# Juice and smoothie bar checklists (free template)

*Guides · Mays Team · June 2, 2026*

![The Juice bar opening checklist in the Mays template editor, with Coolers, Produce and Equipment groups and a Photo, Number or Checkbox answer on every task](https://mays-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/site/blog__juice-smoothie-bar-checklist-template__cover.744da26d10.png)

A juice bar looks simple from the counter: fruit, a blender, a press. Behind it are raw produce that's never cooked, cut melon and greens that have to stay cold, blenders that go from a peanut-butter smoothie to a "nut-free" one in seconds, and bottles in the grab-and-go fridge with their own federal rules.

This template is for a juice and smoothie bar that cuts its own produce, blends to order and presses juice on site. Every task has a **Who** and a **Proof** (**photo**, **number** or **checkbox**). Our [checklist guide](https://www.mays.app/blog/opening-closing-checklists-staff-follow) covers how to write tasks people follow.

*This is general information, not legal advice. Your inspector, and for bottled juice the FDA's rules, have the final word. Updated September 24, 2026: the FDA pages and regulations quoted here were re-checked.*

## What makes a juice bar list different

In Florida, DBPR licenses restaurants and fast-food service and FDACS licenses bakeries, grocery and convenience stores ([DBPR: Who needs a license?](https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/hotels-restaurants/licensing/jurisdiction/)), so ask which one covers your setup. DBPR enforces the [2017 FDA Food Code](https://www.fda.gov/media/110822/download); FDACS has used the [2022 edition](https://www.fda.gov/media/164194/download) since April 22, 2026. The sections below read the same in both.

- **Produce is washed before it's cut.** Raw fruit and vegetables are thoroughly washed in water before being cut, combined with other ingredients or served ready to eat (§3-302.15(A)).
- **Some cut produce must stay at 41°F.** Cut melons, cut leafy greens (spinach and kale included) and cut tomatoes are TCS foods under the Food Code's definition, so they're held at **41°F or below** (§3-501.16(A)(2)). Holding all cut fruit that way is simpler than remembering which is which.
- **Time instead of temperature is allowed, with rules.** Cut fruit kept out on the line can be controlled by time for up to 4 hours: it starts cold (the Food Code sets the starting temperature), containers are marked with the discard time, it's thrown out at 4 hours, and written procedures are on file for the inspector (§3-501.19).
- **Blenders get cleaned on a clock.** Equipment is cleaned between uses with raw fruit and vegetables and TCS food, and at least **every 4 hours** when it's used with TCS food like milk, yogurt or cut melon (§4-602.11(A)(3), (C)).
- **Allergens ride in the blender.** Nut butters, milk and soy go through the same jars as everything else. The Food Code expects staff to be trained in food allergy awareness for their duties (§2-103.11). A separate, washed jar for allergy orders is the practical answer.

## What the FDA juice rules mean for you

Cold-pressed juice has its own rules, and which ones apply depends on how you sell it.

| How you sell it | What applies |
| --- | --- |
| Only directly to your own customers | The Juice HACCP regulation (21 CFR Part 120) doesn't cover a "retail establishment": an operation that provides juice directly to consumers, including storing, preparing, packaging, serving and vending, and doesn't also sell or distribute juice to other businesses ([21 CFR 120.3](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-120.3); FDA's [Small Entity Compliance Guide](https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/small-entity-compliance-guide-juice-haccp)). |
| By the glass, made to order | The FDA "does not require warning labels for juice or cider that is sold by the glass", naming juice bars as an example ([FDA: juice safety](https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/what-you-need-know-about-juice-safety)). |
| Bottled on site for your grab-and-go fridge | Juice packaged in a food establishment is either treated under a HACCP plan to a 5-log (99.999%) reduction of the most resistant microorganism of public health significance, or labeled with the ingredient label and this warning (Food Code §3-404.11; [21 CFR 101.17(g)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-101.17)): **"WARNING: This product has not been pasteurized and, therefore, may contain harmful bacteria that can cause serious illness in children, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems."** The FDA adds that these untreated products should be kept refrigerated. |
| Also to gyms, cafés or grocers | You're no longer only a retail establishment, so Part 120 applies, starting with a written hazard analysis. The FDA's guide is blunt: "Only retail establishments are exempt." Talk to the FDA and your licensing agency before you sign that first wholesale order. |

The same regulation sets how the warning looks: prominent on the label, "WARNING" in capitals and bold, and the statement set off in a box of hairlines (21 CFR 101.17(g)(4)–(6)).

## The template

### Opening checklist (visible 6:00 to 8:00 am)

| Group | Task | Who | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Coolers | Walk-in cooler at 41°F or below | Opener | Photo |
| Coolers | Smoothie make-line cooler at 41°F or below | Opener | Number |
| Coolers | Grab-and-go juice fridge at 41°F or below | Opener | Number |
| Produce | Produce checked; moldy or soft pieces thrown out | Prep | Checkbox |
| Produce | Produce washed in the prep sink, not the handwash sink | Prep | Checkbox |
| Produce | Cut melon and greens covered, labeled and chilled | Prep | Photo |
| Equipment | Blender jars, lids and blades washed and sanitized | Opener | Checkbox |
| Equipment | Juicer or press assembled clean, fresh press bags | Opener | Checkbox |
| Equipment | Sanitizer buckets made and tested | Opener | Number |
| Equipment | Handwash sinks: soap, towels and sign | Opener | Checkbox |
| Front of house | Unpasteurized bottles carry the FDA warning label | Shift lead | Photo |
| Front of house | Allergen notes up for nut butters, milk and soy | Shift lead | Checkbox |
| Front of house | Drawer counted and starting cash entered | Shift lead | Number |

### Mid-shift checks (around noon)

| Task | Who | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Make-line cooler at 41°F or below | Shift lead | Number |
| Blender jars washed (at least every 4 hours) | Staff | Checkbox |
| Time-marked fruit past 4 hours thrown out | Shift lead | Checkbox |
| Sanitizer bucket changed and tested | Shift lead | Number |
| Pulp bins and trash emptied | Staff | Checkbox |

Only use the "time-marked fruit" line if you've written a time-as-a-control procedure. Otherwise, everything cut stays in the cooler.

### Closing checklist (visible from 6:30 pm)

| Group | Task | Who | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Equipment | Juicer or press taken apart, washed, sanitized, air-dried | Closer | Photo |
| Equipment | Press bags washed or replaced per manufacturer | Closer | Checkbox |
| Equipment | Blender jars, lids and tampers washed and sanitized | Closer | Checkbox |
| Equipment | Blender bases and make-line lids wiped | Closer | Checkbox |
| Equipment | Floor drain under the juicer cleared of pulp | Closer | Checkbox |
| Food safety | Cut produce covered, labeled, chilled; old prep thrown out | Closer | Photo |
| Food safety | Today's juice bottled, labeled and dated, or discarded | Closer | Checkbox |
| Food safety | Walk-in and juice fridge at 41°F or below at close | Closer | Number |
| Close | Counters and floors cleaned; trash out | Closer | Checkbox |
| Close | Drawer counted and total entered | Shift lead | Number |
| Close | Doors locked, alarm set | Shift lead | Photo |

### Weekly deep clean (Monday, carried through the week)

| Task | Who | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Juicer screens, seals and gaskets cleaned per manufacturer | Shift lead | Checkbox |
| Blender blades and gaskets checked for wear | Shift lead | Checkbox |
| Ice machine cleaning date checked against the maker's schedule | Shift lead | Checkbox |
| Under and behind the make-line cooler cleaned | Closer | Photo |
| Produce cooler shelves washed; oldest stock in front | Prep | Checkbox |
| Bottle labels checked against current recipes | Manager | Checkbox |

### Temperature checks at a glance

| What | Limit | Food Code |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cut melon, cut leafy greens, cut tomatoes | 41°F or below | TCS definition, §3-501.16(A)(2) |
| Milk, yogurt and other dairy on the make line | 41°F or below | §3-501.16(A)(2) |
| Cut produce controlled by time instead | Discarded 4 hours after leaving the cooler, containers marked | §3-501.19 |
| Prepped ready-to-eat TCS food kept over 24 hours | Date-marked, 7 days at most, prep day is Day 1 | §3-501.17(A) |
| Juice bottled on site and not treated to a 5-log reduction | Warning label; keep refrigerated | §3-404.11; FDA juice safety page |

## Adapt it to your bar

- **No press?** Drop the juicer and press-bag lines and the bottle-label checks.
- **Smoothies only with frozen fruit?** Keep the freezer on the opening list and the blender clock on the mid-shift list.
- **Your juicer's manual wins** on screens, seals and how long parts soak.
- **Two readings a day aren't enough in a hot week.** Add a second group to the mid-shift checks for the afternoon.

## Load it into Mays

Each list is one template. In the block below, a `#` line is a template name, a `[bracketed]` line is a group, and every other line is a task.

1. **Tasks → Templates → Create Template.** Type the name, click **Continue**.
2. **Add Task Group**, then click **New Group** and type the group name.
3. Paste one task line into **Add a task (press Enter)** and press **Enter**. Repeat line by line; the box takes one task at a time, so a multi-line paste lands as a single task.
4. Click **Checkbox** next to a task to set **Photo** or **Number** from the Proof column.
5. **Settings:** **Frequency** (**Daily**, or **Weekly** on one day with **Carry unfinished duties through the week** for the deep clean) and the **Visibility Window**.
6. **Assignments:** click your location, pick **A role or department** or **Specific people**, then **Create Template**.

The image at the top of this post is the opening checklist, built from this block.

```
# Juice bar opening checklist
[Coolers]
Walk-in cooler at 41°F or below
Smoothie make-line cooler at 41°F or below
Grab-and-go juice fridge at 41°F or below
[Produce]
Produce checked; moldy or soft pieces thrown out
Produce washed in the prep sink, not the handwash sink
Cut melon and greens covered, labeled and chilled
[Equipment]
Blender jars, lids and blades washed and sanitized
Juicer or press assembled clean, fresh press bags
Sanitizer buckets made and tested
Handwash sinks: soap, towels and sign
[Front of house]
Unpasteurized bottles carry the FDA warning label
Allergen notes up for nut butters, milk and soy
Drawer counted and starting cash entered

# Juice bar mid-shift checks
[Checks]
Make-line cooler at 41°F or below
Blender jars washed (at least every 4 hours)
Time-marked fruit past 4 hours thrown out
Sanitizer bucket changed and tested
Pulp bins and trash emptied

# Juice bar closing checklist
[Equipment]
Juicer or press taken apart, washed, sanitized, air-dried
Press bags washed or replaced per manufacturer
Blender jars, lids and tampers washed and sanitized
Blender bases and make-line lids wiped
Floor drain under the juicer cleared of pulp
[Food safety]
Cut produce covered, labeled, chilled; old prep thrown out
Today's juice bottled, labeled and dated, or discarded
Walk-in and juice fridge at 41°F or below at close
[Close]
Counters and floors cleaned; trash out
Drawer counted and total entered
Doors locked, alarm set

# Juice bar weekly deep clean
[Deep clean]
Juicer screens, seals and gaskets cleaned per manufacturer
Blender blades and gaskets checked for wear
Ice machine cleaning date checked against the maker's schedule
Under and behind the make-line cooler cleaned
Produce cooler shelves washed; oldest stock in front
Bottle labels checked against current recipes
```

**Or let Mays AI draft it.** Admins can click **Import from Document** on **Task Templates**, paste the block into the chat or attach it as a .txt file, check the drafts under **Drafts** and click **Approve & save**. It uses AI credits.

A new template produces tasks from the next day; **Tasks → Tasks → Create Task → From Template** runs one today.

## Where Mays fits

- **A daily photo of the bottle labels**, taken in the app's camera, is your record that the warning went on every batch.
- **Number answers** keep every cooler reading with the name and time of whoever took it.
- **AI photo verification** (an organization setting that uses AI credits) can flag a photo that doesn't show the cut fruit covered and labeled.
- **Managers reject a task with a reason,** and it goes back on the list.

## Get your bar's lists running

Build the four templates, assign them to your openers and closers, and the next produce delivery gets checked the same way every day.

[**Start your free trial**](https://go.mays.app/register): 30 days, every module, no card needed. Or [book a walkthrough](https://www.mays.app/book?from=blog-juice-smoothie-bar-checklist-template) and we'll load your juice bar's checklists with you.

## Related help articles

- Tasks & checklists: [Creating a checklist template](https://www.mays.app/help/tasks-checklists/create-a-checklist-template) — Build an opening, closing or cleaning checklist once as a template — groups, tasks and answer types — and Mays turns it into your team's task list in the app.
- Tasks & checklists: [Scheduling and assigning checklists](https://www.mays.app/help/tasks-checklists/schedule-and-assign-checklists) — Choose which days a checklist runs, the hours staff can see it, whether unfinished tasks carry over, and who does it — a role, a department, specific people or one person per task.
- Tasks & checklists: [Task answer types](https://www.mays.app/help/tasks-checklists/task-response-types) — Every task has an answer type that decides how staff complete it. Tick a box, take a photo, enter a number or text, pick an option, record a location, count stock or fill in a form.
- Tasks & checklists: [Completing your tasks in the app](https://www.mays.app/help/tasks-checklists/complete-tasks-on-mobile) — Your checklist lives in the Tasks tab of the Mays app. Tick checkboxes with one tap, take photos, enter numbers, add a note — and fix and resend a task your manager sent back.
- Tasks & checklists: [AI photo verification](https://www.mays.app/help/tasks-checklists/ai-photo-verification) — Let AI check every photo your team submits on a task. It flags weak photos for the manager to review, or rejects them straight away once you trust it. Each check uses AI credits.
- AI & automation: [Set up faster with the AI setup assistant](https://www.mays.app/help/ai-automation/ai-setup-assistant) — Upload the checklists you already use, in PDF, Word, Excel or a photo, and Mays AI drafts your checklist templates, departments and roles for you to review and save.

Canonical: https://www.mays.app/blog/juice-smoothie-bar-checklist-template