The Cost of Inefficient Staffing

Restaurant margins are tight, and labor costs are often the largest variable expense on the P&L. But poor staffing doesn’t just hurt profits—it hurts the guest experience too. Understaffing leads to slower service and missed orders, while overstaffing burns payroll during slow hours. The key is balance. Smart staffing strategies backed by real-time insights help operators schedule with precision, boost team morale, and ultimately run a more profitable floor.

1. Use Sales Data to Build Smarter Schedules

Modern scheduling platforms allow managers to create labor plans based on projected sales, historical traffic, and even weather data. This means fewer hours wasted during off-peak shifts and fewer service breakdowns during busy ones. The most successful restaurants schedule for demand—not for availability. Matching the right number of staff to guest volume keeps labor costs in check while ensuring consistent service.

2. Improve Retention with Better Onboarding and Clear Roles

High turnover hurts more than morale—it costs time and money. By building structured onboarding programs, setting clear role expectations, and using tools to reduce stress during service, restaurants can keep staff longer and develop stronger teams. Solutions like OpenTab can reduce the number of card swipes and closeouts staff have to manage, giving servers more time to focus on guests—and less reason to burn out.

3. Cross-Training to Boost Flexibility

Cross-training your FOH team gives you more scheduling flexibility and reduces risk when someone calls off. Hosts can help clear tables, servers can run food, and bartenders can jump into service during rushes. This type of operational agility allows you to stay lean without compromising guest experience.

4. Real-Time Monitoring for On-the-Fly Adjustments

Some of the best decisions happen during the shift—not before it. Tools that show real-time sales vs. labor costs give managers the ability to cut shifts early or call in backup before things spiral. Whether you're watching spend-per-cover or table turn times, live data helps you protect your margins in the moment, not just after the fact.

5. Automate Repetitive Tasks to Free Up Labor

From tip-outs to payment processing, automating the small stuff adds up. OpenTab, for example, eliminates the need for servers to manually close out checks or chase cards at the bar. That time goes back into service, allowing restaurants to run tighter teams without sacrificing speed or attention to detail.