High labor costs drain your profits. Staffing for unpredictable demand is hard. This makes payroll a constant struggle. A smart staffing plan controls expenses. It keeps your team productive and your service excellent.
Understand Your Sales Patterns
Your POS system stores sales data. Check hourly, daily, and weekly sales trends. Find your busiest and slowest times. For example, Tuesday lunch may be slow. Friday dinner service could be packed.
Lavu POS shows these insights fast. Marty, Lavu’s AI, predicts future sales. This data helps your staffing choices. You won’t overstaff slow periods. You won’t understaff busy ones.
Define Your Financial Goals
Labor costs usually make up 25-35% of gross revenue. Your target varies by restaurant type and menu. A fine dining place might aim for 30%. A quick-service cafe could target 25%. Know your ideal percentage.
Divide your weekly labor budget by your projected weekly sales. If sales are $20,000 and labor targets 30%, your budget is $6,000. This number caps your staff wage spending.
Assign Roles Effectively
List every restaurant position: servers, cooks, dishwashers, hosts, bartenders. Decide the fewest staff needed for each role per shift. A small cafe might need one barista and one cook in the morning. A busy dinner needs three servers, two line cooks, and one dishwasher.
Think about your average guest count at peak times. If you serve 100 guests an hour, and one server handles 20, you need five servers. Change these numbers based on your menu and operations.
Include Preparation and Cleaning
Staff do more than serve guests. Cooks prep before service. Servers finish side work, like rolling silverware and cleaning stations. Dishwashers clean at closing.
Include these tasks in your staffing plan. Set specific hours for prep, setup, and cleanup. This gets tasks done. It also keeps staff focused on service. And it prevents overtime for regular duties.
Create a Replicable Structure
Use sales data and staff needs to build a basic schedule template. Block out shifts for your busiest periods first. Then add fewer staff for slower times. A template speeds up weekly scheduling.
For example, your Friday dinner template might list servers from 5 PM to 10 PM. Line cooks could be 4 PM to 11 PM. Adjust these times for your operations. A strong template saves managers many hours.
Consider Your Team’s Needs
Collect staff availability often. Build schedules around preferences when you can. Fair scheduling boosts morale. It lowers turnover. Meet all legal break requirements.
Good break scheduling prevents burnout. It also keeps your restaurant compliant. Lavu POS tracks employee hours. This stops accidental overtime. It ensures accurate paychecks.
Optimize Continuously
Your staffing plan changes. Track your labor cost percentage weekly. Compare actual sales to your projections. Adjust your schedule using these real-time numbers.
Marty, Lavu’s AI, flags possible labor overspending. It shows where changes have the most impact. Regular review keeps your plan efficient. Visit https://lavu.com/demo to see how Lavu helps.
FAQ
How do I calculate my restaurant’s labor cost percentage?
Yes. Divide total labor costs (wages, benefits, taxes) by total revenue for a period. Multiply by 100 for the percentage.
What is a good labor cost percentage for a restaurant?
No single answer fits every restaurant. Most aim for 25-35%, but your concept and service style change this target.
Can I use past sales data to predict future staffing needs?
Yes. Past sales data helps forecast staffing needs. Lavu’s Marty AI can even predict these for you.
How often should I review my staffing plan?
Review your plan weekly. Compare actual labor costs and sales to your plan.
Should I schedule staff for prep work separately from service shifts?
Yes, usually. This ensures prep tasks get done efficiently and avoids pulling staff from active service.
How can technology help with staffing?
Yes. A POS system like Lavu tracks sales, hours, and labor costs. Marty AI offers predictive analytics to improve scheduling accuracy.
