Comparing the Best Staff Scheduling Apps for Restaurants: Key Features Explained

Managing staff schedules in a restaurant can be a challenging and time-consuming task, particularly when dealing with busy shifts, varying employee availability, and last-minute changes. Thankfully, technology has provided restaurant owners and managers with specialised apps that simplify the scheduling process. These apps not only save valuable time but also enhance communication and ensure optimal staffing levels. In this blog, we’ll compare some of the top staff scheduling apps for restaurants, highlighting their key features and benefits to help you select the best option for your business.

Deputy

Overview: Deputy is a popular workforce management solution used by restaurants and other hospitality businesses to schedule staff, track time, and manage tasks. It’s designed to be simple, user-friendly, and highly flexible.

Key Features:

• Drag-and-drop scheduling: Deputy allows you to easily create and adjust staff schedules with its intuitive drag-and-drop interface.
• Employee availability and preferences: Staff can update their availability, request time off, and indicate preferred shifts, helping managers create schedules that suit everyone.
• Automatic shift reminders: The app sends automated reminders to staff about upcoming shifts, reducing no-shows and ensuring better attendance.
• Time tracking and payroll integration: Deputy integrates with payroll systems, making it easier to track hours worked and streamline payroll processing.
• Mobile access: Both managers and staff can access the app from their mobile devices, making it easy to check schedules, request changes, and communicate in real-time.

Why Choose Deputy? Deputy’s ease of use, employee engagement features, and strong integration with payroll systems make it ideal for busy restaurant managers looking to optimise scheduling and reduce administrative work.

7shifts

Overview: 7shifts is an industry-specific scheduling app designed for restaurants, providing tools for creating schedules, managing labour costs, and improving team communication.

Key Features:

• Shift scheduling and labour cost tracking: Managers can quickly create schedules and see how much each shift is costing in real-time, helping to stay within budget.
• Employee communication tools: The app allows managers and staff to communicate about shift changes, requests, and updates through chat and notifications.
• Team availability and time-off requests: Staff can input their availability and request time off directly through the app, reducing scheduling conflicts.
• Sales and labour forecasting: 7shifts helps forecast sales and labour costs based on historical data, allowing managers to adjust staffing levels accordingly.
• Integration with POS and payroll systems: The app integrates with POS systems, such as Square and Toast, and payroll systems, streamlining administrative tasks.

Why Choose 7shifts? 7shifts is perfect for restaurant managers who want a comprehensive tool to not only manage schedules but also control labour costs and improve staff communication.

HotSchedules

Overview: HotSchedules is a well-established app known for its robust scheduling capabilities and ease of use, widely adopted by restaurants in need of flexible workforce management solutions.

Key Features:

• Advanced scheduling and shift swapping: Managers can create schedules with a few clicks and employees can swap shifts or request time off directly through the app.
• Employee availability and shift trading: Staff can input their availability, making it easier to find replacements or accommodate personal requests.
• Real-time communication: HotSchedules includes a messaging feature that allows for seamless communication between managers and staff about shift changes and announcements.
• Labour cost management: The app offers detailed insights into labour costs, helping managers optimise staffing levels to maintain profitability.
• Mobile-friendly: Employees can access their schedules, clock in and out, and communicate with colleagues, all from their mobile phones.

Why Choose HotSchedules? With its strong focus on flexibility, ease of use, and mobile accessibility, HotSchedules is ideal for larger restaurant teams or chains looking for a scalable scheduling solution.

Why Choose Workforce? Workforce is an excellent choice for restaurant owners and managers who need a straightforward scheduling tool with a focus on simplicity and ease of use. Its mobile functionality and payroll integration make it a reliable choice for streamlining operations.

Planday

Overview: Planday is a versatile scheduling app that’s ideal for restaurants looking to manage shifts, track time, and optimise staff allocation. It’s particularly strong in its scheduling and payroll features.

Key Features:

• Employee scheduling and shift management: Planday’s drag-and-drop feature allows for quick schedule creation, while employees can also view and request shifts via the app.
• Labour cost forecasting: The app helps forecast labour costs based on upcoming shifts and budget targets, helping managers stay within budget.
• Time tracking and automated payroll: Planday integrates with payroll systems and automatically tracks employee hours, reducing manual entry and errors.
• Communication and notifications: The app sends reminders and allows managers and staff to communicate seamlessly about schedule changes.
• Customisable reports: Managers can generate reports based on various factors like hours worked, costs, and attendance, helping to optimise staffing.

Why Choose Planday? Planday is an excellent choice for restaurant owners who need a robust and flexible tool for managing staff schedules and payroll. Its powerful reporting and labour cost management features set it apart for businesses focused on efficiency and profitability.

Conclusion

Choosing the right scheduling app for your restaurant depends on the size of your business, the complexity of your scheduling needs, and the level of integration you require. Each of the apps listed above offers unique features that can streamline operations, reduce scheduling conflicts, and enhance communication.

For larger restaurants or chains, tools like 7shifts or HotSchedules offer robust scheduling, labour cost tracking, and team management features. Deputy are excellent for those seeking simplicity. Finally, Planday is ideal for restaurants that need a more comprehensive system that also integrates payroll and reporting.

By investing in the right app, you can improve efficiency, reduce administrative workload, and ultimately enhance the overall customer experience at your restaurant.