Checklist for Closing Your Restaurant: Licenses, Leases, and More
Closing your restaurant isn’t just a financial decision. This decision is steeped in emotion and can feel personal. You’ve likely poured time, heart, and soul into this space. Whether it’s been open for one year or twenty, shutting the doors comes with emotional weight and a lot of paperwork.
This step-by-step checklist is here to make the process easier. We’ll walk you through every part of closing your restaurant — from ending your lease and licenses to saying goodbye to your team and community — so nothing is left undone.
Why a Restaurant Closure Checklist Matters
Restaurants have more layers of compliance than most small businesses. Health permits, liquor licenses, leased restaurant equipment, and employee wage laws are just a few to name. Missing a step can result in surprise fees or legal headaches long after your last service.
A clear checklist can:
- Help you stay organized during a stressful time
- Prevent missed deadlines or regulatory penalties
- Offer peace of mind that you’re closing cleanly and completely
Step-by-Step Checklist for Closing a Restaurant
1. Cancel Food, Health, and Alcohol Licenses
Each state has its own licensing rules. To avoid renewal fees or compliance violations, be sure to formally surrender:
- Food service licenses with your local health department → Check your state’s food service codes via the FDA
- Health inspection certificates
- Mobile food truck permits (if applicable)
- Liquor licenses (which vary widely by state):
If you operated across jurisdictions (especially with a food truck), take care to cancel permits in every city or county where you were active. The US Chamber Foundation’s research shows how complex this can be.
2. Review and Negotiate Your Lease Exit
Don’t assume your landlord knows you’re closing. And definitely don’t walk away without reading the fine print.
Review your restaurant lease for:
- Early termination clauses
- Personal guarantees
- Security deposit conditions
- Restoration requirements (most ask for “broom-clean” status)
There are four main types of restaurant leases, each with different closure rules:
- Gross lease: You pay one set fee (easier to exit)
- Net lease: You cover taxes and possibly maintenance
- Percentage lease: You owe a percentage of revenue (check for minimums!)
- Variable lease: Rent fluctuates with time or market conditions
This Grubhub guide to lease types is a helpful primer if you’re unsure what you signed.
3. Notify Your Team and Finalize Payroll
Your team deserves time, respect, and clarity. In many states, you’re legally required to provide advance notice.
- Give written notice as soon as you can
- Follow WARN Act rules if laying off large groups → U.S. Department of Labor WARN guidance
- Issue final paychecks promptly, including unused PTO → DOL Final Pay Rules
- Send COBRA notices for health benefit continuation → Learn about COBRA
Even if you're grieving the decision, your team will remember how you handled the end. Clear communication shows you care — and protects everyone involved.
4. Notify Vendors and Cancel Accounts
Your restaurant might have upwards of 20 or more active vendor accounts, from food suppliers to POS systems to towel service.
- Create a cancellation list and assign deadlines
- Contact each vendor in writing
- Review contracts for:
- Auto-renewal clauses
- Minimum terms
- Final invoice timelines
Key vendor accounts to cancel:
- Food and beverage distributors (Sysco, local farms)
- Linen and uniform services
- Credit card processing (Square, Toast, Clover)
- Tech platforms (reservation systems, scheduling software)
Be sure to download financial or customer records before accounts are closed.
5. Liquidate Inventory and Equipment
Whether you’re selling an espresso machine or donating tables to a local school, make a plan for everything.
- Inventory all assets — from kitchen gear to décor
- Decide what to sell, donate, or store
- Use reputable platforms like Local Liquidators or industry-specific resale sites
- Keep documentation for:
- Depreciation or tax write-offs
- Business valuation (if needed for legal filings)
If you’re emotionally attached to your space or gear, this can be the hardest step. Give yourself time, but also keep your closure timeline in mind.
6. Handle Final Taxes and Financial Accounts
No matter how small your restaurant is, you likely have open tax and banking obligations.
Checklist:
- File final sales tax returns with your state
- Submit final income tax return (mark “final return” on the form)
- Cancel your EIN with the IRS if you’re dissolving your business
- Close your business bank accounts after all payments clear
- Reconcile any:
- Gift card balances (check your state’s rules)
- Loyalty points or credits
- Accounts payable
7. Tell Your Community (Optional, but Meaningful)
This part’s optional — but it can bring emotional closure and community connection.
- Post a short thank-you message on your website or social media
- If you’re transitioning to a new venture, share that too
- Respond to any final reviews or DMs with gratitude
Some founders write personal farewell letters to customers. Others quietly walk away. There’s no right way — just the way that feels complete to you.
What Happens If You Skip a Step While Closing Your Restaurant?
It’s tempting to walk away quietly, especially if you’re emotionally drained or overwhelmed by logistics. But when it comes to closing a restaurant, loose ends don’t just fade into the background. They often come back in the form of bills, legal notices, or headaches that hit when you least expect them.
Even after your final service, the systems tied to your business keep moving. Licenses can auto-renew. Tax agencies won’t know you’ve closed unless you tell them. A missed invoice here, a forgotten lease clause there — it adds up. And it adds weight at a time when you’re trying to let go.
Here’s what can happen if the closure process isn’t fully completed:
It’s tempting to walk away quietly, especially if you’re emotionally drained or overwhelmed by logistics. But when it comes to closing a restaurant, loose ends don’t just fade into the background. They often come back in the form of bills, legal notices, or headaches that hit when you least expect them.
Even after your final service, the systems tied to your business keep moving. Licenses can auto-renew. Tax agencies won’t know you’ve closed unless you tell them. A missed invoice here, a forgotten lease clause there — it adds up. And it adds weight at a time when you’re trying to let go.
Here’s what can happen if the closure process isn’t fully completed:
- Licenses may auto-renew and rack up fees
State health permits, liquor licenses, and business registrations can stay active (and billable) until officially canceled. - Landlords may pursue personal guarantees
If you signed your lease personally, walking away without negotiation could leave you liable for months of unpaid rent. - Vendors may file small claims for unpaid balances
Forgotten invoices or un-cancelled services can land in collections — or worse, in court. - Customers may report unredeemed gift cards
States often regulate how gift card balances must be handled. Mishandling this could trigger legal or reputational fallout. - States may consider your LLC “active” and send tax notices
If you don’t dissolve your business properly, you could receive tax bills or penalties even after you’ve closed.
And beyond the paperwork and penalties? There’s the emotional toll. Unfinished business has a way of lingering — just when you’re trying to move on.
We’ll Help You Close the Right Way
Shutting down a restaurant is tough — legally, logistically, and emotionally. We’re here to help with all three.
From license cancellations and lease reviews to closure checklists and emotional support, Starcycle provides step-by-step guidance tailored to the restaurant world.