Scheduling challenges in restaurants: why it's harder than elsewhere
Restaurants are one of the sectors where scheduling is the most complex and volatile: extras who cancel at the last minute, peak activity on weekends and public holidays, summer vacations, split-shift teams (lunch service + evening service), students only available certain days... Managing all this in Excel is a feat.
In Dakar, Abidjan, or Cotonou, a restaurant with 15 to 40 covers typically employs 3 to 8 front-of-house staff and 2 to 5 in the kitchen — with schedules that change every week based on activity, group reservations, and special events.
Building a restaurant schedule in Excel: recommended structure
The ideal structure for a restaurant schedule in Excel:
- Tab per week: create one tab per week (W01, W02...) with dates as column headers
- Rows by employee and shift type: Dining Lunch, Dining Evening, Kitchen Lunch, Kitchen Evening, Dishwashing, Cashier — each post type has its row
- Shift codes: L = Lunch (11am–3:30pm), E = Evening (6:30pm–11pm), F = Full day, S = Split (lunch + evening), R = Rest, X = Extra
- Total hours column with automatic formula: count codes L=4.5h, E=4.5h, F=8h, S=9h to get the weekly total
- Minimum coverage row: indicate the minimum number of people required for each shift. Conditional formatting in red if it falls below.
Managing extras in your restaurant schedule
Extras are the major challenge in restaurants. Here's how to integrate them cleanly in Excel:
- Available extras list: create a dedicated tab with each extra's name, position, availability, and hourly rate.
- Extra request: when you have a need, filter your list by position and availability. Note the confirmation in the "Status" column (Contacted / Confirmed / Declined).
- Actual vs planned hours: after service, note each extra's actual hours in a separate column for payroll (often different from planned hours).
- Monthly extra total: create a monthly summary tab with hours per extra to calculate their pay.
Important limit: Excel cannot automatically send a notification to your available extras when you have an urgent need. You'll have to call or text them one by one.
Restaurant scheduling software vs Excel: the honest comparison
- Schedule creation: Excel = 2–4h/week | Weplanify = 20–30 min
- Employee notification: Excel = manual calls/WhatsApp | Weplanify = automatic push
- Extra management: Excel = manual list | Weplanify = extras pool with real-time availability
- Hour calculation: Excel = formulas (error risk) | Weplanify = automatic and reliable
- Legal compliance: Excel = manual check | Weplanify = automatic alert if exceeded
- Mobile access: Excel = difficult | Weplanify = native mobile app
- Price: Excel = free | Weplanify = from €3/user/month
For a restaurant of 10 people, Weplanify costs about €30/month — less than one hour of manager time saved per week.
FAQ — Restaurant schedule
How to manage summer vacations in a restaurant Excel schedule?
Create a 'Validated Leave' tab with each employee's dates. In your schedule tab, use =COUNTIFS to automatically detect if an employee is on leave on a given date and display 'LEAVE' instead of their shift. Plan your extra needs well in advance for critical weeks (July-August, year-end holidays).
Should split shifts (lunch service + evening service) be paid as continuous working hours?
No. The split (time between lunch and evening service) is generally not paid if the employee is free to do as they please. However, if the split is less than 2 hours or the employee stays on site, collective agreement provisions may apply. Check the restaurant collective agreement in your country.
How to calculate extra hours in Excel for payroll?
Multiply each extra's actual hours by their gross hourly rate. Don't forget to add employer and employee contributions according to local legislation. If the extra worked on a Sunday or public holiday, apply the corresponding premium rate. Weplanify calculates all of this automatically.
What is the minimum number of rest days required in the restaurant industry in Senegal?
The Senegalese Labor Code requires 1 day of weekly rest, generally Sunday, but exemptions are possible in the restaurant industry (a sector that works on Sundays). The employer must then grant rest on another day of the week. Weplanify integrates these rules and automatically alerts when non-compliance occurs.
Try Weplanify for your restaurant
Schedules in 20 minutes, real-time extra management, automatic hour calculation. 14 days free — Request a demo.