Free Restaurant Leadership Guides, Calculators and Templates

Hiring and training, scheduling, the manager's routine, the handbook and the rules on tips: every guide, calculator and template for leading the team.

New management and hiring guides

ManagementHow to run a successful restaurantTen systems, the numbers to watch, and a weekly rhythm to manage by.HiringRestaurant manager job descriptionDuties by role, a job description to copy, and the numbers each manager owns.HiringRestaurant job application templateA one page application to copy, what to leave off, and a five minute screen.HiringRestaurant interview questionsQuestions by role, what a good answer sounds like, and what not to ask.PeopleEmployee evaluation formA form to copy or print, a four point scale, and what to score for each role.PeopleRestaurant schedule templateA printable weekly schedule, a filled in example, and the labor cost check.ShopStaff Schedule and Duty Roster (Excel)The week's shifts, everyone's hours and the opening, mid and closing duties in one workbook.ShopPhilippines Restaurant Payroll SchedulerSchedule shifts and run payroll the DOLE way, with a payslip for every employee, every cutoff.

Systems do not run themselves; managers run them, and the team either follows the standard or does not. This hub collects our guides, calculators and templates on the people side of the operation: hiring and training a team that stays, scheduling to a forecast, the manager's daily log and weekly routine, the handbook and the rules on tips and labor, and staying inspection-ready. New in the role? Start with the manager's weekly routine, then the hiring and training guide.

Start here, in this order.

  1. The manager's weekly routine: the five numbers and the weekly rhythm.
  2. Hiring and training OperationsRestaurant SOPsWhich procedures to write, the eight parts of an SOP people follow, three worked examples and a free template builder.: interviews and a training plan that holds.
  3. Scheduling to a forecast: hours that match the business.
  4. The handbook: the rules written down before you need them.

Guides

Long-form guides with the formula, benchmarks by concept, a worked example and a routine.

OperationsThe manager's weekly routineThe five numbers to check every shift, a day-by-day weekly rhythm, the Monday prime cost snapshot and the monthly and quarterly reviews. PeopleHiring and training restaurant staffWhat turnover costs, staffing to the forecast, interviews that predict performance, a day-by-day training plan and the 7, 30 and 90 day check-ins. ServiceThe pre-shift meetingA ten minute agenda, a worked Friday example, which numbers to share, the daily training topic and a template to copy. ServiceSteps of serviceThe ten steps with target times, table maintenance, selling without pushing, training and sign-off, and the numbers that show service is working. BarBartender training planA 30 day plan from hire to solo shifts, the skills to sign off, a ten minute pour test, responsible service and choosing trainers. LaborRestaurant schedulingBuild next week's schedule from a sales forecast and a labor target, station by station, and hold it through the week. OperationsThe manager log and shift handoverWhat goes in the daily log, the five-question handover, a page from a working log, and how the log runs the weekly meeting. PeopleEmployee handbook checklistWhat every restaurant and bar handbook needs, the tip, alcohol, cash and walkout rules generic templates miss, and a ten-question yearly audit. ComplianceTip pooling and labor law basicsTip credits, who can be in a tip pool, overtime for tipped staff, service charges, where states go further and a compliance checklist. ComplianceHealth inspection readinessThe five risk factors, the temperatures and times that must be right, the most common violations and fixes, and a weekly self-inspection. TargetsSetting 2027 KPI targetsWhere prime cost, food, pour and labor should land by concept, setting targets from your actuals, what each point is worth and who owns each number. OperationsOpening and closing checklistsWhat belongs on every list for kitchen, bar and front of house, the manager's walk, and how to keep them alive.

Free calculators

No signup. Load the sample numbers to see how each one works, then enter your own.

CalculatorLabor cost calculatorAll-in labor percent by department, sales per labor hour and the gap in dollars and hours. CalculatorSales per labor hour calculatorSPLH by front and back of house and an hours budget from your forecast. CalculatorTip pool calculatorSplit tips by hours, points or both, and work out server tip outs.

The numbers to know

Typical ranges by concept. Use them to orient, then manage to your own weekly trend.

MetricFull serviceBar-ledQuick serviceFine dining / club
Hourly staff turnover (annual)70 to 100%70 to 100%100 to 150%50 to 80%
Labor hours per 100 covers45 to 6035 to 5025 to 4060 to 90
Sales per labor hour (SPLH)$45 to $75$60 to $110$50 to $90$40 to $65
Management salaries (of sales)8 to 12%7 to 10%6 to 9%10 to 14%
Payroll burden (of wages)18 to 22%18 to 22%18 to 22%20 to 25%
Labor, fully loaded30 to 35%25 to 30%25 to 30%33 to 38%

All forty benchmarks, with what moves each one, are on the benchmarks page. Terms are defined in the glossary.

Templates and workbooks

Excel and Google Sheets tools built from the same methods, one-time purchase.

Playbooks & BundlesRestaurant Manager Operating SystemPlaybooks & BundlesRestaurant Manager 90-Day PlanLabor & HRRestaurant HR Kit and Hiring ToolkitPlaybooks & BundlesRestaurant HR & SOP BundleLabor & HRRestaurant Employee Handbook TemplateLabor & HREmployee Write-Up Form & PIP TrackerLabor & HRAttendance & Callout TrackerLabor & HRRestaurant Training & Certification TrackerLabor & HRRestaurant Labor Forecast & Staffing GuideLabor & HRRestaurant Employee Schedule & Labor Cost TrackerSOPs & Food SafetyRestaurant SOP Manual (53 SOPs)Finance & Daily Ops2027 Restaurant Manager Planner

New to the job? The book The New Restaurant Manager's First 90 Days and its free reference cards walk through the first three months.

FAQ

What does a restaurant manager do each week?

Checks five numbers every shift (sales, labor, covers, comps and voids, and the log), closes the week with a prime cost on Monday, builds next week's schedule from a forecast, and runs a short weekly meeting from the log. The manager's weekly routine guide lays it out day by day.

What is a normal staff turnover rate for restaurants?

Hourly turnover often runs 70 to 100 percent a year in full service and 100 to 150 percent in quick service. Every departure costs money in hiring and training, which is why the first 90 days of a new hire matter most.

How should I train new restaurant staff?

With a written, day-by-day plan: shadow shifts, a station sign-off, a menu and service test, and check-ins at 7, 30 and 90 days. Trainers should be chosen and paid for the role, not just whoever is on shift.

What should a restaurant employee handbook include?

The basics every business needs (pay, attendance, conduct, harassment, safety), plus the rules generic templates miss: tips and tip pools, alcohol service, cash handling, walkouts, meals and uniforms. Review it once a year.

Explore other topics

Bar and beverageKitchen and food costFront of house and eventsRestaurant financeAll guidesAll free toolsAll templates

Rather have someone look at your numbers?

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