Ghost Kitchen & Dark Kitchen Checklists
Seven free Ghost Kitchen & Dark Kitchen checklists covering the whole day - goods-in and packaging stock, opening with brand-separated stations and getting the menu live, packing orders and tamper sealing, handing off to the courier and the pickup-time promise (SLA), keeping food hot and keeping delivery temperature right, and closing with the refund, rating and menu-sync loop. 48 of the 58 checks are backed by published evidence: Intouch Insight's 600 mystery-shopped delivery orders, DoorDash's published rules on avoidable waits and order-error payment adjustments, FSA research on allergen information when selling from a distance, a Columbia University gluten-sensor study of 5,624 tests, an MDPI trial of 249 hot meals under simulated delivery, and inspection records from 61 multi-brand ghost-kitchen units. A few checks are not backed this way - the sealed-bag sitting-time limit, the seal-at-source temperature check, the one-order-at-a-time packing rule. We label these as our own numbers on the page instead of dressing them up as official standards. Where nothing solid is published - seal-failure rates, the point where delivery apps deactivate you, the real temperature at the customer's door - we say so plainly instead of repeating a vendor blog. The checklist works out the number for your own kitchen.
Receiving Goods, Packaging & Seal SuppliesA delivery-only kitchen has two supply chains: food and packaging. If you run out of either one, orders stop leaving the building. · 7 checksOpening - Stations, Online Storefronts & Menu LaunchKeep the brands separate, set up the packing bench, and launch every storefront with a menu your kitchen can actually cook. · 14 checksPacking Orders, Labels & Tamper SealsThis is the checklist that pays for itself. Anything you miss before you seal the bag becomes a refund, an error charge and a bad review. · 9 checksCourier Handoff & Pickup-Time Promise (SLA)Cook for the courier, not for the clock. Every minute a sealed bag sits on the shelf, you lose heat, rating and pay. · 7 checksKeeping Food Hot, Cold & at the Right Temperature for DeliveryKeep food in the safe range, pack it to stay in range, and count what you throw away. Temperature is a complaint you can actually design out. · 8 checksClosing - Complaints, Ratings & Tomorrow's MenuHandle today's refunds and ratings while you can still dispute them. Reset every menu, and leave a clean kitchen for tomorrow. · 10 checksWeekly ChecksDo these checks once a week, not every day. · 3 checks The five rules that protect profit
1. Sealed or it doesn't leaveEvery opening on every bag gets a tamper seal. No exceptions for rush orders - the unsealed bag is the one that comes back as a refund.
2. Read it back before you seal itThe ticket is checked against the bag while the bag is still open. After the seal it is not a fix, it is a error charge.
3. Cook to the courier, not to the clockStart cooking based on the quoted prep time, so the food waits a few minutes for the courier - never the other way round.
4. 86 it everywhere, immediatelyAn item that is out on the line but live on the app is a cancellation with your name on it. Sync every platform, every brand, in minutes.
5. Every complaint is a prep noteRefunds, error adjustments and one-star reviews get read and categorised before the next shift prepares, or you buy the same error twice.
Sources
Every statistic on this page comes from public inspection and food-safety data:
This is the manual version
PeakScale Ops runs checklists, audits and issue-tracking automatically across 2,000+ locations in 4 countries. See the real thing → Free to use in your shop · every check cites its evidence · agent-ready JSON available per pack