Time OffĪlthough your restaurant is operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, your staff most certainly is not. This can affect how long your staff has to endure (and recover from) overnight shifts, and how often their days off fall on a coveted weekend day.

If you choose a rotating schedule, think about how long that cycle should be before starting over. Fixed or RotatingĬonsider the pros and cons of a fixed schedule pattern, where shifts are repeated week to week, or a rotating pattern, which cycles through shifts and days off. (For example, on a 24/7 shift schedule with level coverage, 8-hour shifts will provide 91 days off per year, 10-hour shifts will provide 146 days off per year, and 12-hour shifts will provide 182 days off per year.) Also consider whether it's a priority for shifts to overlap during say, the dinner rush.

Typically, longer shifts mean employees can enjoy more days off in a row. Take time to decide what the ideal shift length is for your employees as well as the operation. Some 24/7 scheduling patterns are better suited for larger staff, so make sure you focus on the patterns right-sized for your operation and available employees. Your operational needs and constraints are largely data-driven, and you'll need to balance those needs against those on your team. For example, if you know that throngs of hungry 20-somethings will be flooding your restaurant on Fridays and Saturdays, adding a few extra hands on deck will help you keep up with demand. Keeping on top of customer activity using POS sales data and traffic patterns positions you to accurately divide your workday into shifts with appropriate staffing levels and skill mix. When considering 24/7 scheduling patterns, use sales forecasting to drill down on how many hours of coverage is needed throughout the day and night, how many people per hour, and the skills required at those times. There's no way you'll be able to consider each of those 500 different 24/7 shift scheduling patterns, so narrow that list down by pinpointing the various shift factors specific to your operation.

Swing shift hours