How to Make a Restaurant Schedule: The Complete Guide

Creating the perfect restaurant schedule may seem like a daunting job, but once you understand the process and get comfortable with the best practices, you’ll be surprised how quickly and easily it goes. In this article, we discuss some of the steps for putting together the perfect work schedule for your team.

Table of Contents

• Set Up Shifts
• Establish a Schedule for Scheduling
• Create a Restaurant Schedule Template
• Consider Business Needs and Employee Strengths
• Vary Your Employees’ Shifts
• Schedule Busy Shifts First
• Avoid Back-to-Back Shifts
• Honor Time-Off Requests Whenever Possible
• Make the Restaurant Schedule Easy to Access
• Give Your Employees Plenty of Lead Time
• Allow for Changes
• Encourage Employees to Find Their Own Substitutes
• Make Sure All Changes Go Through You First
• Create an Availability Chart
• Always Have a Plan

1. Set Up Shifts

The first step in creating a restaurant schedule is to set up shifts for when your team members will work. Examine how your business operates and then institute the work schedule that works best for you.

2. Establish a Schedule for Scheduling

Try your best to always post the new restaurant schedule on the same day and at the same time. This helps you establish a routine for scheduling and ensures consistency.

3. Create a Restaurant Schedule Template

One of the best ways to save time and effort in the scheduling process is to create a template that you can use repeatedly. The Sling suite offers an uncluttered, easy-to-read restaurant schedule template that you can utilize efficiently.

4. Consider Business Needs and Employee Strengths

Before scheduling your employees, factor in your business’s goals and strategies. Identify each employee’s strengths and consider how those abilities can satisfy your business needs.

5. Vary Your Employees’ Shifts

Don’t keep your employees on the same shifts all the time. Mix it up to keep employees happy, engaged, and give them a chance to learn how to work during peak hours.

6. Schedule Busy Shifts First

Instead of starting on Monday and working through Sunday, schedule your busiest days — and busiest shifts — first. This ensures that your most skilled employees are available when you need them the most.

7. Avoid Back-to-Back Shifts

Avoid scheduling an employee for the closing shift and the opening shift in one twenty-four-hour period as it can negatively affect their morale.

8. Honor Time-Off Requests Whenever Possible

When you honor time-off requests, you create goodwill, increase employee satisfaction, and promote employee engagement which helps retain your best workers.

9. Make the Restaurant Schedule Easy to Access

Use a cloud-based program like Sling to post schedules online where everyone can access it 24/7.

10. Give Your Employees Plenty of Lead Time

Distribute your restaurant schedule well in advance of when it goes into effect to allow employees to request changes if necessary.

11. Allow for Changes

Be flexible and allow changes where necessary. Emergencies and personal conflicts will always arise.

12. Encourage Employees to Find Their Own Substitutes

Encourage your employees to find their own substitutes if they can’t work a certain shift to eliminate time-consuming work for you.

13. Make Sure All Changes Go Through You First

Ensure that you must approve all changes to avoid overtime and ensure shifts are covered according to business needs.

14. Create an Availability Chart

Create an availability chart to resolve potential scheduling issues. This chart can list employees who can cover each shift in case of emergencies.

15. Always Have a Plan

Set up a list of trusted part-time employees you can call when all other options fail to ensure that you’ll always have someone to work.