Forecast-based schedule suggestions¶
In Labor → Schedule, the ✨ Suggest schedule button works out how many people you need every half hour of the week based on what you'll sell, and builds the shifts for you. It's part of the Pro plan.
1. Set up once: Roles & rules¶
- Roles: for each role (kitchen, servers, cashier, bar…) enter how many orders per hour one person handles, the minimum while open, and how many minutes they come in before opening or stay after closing. Servers can count dine-in orders only.
- Who can cover each role: check which roles each employee does. People are only assigned to what's checked.
- Rules: minimum and maximum shift (4 and 8 h by default), labor goal (% of sales) and weeks of history.
- Service hours: automatic uses the hours when you normally get orders; set them if yours are different.
How many orders per hour?
Start with what your team handles in a busy hour today. If suggestions schedule too many people, raise the number; if they come up short, lower it.
2. Review the week's forecast¶
Each day shows expected sales and orders and a half-hour curve. It's built from:
- the average of the same weekday over recent weeks (leaving out adjusted days such as holidays);
- the trend of the last 2 weeks;
- reservations above normal, at the time they arrive;
- your adjustment for the day (for example +30% for a game). Enter the percentage and the reason.
When a holiday falls in the week (Mother's Day, Cinco de Mayo, 4th of July, Thanksgiving…), it shows a suggested adjustment. If you already had sales on that date last year, what actually happened is used; otherwise a typical value. Tap Apply to use it.
3. Generate, tweak and add¶
✨ Generate suggestion builds shifts by role:
- it keeps shifts already on the schedule (or replaces your unpublished ones, if you check that box);
- it assigns people who can do the role, are available and won't go into overtime; salaried staff first, then the lowest rate and whoever has fewer hours;
- peaks shorter than half a shift don't add another person: they're flagged instead.
You'll see the week's cost, labor % against your goal, unfilled shifts and a coverage bar per role (green covered, yellow short, red nobody). You can change who's assigned to each shift or remove it.
Add shifts to the schedule puts them in unpublished so you can review them in the grid. When they look right, Publish as usual.