Checklist

Commissary Setup & Capacity Checklist (Interactive)

An actionable, saveable checklist and capacity worksheet to validate layout, foodflow, equipment, production cadence, QA checkpoints, packaging/staging, labeling, and delivery readiness for commissaries and central kitchens supplying multiple locations.

Interactive Tool

Commissary Setup & Capacity Checklist

Use this interactive checklist to assess operational readiness and capacity of a commissary or central kitchen before it scales to serve multiple locations. Complete the numeric worksheets, check items, and add notes. Saved submissions can be used for planning, audits, and tracking corrective actions.

Name or identifier for this facility
Assessment date (YYYY-MM-DD)
Person completing the checklist
How many retail sites will receive product from this commissary?
Estimated total meals/units produced per day across all locations
How many hours per day will production run?
Estimate of volume during the busiest hour
Planned batch size for common recipes
Is the physical layout optimized for unidirectional flow from raw receiving to finished staging?
Is there a clear separation (and physical barrier where required) between raw ingredient handling and RTE staging?
Is there a defined area for final packaging and staging before dispatch?
Mark equipment present. Note missing critical items below.
Describe critical equipment gaps and impact on capacity
Total usable cold storage (estimate)
Total usable frozen storage
Number of pallet positions available for dry goods
How many days of packaging materials are in stock at current run rate?
Are label templates, ingredient lists, allergen statements and batch/lot codes in place?
Are there defined temp checks (and records) before dispatch?
Is there a written QA sampling schedule and acceptance criteria?
List the main QA checkpoints (e.g., cook temp, pH, weight tolerance, date coding)
How many outbound runs/deliveries are planned daily?
Combined refrigerated volume available for deliveries
Are pick-up/drop-off time windows documented for all locations?
Document known constraints (narrow windows, low docks, single-driver runs)
Number of production and packaging staff planned for a typical shift
Are key roles assigned and trained?
Can staff be shifted to cover bottlenecks during rushes?
Is there a documented food safety plan including CCPs and monitoring?
List local/regulatory requirements or pending inspections/certifications
E.g., equipment single points of failure, limited cold storage, driver shortages
Suggested actions to address the risks listed above
Based on this checklist, do you consider the commissary ready to supply the target locations?
Record follow-up items, responsible person and target dates
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