How Many Staff Do I Need for My Restaurant?

Running a successful restaurant depends on having the right team in place to deliver memorable dining experiences. Yet building and maintaining that team has become one of hospitality’s biggest challenges. Between developing skilled team members and adapting to changing service demands, restaurants across the UK are feeling the pressure. Recent industry data shows that 45% of hospitality businesses are operating with fewer team members than they need. 

Getting staffing levels right can feel like a guessing game, but it doesn’t have to be. At Rotaready, we understand the complexities of restaurant scheduling. Our work with hospitality businesses, from quick-service establishments to fine-dining restaurants, shows that data-driven staff scheduling transforms how operations run. 

In this article, we’ll share some practical tips to help you staff smarter, so every shift runs smoothly, and your team stays happy. 

Understanding your restaurant staffing needs 

Effective scheduling shapes every aspect of your restaurant’s success. When asking how many employees does a restaurant need, the answer connects directly to four main areas: 

• Financial performance – labour costs in hospitality can quickly rise with overscheduling while understaffing often leads to expensive overtime 

• Team productivity – the right number of employees helps maintain consistent service quality without burning out your team 

• Customer experience – having enough team members ensures quick service and attention to detail that keeps customers coming back 

• Business growth – when customers have good experiences, they return more often and recommend your restaurant to others 

Getting these elements right means understanding scheduling patterns and team needs. A mix of fixed and flexible shifts helps match your restaurant’s changing demands while keeping your team engaged and motivated. 

However, many restaurants face common scheduling challenges. Understaffing leaves team members overwhelmed and customers waiting, while overstaffing cuts into your profits and leaves employees underutilised. The number of employees a restaurant needs varies throughout the day, week and season, making it essential to build schedules that can adapt to these changes. 

What to consider when calculating staffing needs 

Getting your staffing levels right relies on a few different factors: 

1. Restaurant size: Larger venues are going to need more team members to cover both front-of-house (FOH) and back-of-house (BOH) operations. The space and number of covers directly impact your staffing requirements. For example, a full-service restaurant with 40-50 covers might require seven kitchen team members per shift to handle food preparation and cooking. 

2. Type of service: The style of your restaurant heavily influences your staffing needs. Fine dining requires more team members per table compared to casual dining, where service style is more relaxed. Fast food or self-service establishments focus more on quick service and high volume. This diversity in service models is reflected in the industry’s scale—the UK takeaway and fast-food sector alone employs 449,283 people, showing a 1.9% average annual growth over the past five years. 

3. Labour laws and costs: UK labour laws affect your staffing strategy directly. From April 2024, the National Minimum Wage is £12.21 per hour for those aged 21 and over, £10 for ages 18-20, and £7.55 for under 18s and apprentices. With employers’ National Insurance contributions now at 15%, restaurants need to balance compliance with these regulations while managing costs effectively. 

4. Peak hours and seasonal trends: Busy weekends or seasonal surges demand more hands-on deck. The UK hospitality sector typically sees increased demand during summer months, the back-to-school period (September to November) and the end-of-year holiday season. During these peak times, you’ll likely see a spike in customer traffic and need more team members across all roles to maintain smooth operations. 

5. Menu complexity and kitchen operations: Elaborate menus often require a larger, skilled kitchen team. A restaurant specialising in made-to-order dishes with intricate plating needs more chefs and prep cooks than one with a streamlined menu. Modern purchase-to-pay systems can help you analyse preparation times, track ingredient costs and optimise your menu. This data helps you schedule the right number of kitchen team members while maintaining both quality and efficiency. 

While managing all these factors manually can be challenging, scheduling software helps simplify the process. It lets you track everything from seasonal demands to labour costs, making it easier to schedule the right number of team members. 

Restaurant team roles and requirements 

Your staffing needs will depend on your service type and the individual needs of your restaurant, but here’s a rough guide to get you started

Self-Service Restaurants 

These venues run with streamlined operations, focusing on quick service and high volume. With 85% of restaurant owners facing hiring challenges, many self-service establishments have adopted technology to support leaner teams. 

FOH teams focus primarily on counter service and dining area maintenance, with fewer team members needed due to limited table service. BOH operations concentrate on prep work and assembly-line cooking. The emphasis here is on using technology to maintain service quality with optimised staffing levels.

Casual Dining Restaurants 

Casual dining requires more hands-on service, with teams split between dining room operations and kitchen duties. Currently, 43% of UK hospitality businesses operate below their ideal staffing levels, making efficient team structure essential. 

FOH typically operates with one server per 4-5 tables during peak hours, ensuring balanced attention to each guest. BOH operations usually require 4-6 kitchen team members, varying based on your restaurant’s size and menu complexity. Support staff handle host duties, cleaning and administrative tasks. 

Fine Dining Restaurants  

Fine dining demands the highest levels of personalised service, requiring experienced team members across all positions. 

FOH positions maintain one server per 4-5 tables to ensure attentive service, plus dedicated sommeliers and a maître d’ to oversee dining room operations. BOH typically requires 6-10 kitchen team members, reflecting the intricacy of fine dining cuisine and the need for specialised roles in different menu sections. 

Managing these varied staffing requirements across different service styles requires careful planning. A scheduling tool helps you balance these complex needs, ensuring you have the right team members in the right positions at the right times.

Essential Restaurant Roles 

We’ve looked at how many team members you need across different dining styles, from self-service to fine dining. Now, let’s explore the specific roles that every restaurant needs to run smoothly, regardless of service type. 

Front-of-House Team  

These team members create the atmosphere and deliver the service your guests experience: 

• Hosts welcome guests and manage the flow of service. They handle reservations, guide seating arrangements and ensure a smooth start to every dining experience 

• Servers build relationships with your guests throughout their visit. They take orders, provide menu guidance and ensure each table receives attentive service 

• Bartenders combine drink preparation expertise with guest interaction. Beyond mixing drinks, they manage bar inventory and create an engaging atmosphere 

• Bussers and food runners keep service flowing smoothly by maintaining table cleanliness and ensuring prompt food delivery 

Back-of-House Team  

Your kitchen team brings the menu to life while maintaining quality and consistency: 

• Head chefs lead kitchen operations, from menu development to food quality standards. They manage kitchen team members, control costs and ensure compliance with safety regulations 

• Sous chefs support kitchen leadership, overseeing daily operations and stepping in when needed. They help manage inventory and maintain consistent food quality 

• Line cooks specialise in different cooking stations, working together to prepare each dish to order 

• Prep cooks handle the essential groundwork, ensuring ingredients are ready for service 

• Kitchen porters maintain cleanliness and organisation, keeping equipment and workspaces ready for use 

Management Team  

These roles coordinate overall operations: 

• Restaurant managers oversee both front and back-of-house operations. They handle team development, guest relations and daily business operations 

• Bar managers (in venues with significant beverage service) handle drink menus, stock control and team training while ensuring smooth service 

Creating a restaurant staffing schedule 

Building an effective restaurant staffing schedule means balancing multiple moving parts. While every restaurant has unique needs, following a structured approach helps create staffing plans that work for both your business and your team. 

Here’s how to create a schedule that works: 

Analyse your data

Start by reviewing your business patterns. Look at your peak times, quiet periods and seasonal changes. Understanding these patterns helps predict how many team members you need and when. For example, you might need more front-of-house staff during weekend dinner service than weekday lunches.

Plan your shifts  

Break down your operating hours into clear shift patterns. Consider creating shift templates that you can adapt week by week. This approach makes it easier to distribute hours fairly and helps team members plan their time. 

Schedule your team

Once you have your shift patterns, start filling them in. Begin with your busiest periods, like weekends and event days, then work backwards. Remember to factor in different skill levels and avoid scheduling the same team members for consecutive long shifts.

Share and manage changes  

Make your schedule easily accessible to your team. Allow time for feedback and shift swap requests before finalising it. Team members who feel their needs are considered are more likely to stick to the schedule. 

Monitor and adjust  

Watch how your schedule performs in practice. Are your peak times properly covered? Is your team stretched too thin at certain points? Use these insights to refine future schedules. 

Managing this process manually can be time-consuming. Rotaready’s scheduling tools simplify this by automatically generating shifts based on your demand patterns, giving you real-time visibility of team availability and flagging any conflicts. The hospitality scheduling software helps you build restaurant staffing schedules quickly while ensuring compliance with working time regulations. 

How can Rotaready help with organising my restaurant team?  

Throughout this article, we’ve explored the challenges of restaurant staffing—balancing demand, managing costs, and ensuring every role is covered. But even with careful planning, getting it right isn’t always easy. 

That’s where Rotaready can make a difference. Our software simplifies staffing, with tools designed specifically for the hospitality industry: 

• Forecast demand with confidence: Our system uses historical data, real-time insights, and upcoming events to predict staffing needs, so you’re always prepared for busy shifts or quiet periods. 

• Build smarter schedules: Create rotas that fit your team and budget, ensuring every shift is covered without overstaffing. Rotaready also helps balance shifts fairly, improving morale and preventing burnout. 

• Control costs in real-time: Track labour costs as you go, making it easy to adjust and stay profitable. 

• Streamline shift swaps and time-off requests: Our user-friendly platform empowers your team to manage their own availability, saving you time and reducing admin headaches. 

• Stay compliant: Rotaready’s tools keep your schedules aligned with working time directives and other regulations, helping you avoid costly errors. 

• Integrate with payroll seamlessly: Track hours worked, process payments, and reduce errors. 

Rotaready isn’t just a scheduling tool; it’s a smarter way to manage your team. Let us help you boost efficiency, improve morale and create a better experience for your customers. 

Ready to make staffing stress-free? Request a demo today.