Daily Prep List Templates for Aussie Cafes

A solid daily prep list is the difference between a chaotic morning rush and a smooth, profitable service. For Australian cafe owners, it's not just about ticking boxes—it's about controlling food cost, reducing waste, hitting your suppliers' delivery windows (Bidvest, PFD, Countrywide), and keeping your team on the same page when you're short-staffed on a public holiday.

This guide walks you through building a prep list template that actually works for your cafe, with real examples, AU-specific considerations, and one counter-intuitive tactic most owners miss.

Why a Daily Prep List Matters for Your Cafe

Australian hospitality margins are tight. Food cost typically runs 28–35% of revenue, and labour sits at 25–30%. A disorganised prep day bleeds money: forgotten orders from your supplier, duplicated tasks, stock rotting in the cool room, staff standing idle while waiting for prep direction.

A structured prep list:

• Cuts waste by tracking stock rotation (FIFO) and preventing over-prep
• Speeds up service because your barista isn't hunting for milk or pastries mid-rush
• Reduces labour drag by showing exactly what needs doing and by when
• Eases handover between opening and day shifts, especially on Mondays or post-ANZAC Day when rosters shift
• Catches supplier errors before they hit your till (Bidvest invoices, PFD delivery counts)

What Should Be on Your Cafe Prep List?

Your template needs to cover three zones: the espresso bar, the kitchen, and the front-of-house.

Espresso Bar Prep

Start with milk and coffee fundamentals:

• Milk volumes: Check fridge stock of full-cream, skim, and oat milk (or your house alternatives). Note the date opened on each carton—spoilage is a silent killer
• Espresso machine: Backflush group heads, purge lines, check water quality (scale build-up affects extraction and tastes)
• Grinder calibration: Pull a test shot at opening, adjust if needed. Document the setting if you have multiple baristas
• Ice and water: Fill ice bins, check water filter (should be replaced every 6–12 months depending on your local water hardness)
• Syrups and toppings: Count chocolate, caramel, cinnamon, cocoa. Restock from cool storage

Kitchen Prep

If you serve food:

• Pastries and baked goods: Count in-stock croissants, muffins, toasted sandwiches. Note what's left from yesterday (rotate to front)
• Salads and wraps: Prep fresh ingredients—wash lettuce, slice tomatoes, cook bacon or chicken if needed
• Sandwich fillings: Slice cheese, cook ham, make spreads
• Fridges and freezers: Check temperatures (should be 0–4°C for fridges, –18°C for freezers). Log on a clipboard or in a digital checklist
• Cleaning: Wipe down benches, sanitise cutting boards, empty bins

Front-of-House Prep

• POS system: Cash drawer floated, system booted, test a transaction
• Cups and lids: Stock take-away cups, lids, sleeves, napkins
• Bins and waste: Empty bins, line with fresh bags
• Condiments: Sugar, sweetener, honey, salt, pepper topped up
• Seating: Wipe tables, arrange chairs, check for damage

Building Your Cafe Prep List Template

Here's a practical structure you can adapt:

1. Date and Shift Header

Include the date, day of week, and who's opening. On public holidays (Melbourne Cup Day, Christmas, Boxing Day), note the penalty rate multiplier and whether you're running a modified menu.

2. Supplier Delivery Check

List your regular suppliers and their scheduled delivery times:

• Bidvest: Tuesday & Friday, 6–7 am
• PFD: Monday & Thursday, 7–8 am
• Countrywide: Wednesday, 8–9 am
• Local bakery: Daily, 5 am

When the delivery arrives, tick it off and note any missing items or damaged stock. Flag discrepancies immediately—don't wait until invoice reconciliation.

3. Stock Count by Zone

Create a simple table:

Minimum stock levels depend on your daily usage and supplier lead times. If Bidvest delivers twice a week, your minimum milk stock should cover 3–4 days comfortably.

4. Task Checklist with Times

Assign tasks and set time targets:

• 5:30 am: Unlock, turn on lights, check fridge temps, start espresso machine warm-up
• 5:45 am: Receive supplier delivery, count items, store correctly
• 6:00 am: Finish espresso machine prep, pull test shots, calibrate grinder
• 6:15 am: Slice pastries, set up food display, prep sandwich fillings
• 6:45 am: Final walk-through—bins empty, toilets clean, POS ready
• 7:00 am: Doors open

5. Sign-Off

Have the opening barista or kitchen hand initial the list. This creates accountability and a paper trail if something goes wrong (health inspection, customer complaint, or a wage dispute with the Fair Work Ombudsman).

The Counter-Intuitive Tactic: Prep for Yesterday's Demand, Not Today's

Most cafe owners prep based on the calendar ("It's Monday, so we'll be busy") or gut feel. Here's what actually works: track yesterday's sales by item, and prep 10–15% more than you sold yesterday.

Why? Demand patterns repeat weekly. If you sold 28 flat whites on Tuesday last week, you'll likely sell 26–30 this Tuesday. If you prepped 20, you ran short and lost sales. If you prepped 40, you wasted milk and labour.

How to implement this:

1. At the end of each shift, note sales by category: coffee, food, retail items (beans, cups, merch).
2. Keep a simple log—even a notebook works. Digital is better: a spreadsheet or your POS system's reporting tool.
3. On prep day, pull last week's same-day figures and add 10–15% buffer.
4. After a few weeks, you'll see patterns: Mondays are slower (post-weekend), Fridays are busier, ANZAC Day shifts demand, Christmas and Boxing Day run skeleton crews.

This tactic cuts waste by 20–30% while preventing stockouts. It's especially powerful if you're paying penalty rates on public holidays—you can't afford to over-prep.

Digital vs. Paper: What Works for Aussie Cafes

Paper lists are tactile and don't need wifi. A laminated checklist on the wall, ticked with a whiteboard marker, works for small teams.

Digital lists (spreadsheet, app, or built into your POS) scale better. You can:

• Sync across multiple staff members
• Track prep time trends
• Integrate with supplier ordering (Bidvest, PFD portals)
• Pull historical data for demand forecasting
• Reduce duplicate data entry

Many owners start with paper and graduate to digital as they grow. There's no shame in either—consistency matters more than the medium.

Tailoring Your Template to Your Cafe Type

Specialty Coffee Cafe

Focus on espresso quality and milk consistency. Include grinder calibration, water filter checks, and a daily cupping or tasting note. Your suppliers (often local roasters or Bidvest Coffee) will have specific storage and handling guidelines—follow them religiously.

Brunch-Heavy Cafe

Food prep dominates. Your template should include egg counts, bacon/sausage prep, avocado ripeness checks, and bread ordering. Track waste on cooked items aggressively—a burnt batch of eggs is a write-off.

Bakery Cafe

Your prep list is almost your production schedule. Include dough fermentation times, oven temperatures, cooling times, and display rotation. Compliance with food safety standards (your state's health department) is non-negotiable—document everything.

Common Prep List Mistakes to Avoid

Overcomplicating it: A 50-item checklist won't get done. Stick to 15–20 critical tasks. Everything else is nice-to-have.

Not updating it seasonally: Summer demand differs from winter. Melbourne Cup season, school holidays, Christmas—adjust your template quarterly.

Ignoring staff input: Your opening barista knows what actually needs doing. Ask them what's missing from your list and add it.

Forgetting to train: A great template is useless if your team doesn't know how to use it. Spend 15 minutes walking a new hire through it on day one.

Not tracking results: After a month, review your list. Did you overstock anything? Run short? Adjust and iterate.

Where Calso Fits In

A solid prep list is step one. The next step is automating the admin that eats into your prep time—supplier ordering, invoice reconciliation, and demand forecasting. Calso handles supplier ordering and predicts demand based on your sales history, so your team can focus on quality prep rather than chasing Bidvest or PFD or manually counting stock. It also catches invoice errors before they hit your P&L, freeing up time for what actually matters: running the floor.

Want Early Access?

If you're serious about tightening operations and cutting waste, Calso is invite-only for founding venues. Join the waitlist at calso.com.au/join—founding-venue access includes priority onboarding and direct input on features built for cafes like yours. Limited spots in your city, and your competitors are watching.