Most Indian restaurants roster by habit — same headcount Monday and Saturday, same kitchen crew through Shravan. Labour cost then swings 8–12 points month to month. This template fixes the ratios first, then the shifts.
Headcount ratios by format
| Format | Covers/day (stabilised) | FTE range | Labour % target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud kitchen | 150–400 orders | 4–8 | 18–22% |
| QSR | 200–350 | 8–14 | 20–24% |
| Casual dining (60 seat) | 80–140 | 12–16 | 24–28% |
| Fine dining | 40–70 | 18–28 | 30–35% |
Shift pattern that fits Indian peaks
Split shifts beat single long shifts for lunch + dinner formats. Typical casual dining: kitchen in 10am–3:30pm and 5pm–11:30pm; service in 11am–4pm and 6pm–close. One overlapping hour for handover. Salary-day Friday and festival weekends get +1 service and +1 kitchen on the roster — not overtime surprises.
The roster rules
- Roster published 7 days ahead; changes only for forecasted cover swings >20%.
- No more than 6 consecutive days for any full-timer (Shop Act + retention).
- Cross-train at least two people on cashier and one on basic kitchen prep.
- Track labour % weekly, not monthly — monthly hides two bad festival weeks.
When to cut vs when to add
Cut a shift when three consecutive days run labour >30% of revenue AND average ticket time is under target (you're overstaffed, not busy). Add when ticket time slips 15%+ on peak hours for two weeks — that's understaffing, not kitchen skill.
Pair roster changes with a cover forecast. Shravan Mondays need −1 kitchen; Diwali week needs +2 service before you feel it on Zomato wait times.
Model labour in the break-even calculator →