that layer. Inspect the whole kitchen and storage areas for pests once a week, checking the places a daily shift never stops at. Calibrate every food thermometer and probe against a known temperature. Then deep-clean and sanitize the shared prep rail and the chilled storage units, the surfaces every virtual brand touches. Run them on the same day each week and sign the log so nothing carries over unrecorded. [Run this checklist - free](/run/ghost-kitchens/?list=weekly) [Download PDF](/checklists/pdf/peakscale-ghost-kitchens-checklists.pdf)[Download Excel](/checklists/excel/peakscale-ghost-kitchens-checklists.xlsx) The checklist ยท 3 checks ### Weekly Food-Safety Checks **1\. Inspect the whole kitchen and storage areas for pests once a week.** A full inspection finds pest problems a quick daily glance can miss. **2\. Calibrate every food thermometer and probe once a week.** A thermometer that reads wrong can let unsafe food reach a customer. **3\. Deep-clean and sanitize the shared prep rail and chilled storage units once a week.** Shared equipment between brands needs a deep clean to stop cross-contact and bacteria buildup. ## Frequently asked questions **What does the Ghost Kitchen & Dark Kitchen weekly checklist cover?** Three jobs: a full pest inspection of the whole kitchen and storage, calibration of every food thermometer and probe, and a deep clean and sanitize of the shared prep rail and chilled storage units used by every brand. **Why deep-clean the shared prep rail weekly?** In a delivery-only kitchen several brands build orders on the same rail, so it collects residue and allergen traces faster than one menu would. A weekly strip-down and sanitize resets it before that build-up crosses between brands. **How often should a ghost kitchen calibrate its probes?** Once a week, against a known temperature. Delivery food is held and packed to temperature targets, so a drifting probe quietly puts every hot-hold and chill check that week in doubt. ## More Ghost Kitchen & Dark Kitchen checklists [Receiving Goods, Packaging & Seal Supplies](/checklists/ghost-kitchen-goods-in-checklist/)[Opening - Stations, Online Storefronts & Menu Launch](/checklists/ghost-kitchen-opening-checklist/)[Packing Orders, Labels & Tamper Seals](/checklists/ghost-kitchen-order-packing-checklist/)[Courier Handoff & Pickup-Time Promise (SLA)](/checklists/ghost-kitchen-courier-handoff-checklist/)[Keeping Food Hot, Cold & at the Right Temperature for Delivery](/checklists/ghost-kitchen-food-temperature-checklist/)[Closing - Complaints, Ratings & Tomorrow's Menu](/checklists/ghost-kitchen-closing-checklist/) One free app has all of them: [open the Ghost Kitchen & Dark Kitchen Checklists app](/run/ghost-kitchens/) - offline, no account, add it to your home screen. ## Sources Every statistic on this page comes from public inspection and food-safety data: - [Intouch Insight 2025 Third-Party Delivery Study](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/intouch-insight-study-c-stores-narrow-the-gap-with-restaurants-for-key-metrics-in-third-party-delivery-study-302555812.html) - [Restaurant Dive on eduMe survey](https://www.restaurantdive.com/news/study-diners-are-dependent-on-food-delivery-but-are-sensitive-to-order-inaccuracies/623372/) - [FSA - Allergen information for non-prepacked foods: key findings](https://science.food.gov.uk/article/142304-allergen-information-for-non-prepacked-foods-key-findings-from-consumers-and-food-service-workers) - [DoorDash Merchant Help - What are Order Error Adjustments?](https://help.doordash.com/en-us/merchants/article/what-are-order-error-adjustments) - [Intouch Insight - KPIs for online food delivery](https://www.intouchinsight.com/blog/kpis-for-online-food-delivery) - [Intouch Insight press release, 18 Sep 2024](https://www.intouchinsight.com/press-releases/doordash-leads-thirdparty-delivery) - [DoorDash Merchant Learning Center - How to reduce avoidable Dasher wait time](https://merchants.doordash.com/en-us/learning-center/avoidable-wait) - [Lebwohl et al., Am J Gastroenterology 2019](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190405170447.htm) - [Retail Brew on US Foods](https://www.retailbrew.com/stories/2023/02/15/many-delivery-drivers-admit-to-taking-food-from-orders-and-tamper-evident-packaging-could-keep-them-out-of-the-chicken-nuggets) - [Otter data release via Business Wire](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240311195405/en/Mexico-Restaurants-Lose-up-to-4-of-Their-Online-Orders-Due-to-Cancellations) - [Foods](https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/15/2605) - [Restaurant Dive](https://www.restaurantdive.com/news/reefs-ghost-kitchen-expansion-mired-in-permit-health-inspection-infractio/610853/) - [Nation's Restaurant News](https://www.nrn.com/delivery-takeout-solutions/uber-eats-has-already-removed-8000-virtual-restaurants-its-system-amid) - [Luca, Reviews, Reputation, and Revenue](https://www.hbs.edu/ris/Publication%20Files/12-016_a7e4a5a2-03f9-490d-b093-8f951238dba2.pdf) - [Lincolnshire County Council trading standards](https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/news/article/132/indian-restaurant-fined-for-selling-allergen-free-curry-containing-peanuts) - [FSA - Consumer needs and food hygiene ratings online](https://science.food.gov.uk/article/123520-understanding-consumer-needs-in-relation-to-food-hygiene-ratings-in-an-online-food-ordering-environment) - [Sheffield Hallam University](https://www.shu.ac.uk/news/all-articles/latest-news/dark-kitchens-2) - [NC State study via Quality Assurance & Food Safety](https://www.qualityassurancemag.com/news/many-meal-kit-deliveries-contain-perishable-food-items-above-the-recommended-temperature/) - [FSA sampling survey via Food Safety News](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/fsa-survey-reveals-authenticity-and-allergen-problems/) - [DoorDash merchant blog](https://merchants.doordash.com/en-us/blog/how-to-increase-restaurant-sales) - [University of Sheffield / NIHR research via PA](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/dark-kitchens-represent-15-uk-135019717.html) - ['Going dark or under the radar?', Food Control 2025, via Food Safety News](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2025/02/study-assesses-food-safety-challenges-with-dark-kitchens/)