Does scheduling your restaurant staff feel like a weekly battle? Balancing labor costs with proper coverage is tough. It eats up valuable time you could spend on guests or growth. You need a fast, effective method to build your team’s weekly schedule. This guide shows you how to do it in less than 30 minutes. You will keep your team happy and your budget balanced.
1. Pinpoint Your Labor Cost Target
High labor costs hurt profits. Every restaurant owner knows this. Your labor percentage target typically falls between 25% and 35% of your gross sales. This number helps you decide how many staff hours you can afford for a given sales period. Track this closely.
Use your Lavu POS sales reports to see past performance. Understand your peak sales times and slower periods. Marty, Lavu’s AI analytics layer, can even highlight when you overspent on labor in previous weeks. This intelligence helps you adjust future schedules effectively.
2. Forecast Your Sales Accurately
Accurate sales forecasts are crucial. They determine your staffing needs. Look at your historical sales data for the same day or week last year. Also review the last few weeks’ performance. Your Lavu POS provides this essential historical data instantly.
If last Tuesday brought in $1,500, plan for a similar amount this Tuesday. If special events are happening, adjust your forecast upward. Marty uses past sales data and trends to predict future sales, giving you a powerful planning tool. This prediction saves you guessing time.
3. Map Out Station Coverage Needs
Clearly define how many staff members each station needs. Consider your front-of-house (FOH) and back-of-house (BOH) requirements. A busy dinner service might require three servers, one bartender, two line cooks, and one dishwasher. Lunch could be one server, one cook.
Break down your day into shifts: breakfast, lunch, dinner, late-night. Know exactly who needs to be where and when. This detailed mapping prevents gaps in service or overstaffing during slow times. This planning creates smooth operations.
4. Collect Staff Availability and Requests
Your team has lives outside work. Respecting their availability leads to happier staff. Have a clear system for collecting availability and time-off requests. Give staff a deadline for submitting these requests each week.
Enter these availabilities into your scheduling system first. This prevents conflicts later. It helps you quickly see who is available for specific shifts. Happy employees are productive employees.
5. Build Your Core Schedule Template
Don’t start from scratch every week. Create a basic template for typical busy and slow days. This forms the backbone of your schedule. For example, Monday through Wednesday might share one template. Thursday through Saturday might use another.
Plug in your core, essential staff members first. These are the employees who always work certain shifts. Then fill in remaining spots based on availability and sales forecasts. Many POS systems, including Lavu, offer scheduling modules to speed this process up.
6. Review, Optimize, and Communicate
Once you draft the schedule, review it carefully. Check for any double bookings or gaps in coverage. Compare the total labor hours against your target labor percentage. If your forecast is $6,000 for Friday and your target is 30%, you have $1,800 for labor that day.
Adjust shifts as needed to meet your budget and coverage goals. Communicate the final schedule clearly and quickly to your team. Post it in a visible spot. Send it electronically. Good communication avoids confusion and missed shifts.
FAQ
How often should I create a new restaurant schedule?
Many restaurants create schedules weekly. Some larger operations may do it bi-weekly.
Can I track actual labor costs against my scheduled costs?
Yes. Your Lavu POS provides real-time sales and labor data. Marty can then compare actual spending to your budget.
What is a good labor percentage for restaurants?
A good labor percentage typically falls between 25% and 35% of gross sales. This varies by restaurant type.
Should I account for breaks when building schedules?
Yes. Always account for required employee breaks. This ensures compliance and accurate staffing levels.
How can I reduce staff turnover through better scheduling?
Respecting availability and providing consistent schedules improves employee satisfaction. Clear communication also helps.
Does Lavu POS offer scheduling features?
Yes. Lavu POS includes features that help manage employee schedules. This makes the process faster.
