QSR · Burger quick-service restaurant with drive-thru and dining room
Burger QSR Franchise Audit Checklist
A weighted store walk checklist for burger QSR franchises covering drive-thru speed and accuracy, grill and food safety temperatures, line setup, dining room, restrooms and exterior brand standards.
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A burger QSR store walk has to cover two businesses at once: a high-volume drive-thru that drives most of the sales, and a grill line where an undercooked patty or a warm make line can become a public health problem. This checklist weights both so a store cannot pass on a clean dining room while the walk-in runs at 46°F.
Zones follow the order most Franchise Business Consultants (FBCs) walk a burger store: exterior and drive-thru lane first, then the guest-facing areas, then the back of house, finishing with records and people. Critical items are tied to FDA Food Code 2022 provisions that local health departments commonly adopt; your brand manual may set tighter internal limits, and those should replace the code minimums in your rubric.
In Gazi Wellness, each item carries its points and photo rule into the mobile app, so the consultant captures evidence as they score. Failed items flow straight into a Corrective Action Plan with the deadline set by severity.
Zone weights
- Exterior, Lot & Drive-Thru Lane15%
- Dining Room, Counter & Restrooms15%
- Grill, Fryer & Make Line25%
- Back of House, Storage & Sanitation20%
- Speed, Accuracy & Guest Experience15%
- People, Safety & Records10%
Zone-by-zone inspection criteria
Exterior, Lot & Drive-Thru Lane
15% of score · 20 ptsFirst impression from the street and the drive-thru experience before the guest reaches the window.
| Standard | Pts | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Pylon, monument and building signs fully lit with no missing letters or faded faces | 4 | Wide shot of each sign from the street, taken at dusk or with lights on |
| Menu board and pre-sell board show current pricing, current LTO panels and no expired promotions | 5 | Straight-on shot of the full menu board and each pre-sell panel |
| Speaker post audio is clear and order confirmation screen is working | 3 | Observation |
| Lot, curbs and landscaping free of litter, with trash receptacles under three-quarters full | 3 | Two corner shots of the lot covering the drive-thru lane |
| Drive-thru lane striping, directional signs and clearance bar intact and readable | 2 | Observation |
| Drive-thru window glass clean, window ledge clear, and window team in full uniform | 3 | Exterior shot of the pickup window |
Dining Room, Counter & Restrooms
15% of score · 21 ptsGuest-facing interior: cleanliness, merchandising, and restroom condition.
| Standard | Pts | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Tables, chairs and booths clean, stable and free of tears or gum | 3 | Wide shot of the dining room from the entrance |
| Floors free of debris and standing liquid; no wet floor hazards without signage | 3 | Observation |
| Beverage station stocked, lids and straws in place, drain and nozzles clean | 4 | Close shot of the beverage station nozzles and drip tray |
| Point-of-purchase materials current for this promotion window and placed per the marketing kit | 4 | Each POP placement: counter, door decal, kiosk and table tents |
| Restrooms clean, stocked with soap, paper towels or dryer, and toilet paper; cleaning log signed within the last two hours | 5 | Restroom sink area and the posted cleaning log |
| Ordering kiosks and front counter POS screens working and wiped down | 2 | Observation |
Grill, Fryer & Make Line
25% of score · 36 ptsProduction line temperatures, cook procedures and line setup. Highest-risk zone in the store.
| Standard | Pts | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Beef patties cooked to the brand-specified internal temperature, never below 155°F for 17 seconds; verified with a calibrated probe on two pattiesCritical | 8 | Probe reading on the patty with the thermometer display visible |
| Make line cold rails and reach-ins holding TCS toppings at 41°F or belowCritical | 7 | Probe reading in sliced tomato or cheese pan |
| Hot holding cabinets holding cooked product at 135°F or above, within the brand hold time on the timerCritical | 6 | Holding cabinet timer screen and a product probe reading |
| Raw patties stored below and away from ready-to-eat items in the grill-side freezer and reach-in | 4 | Observation |
| Fryer oil within the brand quality range on the test strip or meter; filtration log current | 4 | Oil test strip or meter reading next to the fryer |
| Build station matches the brand build chart: correct utensils, portion tools and sauce guns calibrated | 3 | Observation |
| No bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food; gloves or utensils used at assembly | 4 | Observation |
Back of House, Storage & Sanitation
20% of score · 32 ptsWalk-in, dry storage, dish area, chemicals and pest control.
| Standard | Pts | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Walk-in cooler air temperature at 41°F or below and product probes at 41°F or below | 6 | Walk-in thermometer and one product probe reading |
| Walk-in freezer at brand standard (typically 0°F or below) with no product thawing on the floor | 3 | Observation |
| All prepped ready-to-eat TCS food date marked and within 7 days, with nothing past its discard date | 5 | Observation |
| No evidence of rodent or insect activity: droppings, live or dead insects, gnaw marksCritical | 6 | Any evidence found, with a reference object for scale |
| Handwashing sinks accessible, used only for handwashing, and stocked with soap and paper towels | 4 | Each handwashing sink showing soap and towels |
| Sanitizer buckets and 3-compartment sink at the labeled concentration, verified with a test strip | 4 | Test strip held against the color chart |
| Chemicals stored below and away from food and single-service items, all spray bottles labeled | 4 | Observation |
Speed, Accuracy & Guest Experience
15% of score · 20 ptsObserved service performance during a live daypart.
| Standard | Pts | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Drive-thru total experience time at or under the brand target during the observed window, from timer system report | 5 | Timer system screen or report for the observed hour |
| Order accuracy verified on three test orders: items, modifiers, condiments and napkins | 5 | Observation |
| Suggestive sell and greeting delivered per the brand script at the speaker and counter | 3 | Observation |
| Food presentation matches the build chart on a test burger: bun toast, cheese melt, wrap fold | 4 | Test burger opened on its wrapper |
| Fries hot, fully salted and within hold time at the time of handoff | 3 | Observation |
People, Safety & Records
10% of score · 20 ptsFood safety certification, uniforms, safety equipment and required logs.
| Standard | Pts | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| A certified food protection manager is on duty or the certificate is posted per local rule | 3 | Observation |
| Team in full brand uniform with hair restraints; no jewelry beyond a plain band on the line | 3 | Team on the line, faces optional, uniform and hair restraints visible |
| Emergency exits open from inside without a key, unobstructed, with exit signs litCritical | 5 | Each exit door and the path leading to it |
| Fire extinguishers mounted, charged and inspected within the last month; hood suppression tag current | 3 | Extinguisher tag and hood suppression service tag |
| Temperature logs complete for every required check in the last 7 days | 3 | Observation |
| Employee illness reporting policy posted and known by the shift lead | 3 | Observation |
Critical failure triggers
Any one of these fails the audit regardless of the weighted score and opens a 24-hour CAP.
- Cooked beef patty below 155°F for 17 seconds, or below the brand minimum where that is higher
- TCS food on the make line or in the walk-in above 41°F with no time control in place
- Hot held product below 135°F or past its hold time and still in service
- Active rodent or cockroach evidence in food storage or production areas
- Emergency exit locked, chained or blocked
- No handwashing sink accessible to the grill or make line
Corrective action windows
- Critical24 hoursMake line cold rail reading 47°F: product discarded during the walk, unit serviced, and a 41°F probe photo submitted within 24 hours.
- Major72 hoursOutdated LTO panels still on the menu board: current panels installed and a straight-on photo submitted.
- Minor7 to 14 daysTorn booth upholstery in the dining room: repaired or reupholstered with a photo of the finished booth.
Photo capture guidelines for field reps
- 01Every temperature reading shows the probe in the product and the display in the same frameA display alone does not prove which product or unit was measured.
- 02Menu boards shot straight on, full panel, glare minimizedVision AI compares panels and prices against the current menu release.
- 03POP placements shot wide enough to show the location in the storePlacement matters as much as the piece; a correct poster on the wrong wall still fails.
- 04Pest evidence shot with a coin or pen for scaleGives the franchisee and the pest control vendor a clear picture of the size and location.
- 05Test burger opened on its wrapper under even lightLets the build be scored against the build chart image.
- 06Exits shot from the inside showing the door and the path to itProves the route was clear or blocked at the time of the walk.
- 07Drive-thru timer screen captured for the observed hourTies the speed score to the store's own system data, not a stopwatch estimate.
- 08Re-shoot from the same angle when verifying a CAP fixBefore and after photos from the same position make remediation easy to confirm.
Download the printable PDF and spreadsheet.
Both versions keep the zone weights, point values and critical flags so your scores match the Gazi Wellness template.
Checklist questions
A full walk with this checklist takes 45 to 60 minutes, including a live drive-thru observation window. The monthly food safety sweep covers only the Grill and Back of House zones and takes about 20 minutes.
The FDA Food Code 2022 sets 155°F for 17 seconds for ground beef cooked in a food establishment. Many burger brands set a higher internal standard. Use whichever is higher in your rubric so the store is scored against the stricter rule.
Use the brand's own target for total experience time and pull the number from the store's timer system for the observed hour. That keeps the score tied to data the franchisee can see and check.
No. Any critical item failure fails the audit regardless of the total score and opens a 24-hour Corrective Action Plan. The consultant decides on the spot whether product must be discarded.
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