Restaurant Work Schedule Template
As a restaurant manager, you can optimize your staff scheduling with this free template. Whether you’re scheduling shifts for waiters or kitchen staff, this easy-to-use tool provides a clear overview of work schedules, employee roles, and labor costs for the entire week. Download it as a Word, Excel, or PDF file.
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What Is a Restaurant Work Schedule?
A restaurant work schedule is a table that provides an overview of employees’ shifts and positions over a full week.
Typically created by the establishment’s manager, a well-structured and comprehensive restaurant work schedule also includes key details such as total hours worked per employee, paid and unpaid breaks, hourly wages, and the total labor cost for the week. For restaurant owners, this last piece of information is particularly useful for balancing staffing expenses with other operational costs, such as supplies and maintenance.
In the restaurant industry, work schedules are usually published every two weeks.
How Do You Create a Restaurant Work Schedule?
To improve your restaurant staff scheduling, ask yourself the following questions:
- What are my staffing needs (cooks, waiters, bartenders)?
- What level of customer traffic should I expect at any given time?
- What are my employees’ strengths and weaknesses?
- When are each of my team members available to work?
- Am I fair and consistent in assigning shifts?
- Are there local labor laws to comply with?
- Should I consider using scheduling software to streamline the process?
- How do I get feedback from my employees as far as their schedule goes? How should I make adjustments?
Read more: How to Make a Restaurant Schedule: Our Top 15 Tips
What Factors Should Be Considered When Creating a Restaurant Work Schedule?
Here are the key elements to consider when creating a restaurant work schedule:
- Schedule start date
- Calendar dates
- Days of the week
- Employee first and last names
- Employee positions (such as chef, cook, kitchen assistant, dishwasher, head waiter, server, bartender)
- Individual employee work shifts
- Days off
- Paid breaks
- Unpaid breaks
- Total weekly work hours scheduled
- Weekly labor cost
Are There Different Types of Restaurant Work Schedules?
Yes. Restaurant work schedules can be based off various models, including:
- Fixed schedule
- Rotating schedule
- Full-time and part-time schedules
- Weekday and weekend schedules
- Weekly schedule
- Monthly schedule
You can also create your own schedule model based on your needs to simplify workforce management.
If you’re interested in a monthly schedule, check out our employee monthly work schedule template—it might come in handy!
Why Is It Relevant to Use a Work Schedule in the Restaurant Industry?
There are several advantages to using a schedule for restaurant staff:
- Better control over weekly labor costs
- Improved staffing needs management
- Clear overview of employees on duty
- Simplified leave and availability management
- Faster response to unexpected changes
- Greater flexibility for employees
To make scheduling easier, many managers turn to scheduling software like Agendrix, which is built specifically for the restaurant industry. This kind of tool helps streamline key HR processes, including shift scheduling, time tracking, and employee management.
Want to hear what a real restaurant manager thinks of Agendrix? Check out Caroline’s testimonial—she owns two St-Hubert rotisseries!
