Scheduling in a restaurant isn’t just about filling shifts. It’s about creating a system that maximizes operational efficiency and keeps your employees satisfied. Learn how to create a schedule and make sure your restaurant is well-staffed during peak hours and well-maintained around the clock.
A well-designed employee scheduling template might look something like this:
Monday Morning (8 AM – 11 AM): 2 Prep Cooks, 3 Servers, 1 Host
Monday Lunch (11 AM – 2 PM): 3 Line Cooks, 4 Servers, 1 Bartender, 1 Host
Monday Evening (5 PM – 10 PM): 3 Line Cooks, 5 Servers, 2 Bartenders, 1 Host
The schedule should be data-based. Make sure you have the right restaurant analytics so that you understand your customers and can schedule your staff accordingly. We discuss it in greater detail below.
Why You Need a Restaurant Schedule
A solid schedule helps you control labor costs by aligning your staffing levels with actual demand. You’ll avoid paying for unnecessary labor during slow periods and ensure you have enough hands on deck when it’s busy. Make sure you have the right restaurant analytics so that you understand your customers and can schedule your staff accordingly.
Benefits for You and Your Employees
For you, scheduling reduces chaos and prevents burnout, which leads to better decisions and hopefully improved employee retention. Happy employees are less likely to leave, saving you the cost of hiring and training new staff.
For employees, a predictable schedule improves work-life balance. They’ll appreciate knowing when they’re working in advance, which boosts morale and productivity.
Take the case of KFC in the UK. They faced a crisis in 2018 when they ran out of chicken due to poor logistical planning. By revamping their restaurant scheduling and logistics, they managed to bounce back and even improve their operations.
They used data-driven employee scheduling to ensure they had the right staff at the right times, which helped them recover quickly and regain customer trust.
Understanding Scheduling Needs
The first step to getting your restaurant schedule in proper order is recognizing the main issues that might be holding you back. To do so, you’re going to need solid data. Most key data, such as peak hours, top-sellers, total revenue, and more, can be collected from your restaurant analytics software.
Peak Hours and Staffing Requirements
The first step in effective scheduling is understanding when your restaurant is busiest. Peak hours typically vary by restaurant type and location, but they generally include lunch (11 AM to 2 PM) and dinner (6 PM to 9 PM) services. Weekends and holidays also tend to be busier, especially for restaurants located in commercial areas or tourist spots.
To identify your peak hours, analyze sales data from your restaurant analytics software over the past few months. For instance, if data shows that sales consistently spike on Saturday nights between 7 PM and 10 PM, you need to ensure you have your most experienced staff on duty during these hours.
Adequate staffing during peak times prevents service slowdowns, improves customer experience, and can significantly impact your bottom line.
In addition to sales data, consider other factors like local events, weather, and seasonality. For example, a restaurant near a stadium will see increased traffic on game days, requiring more staff on those occasions. Similarly, a beachfront restaurant may experience higher demand during summer months and may need to adjust staffing levels accordingly.
Employee Availability
Balancing business needs with employee availability is crucial for maintaining a harmonious work environment. Start by collecting detailed availability from all employees, including preferred shifts, regular commitments (like school or childcare), and any time-off requests.
This information allows you to create a schedule that meets operational needs without overburdening your staff. You can, for example, create a free shared Google spreadsheet where everyone can enter their availability.
To make things more intuitive and malleable, you might want to consider investing in restaurant scheduling software.
Respecting employee availability not only reduces scheduling conflicts but also increases employee satisfaction and retention.
For example, if a server consistently requests Monday mornings off for classes, accommodating this time off request will make them feel valued and respected, reducing the likelihood of them leaving for another job that offers a better work-life balance.
Steps to Create a Schedule
Creating a schedule will be a very straightforward task; you use your restaurant analytics software to analyze customer data, follow the instructions to create a clear schedule based on a ready template, and then optimize it along with your staff. Let’s take a look.
1. Set Up Shifts
Once you’ve identified busy shifts and gathered employee availability, the next step is to set up certain shifts that align with your restaurant’s operational needs. Most restaurants will have a combination of morning, afternoon, and evening shifts, but the exact structure depends on your business hours.
A breakfast-focused cafe may have shifts starting as early as 5 AM, while a fine dining restaurant may require staff to stay until midnight. Each shift should be designed to cover all essential roles, from kitchen staff and servers to bartenders and hosts.
Staggered shifts can also be effective in optimizing labor costs. For example, having kitchen staff start an hour before the restaurant opens allows them to prep without the pressure of immediate service. Similarly, having a second wave of servers come in just before the lunch rush ensures that you’re not overstaffed during the slower morning hours.
2. Create a Template
Creating a consistent schedule template simplifies the process and reduces the potential for errors. A good template outlines all the shifts for each day, the roles required for each shift, and the total number of hours allocated to each role. By using a restaurant schedule template, you can quickly fill in employee names each week without starting from scratch.
A well-designed employee scheduling template might look something like this:
Monday Morning (8 AM – 11 AM): 2 Prep Cooks, 3 Servers, 1 Host
Monday Lunch (11 AM – 2 PM): 3 Line Cooks, 4 Servers, 1 Bartender, 1 Host
Monday Evening (5 PM – 10 PM): 3 Line Cooks, 5 Servers, 2 Bartenders, 1 Host
Templates can be adjusted for specific needs, such as events, seasonal changes, or promotions. For example, if your restaurant is hosting a special event on a Friday night, you might need to add additional bartenders and servers to the employee schedule for that evening.
Restaurant template:
Monday Morning (8 AM – 11 AM)
- Prep Cooks: 2
- Jessica Myers
- Liam Chen
- Servers: 3
- Emily Johnson
- Carlos Ramirez
- Aisha Khan
- Host: 1
- Samuel Lee
Monday Lunch (11 AM – 2 PM)
- Line Cooks: 3
- Nathan Wong
- Olivia Smith
- Marco Diaz
- Servers: 4
- Sophia Martinez
- Tyler Reed
- Naomi Clarke
- Kaitlyn O’Neil
- Bartender: 1
- Aaron Patel
- Host: 1
- Rachel Kim
Monday Evening (5 PM – 10 PM)
- Line Cooks: 3
- Emma Turner
- Dylan Murphy
- Zoe Prince
- Servers: 5
- Ethan Taylor
- Mia Wilson
- Isabella Garcia
- Ryan Cho
- Hannah Brooks
- Bartenders: 2
- Lucas Allen
- Chloe Bennett
- Host: 1
- Jack Lee
3. Consider Business Needs and Employee Strengths
When assigning shifts, consider both the needs of the business and the strengths of your employees. For example, your most experienced server should be scheduled during peak dinner hours, while a newer employee might be better suited to a slower lunch shift where they can build their skills in a less demanding environment.
Employee strengths aren’t limited to their roles. For instance, some staff might excel at upselling, making them ideal for shifts with higher check averages, such as weekend dinners. Others might have a knack for handling difficult customers, making them well-suited for shifts with a high volume of walk-ins.
Cross-training employees can also be beneficial. A server who is also trained as a bartender can provide additional flexibility in scheduling, allowing you to cover unexpected absences or shifts in demand without scrambling for a replacement. This flexibility helps keep labor costs down while ensuring you always have the right skills on hand.
Helpful resources
- Restaurant Training: How To Train Restaurant Staff
- How to Create a Restaurant Training Manual (Template)
4. Post the Schedule Consistently
Posting the schedule at the same time each week provides stability for your employees and reduces confusion. Ideally, the schedule should be posted at least a week in advance, giving employees enough time to make any necessary arrangements or requests for changes.
Consistency in posting also helps employees plan their lives outside of work, which is critical for maintaining work-life balance. A digital schedule, accessible via mobile apps or online platforms, ensures that everyone can easily view their shifts and any updates in real-time. This reduces the likelihood of no-shows or miscommunications and helps you maintain a well-staffed operation.
Tips for Optimizing Restaurant Schedules
To make things work correctly you’re going to have to optimize your schedules properly so that your staff is happy with what you’ve planned for them.
Optimizing is more or less figuring out what it is that your staff needs and making sure it doesn’t break your business. It’s a fine balacing game between giving your staff what they want, and getting what you need with minimal traction.
Schedule Busy Shifts First
When creating your schedule, always start by filling the busiest shifts first. This approach ensures that your most crucial times are adequately staffed, preventing service delays and maintaining customer satisfaction. For example, if Friday nights are your busiest, make sure you have your top servers, bartenders, and kitchen staff scheduled before filling in less critical shifts.
To further optimize, consider rotating your best staff through the busiest shifts. This prevents burnout and ensures that each team member gets a mix of high and low-intensity shifts. This rotation also helps in developing a well-rounded entire team that can handle any situation, ensuring consistent service quality across all shifts.
Avoid Back-to-Back Shifts
Avoid scheduling employees for back-to-back shifts, especially if it means they’ll have limited time to rest between them. For instance, if an employee works a closing shift that ends at midnight, don’t schedule them for an opening shift the next day at 8 AM. This practice prevents fatigue, reduces the likelihood of errors, and helps maintain a high level of service.
Consider using scheduling software to automatically flag potential back-to-back shifts. These tools can help you quickly identify and resolve scheduling conflicts, ensuring that your employees are well-rested and ready for their shifts.
Honor Time-Off Requests
Honoring time-off requests as much as possible shows that you value your employees’ personal lives, which boosts morale and reduces turnover. Encourage your team to submit their requests well in advance so you can plan accordingly. However, make it clear that during peak periods or special events, flexibility might be limited.
In cases where you cannot accommodate a request, communicate this clearly and early, offering alternatives if possible. For instance, if a server requests time off during a busy holiday weekend, you might offer them time off the following week instead. This approach demonstrates that you’re willing to work with them, even if immediate requests can’t be fulfilled.
Allow for Flexibility
Flexibility is crucial in the restaurant industry, where unexpected events like no-shows or sudden spikes in customer volume can occur. Build flexibility into your schedule by having open shifts and same shifts where employees can step in when needed. These employees might not have a set shift but are available to fill in on short notice.
Additionally, consider implementing a shift-swapping policy that allows employees to trade shifts with each other, provided it’s approved by management. This flexibility reduces the stress of finding last-minute replacements and empowers your employees to manage their schedules in a way that suits them.
Using Technology for Scheduling
Using restaurant scheduling software can simplify employee scheduling. These tools allow employees to submit their availability and request time off directly through the platform, which you can then approve or decline based on the restaurant’s needs.
This also reduces the manual work involved in employee scheduling and ensures that you always have up-to-date information on hand. It also helps restaurant managers stay organized and responsive to both restaurant schedule and employee schedule demands.
Benefits of Scheduling Tools
Modern scheduling tools offer significant advantages over traditional methods like pen and paper or spreadsheets. They streamline the entire scheduling process, from assigning shifts to handling availability and time-off requests. Tools like 7shifts, HotSchedules, and When I Work can automate many aspects of scheduling, reducing the time and effort required to create a balanced schedule.
Helpful restaurant scheduling tools:
These tools also help in minimizing errors. For example, they can automatically prevent double-booking an employee or scheduling someone for a shift they’ve requested off. This automation ensures that your schedule is always accurate and up-to-date, reducing the potential for conflicts.
Furthermore, scheduling tools often include features like labor data forecasting, which helps you manage your budget more effectively. By analyzing historical data, these tools can predict how many staff members you’ll need for each shift, helping you avoid overstaffing or understaffing.
Mobile Access
Ensuring that your scheduling tools offer mobile access is crucial in today’s digital age. Most employees prefer to check their schedules on their phones rather than on a paper printout or desktop computer. Mobile access allows them to view their shifts, request changes, and receive updates in real-time, no matter where they are.
This convenience not only makes it easier for employees to stay informed but also reduces the likelihood of missed shifts due to miscommunication. Additionally, mobile access allows managers to make quick adjustments on the go, such as adding extra staff or addressing unexpected changes in customer volume.
Key Takeaways
- Data-driven scheduling: Use restaurant analytics to align staffing with peak hours, optimizing labor costs and efficiency.
- Employee satisfaction: A predictable schedule boosts morale and work-life balance, reducing turnover.
- Operational efficiency: Schedule based on peak times and employee strengths to enhance service and profitability.
- Use of scheduling tools: Modern software simplifies scheduling, prevents errors, and forecasts staffing needs.
- Flexibility and adaptability: Allow shift-swapping and have standby staff to handle unexpected changes smoothly.
- Consistency and communication: Post schedules regularly and ensure mobile access to keep everyone informed and avoid confusion.
