The Employee Scheduling and Time Tracking App Built for Restaurants

Running a restaurant is no small feat. Between managing staff schedules, tracking hours, and keeping labor costs in check, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. If you’re a restaurant owner, manager, or even an employee, you know how critical it is to stay organized and communicate effectively.

That’s where a restaurant-specific scheduling and time tracking app can make all the difference. Whether you’re managing a small café, a bustling diner, or a chain of restaurants, the right tool can simplify employee scheduling, time tracking, and team communication, so you can focus on what matters most: keeping your customers happy.

What is a Restaurant-Specific Scheduling and Time Tracking App?

Restaurant-specific scheduling and time tracking apps are designed to address the unique challenges faced by the foodservice industry. Unlike generic workforce management tools, these platforms are tailored to the fast-paced, high-turnover environment of restaurants.

From creating schedules to tracking labor costs and improving team communication, these apps are used by thousands of restaurants, bars, cafes, and food trucks worldwide. Whether you’re running a single location or a multi-unit chain, this type of tool is built to save you time and money.

Key Features

Drag-and-Drop Schedule Builder: Create staff schedules in minutes with an intuitive drag-and-drop builder. View employee availability, reduce scheduling conflicts, and even forecast labor costs to optimize your staffing levels.
Mobile Time Tracking: Say goodbye to paper timesheets. Employees can clock in and out directly through the app, and GPS location tracking ensures they’re clocking in from the right place.
Built-in Team Communication: Need to notify your team about a last-minute change? Send messages, announcements, or updates directly through the app. Employees can also use the app to request time off or trade shifts—no more endless back-and-forth texts.
Labor Cost Insights: Get real-time data on labor costs, overtime, and productivity. With insights like sales vs. labor costs, you can make data-driven decisions to keep your operations profitable.
Seamless Payroll Integrations: Export hours worked directly to your payroll provider. Many apps integrate with popular platforms, saving you hours of manual work.
Task Management: Assign tasks to staff (like closing checklists or cleaning duties) and track their completion in real time. This keeps everyone accountable and ensures nothing gets missed.
Accessible Anytime, Anywhere: Whether you’re on a desktop, tablet, or smartphone, these tools are fully accessible, making it easy to manage your team on the go.

Who is This Type of App For?

These solutions are perfect for restaurants of all shapes and sizes. Here’s who will benefit the most:

Single-location or multi-location restaurants
Quick-service and casual dining establishments
Restaurants with hourly employees
Businesses focused on labor cost management
Restaurants with high employee turnover

Potential Drawbacks

While these apps are robust solutions, they’re not without their limitations:

Higher price point: They are often more expensive than basic scheduling apps, but the added features and value justify the cost.
Limited features for salaried teams: If most of your staff is salaried, you may find some features less relevant.
Lacks advanced HR tools: These apps focus on scheduling and time tracking, so you’ll need other tools for onboarding, training, or performance management.

Pricing

Pricing for restaurant-specific scheduling apps is typically structured to fit restaurants of all sizes:

Free plans for single locations with limited users
Growth plans for small to medium-sized restaurants
Pro plans with advanced features for larger operations
Custom enterprise pricing for restaurant chains with complex needs

How to Get Started

Getting started is quick and easy. Here’s how:

Sign Up for a Free Trial: Most platforms offer a free trial that gives you access to all features for a limited number of users.
Set Up Your Team: Add your restaurant’s details and invite employees to join via email. They’ll download the app to access schedules and clock in/out.
Build Your First Schedule: Use the drag-and-drop builder to create a schedule that works for your team.
Start Tracking and Optimizing: Employees can begin clocking in right away. Use reporting tools to monitor labor costs and make adjustments.