Have you ever had two servers show up for the same shift while your line cook calls in to ask if they’re scheduled? That’s what happens when your employee schedule is a guessing game.
A clear restaurant schedule fixes that. It tells your entire team who’s working, when, and where. Additionally, it balances shift times, avoids mix-ups, and keeps things running smoothly. It also keeps your employees happy and gives them the work-life balance they need to show up ready and focused.
You don’t have to scribble a new schedule on a whiteboard or juggle texts. Free restaurant schedule templates make it easy. Just plug in your team’s info and get back to running your business.
In this guide, you’ll learn what these templates are, what makes a good one, and get access to top free restaurant schedule templates from that you can use right away.
Free Restaurant Schedule Templates to Streamline Staff Planning
What Are Restaurant Schedule Templates?
A restaurant schedule template is a ready-made layout that helps you organize shifts, assign roles, and manage your team’s hours. Instead of building a schedule from scratch, you enter names, roles, and shift start times into a pre-set format, simplifying the process of creating schedules.
Most templates follow a weekly schedule format, giving you the flexibility to adjust staffing based on business needs and employee availability.
Whether you’re a manager or shift supervisor, using an employee scheduling template keeps your team organized and enhances their productivity.
With a clear employee work schedule, everyone knows when and where they’re needed. Templates come in different formats—spreadsheets, printable PDFs, or digital tools. A free restaurant schedule template often does the job well, especially for small teams or independent restaurants.
💡 Pro Tip: If you manage a restaurant, understanding resource management can make scheduling a whole lot easier. It helps you plan smarter, use your team more effectively, and avoid stretching your staff too thin.
Restaurant Schedule Templates
The following restaurant schedule templates will help you track work hours and manage your team with less stress. But what if you could make restaurant scheduling truly a breeze!
, the everything app for work, can turn that possibility into a reality. Plan staff shifts, track inventory deliveries, and manage weekly specials all in one place. With customizable views and reminders, you’ll keep your kitchen running smoothly and your team always in sync.
1. Employee Work Schedule Template
Employee scheduling involves more than filling out a calendar. You need to balance workloads, control labor costs, and stay compliant with labor laws—all while handling last-minute changes. The Employee Work Schedule Template helps you take control by simplifying shift planning, improving visibility into workloads, and keeping your team operations on track.
This template can:
- View employee schedule in seven ways, including a Weekly Schedule, Employee Capacity, and Status Board
- Track task progress with Custom Statuses like “In Progress” and “Blocked”
- Log labor cost, hourly rate, and shift manager using Custom Fields
- Flag scheduling conflicts and reduce burnout by balancing workloads
- Stay ahead of labor compliance with clear task visibility and documentation
🔑 Ideal for: Managers looking for a scheduling tool that combines flexibility, visibility, and ease of use.
2. Scheduling Blocking Template
Staying productive means more than just writing to-do lists. You need a clear schedule that shows what to focus on and when, helping you manage your time well. The Schedule Blocking Template helps you plan your day, week, or month with precision. It gives you the structure to manage tasks, avoid overbooking, and stay focused throughout the day.
This template can:
- Break your time into Daily, Weekly, or Monthly Views for flexible planning
- Organize tasks with the Scheduling Form and Activities views
- Track progress with Custom Statuses like “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Complete”
- Assign work based on availability, task type, and location using Custom Fields
- Reduce burnout by creating realistic, balanced schedules
🔑 Ideal for: Managers and team leads who want to plan their days with intention and reduce time spent on unstructured tasks.
3. Work Shift Schedule Template
Rotating shifts can get chaotic fast, especially with part-time staff, sudden absences, and last-minute changes. The Work Shift Schedule Template helps you manage it all without slowing down.
It’s built for teams that need clear scheduling, quick adjustments, and real-time visibility into who’s working and who’s not.
This template can:
- Show weekly coverage using Shift Schedule, List, and Getting Started views
- Track absences with fields like “Shift,” “Absent,” and “Reason for Absence”
- Monitor shift status with Custom Statuses like “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Done”
- Flag time-off and adjust assignments without disrupting the full schedule
- Keep scheduling simple for fast-paced, week-to-week operations
🔑 Ideal for: Shift supervisors and restaurant managers who need to handle daily changes without losing track of who’s in, who’s out, and why.
💡 Pro Tip: In a restaurant, not every task carries the same weight. Learning to prioritize helps you focus on what truly matters—whether it’s prepping for the dinner rush or handling a last-minute reservation. Want to sharpen that skill? This guide on prioritizing tasks offers practical steps to help you stay on track.
4. Shift Report Template
When a shift ends, what matters most is what gets handed off to the next bunch of folks. Missed notes or incomplete updates can throw the next team off balance. The Shift Report Template is built to prevent that.
It focuses on documenting exactly what happened during a shift, from staff performance to unexpected issues.
This template can:
- Collect structured shift updates through a built-in Forms
- Document staff performance, incidents, and open tasks
- Feed reports into a centralized dashboard for manager visibility
- Track patterns, flag recurring issues, and recognize top performers
- Include fields for approvals and leadership notes to keep feedback actionable
🔑 Ideal for: Restaurant owners and shift leads who need reliable handoffs, performance tracking, and a record of each shift that goes beyond time slots.
📣 Customer voice: Here’s what Ryan Lamb, Operating Partner at Chick-fil-A, says:
5. Hourly Schedule Template
In a busy restaurant, the day moves fast. Prep starts early, service hits in waves, and breaks need to be timed just right. The Hourly Schedule Template is built for that kind of precision. This framework gives you real-time visibility into task timing, costs, and staff performance, so every hour works harder.
This template can:
- Track hourly tasks, payouts, and task frequency in one place
- Log staff performance and timing to spot trends quickly
- Break down schedules and labor costs by person for easier planning
- Adjust daily coverage without disrupting service
🔑 Ideal for: Restaurant managers who need to stay on top of shift timing, monitor labor costs, and manage each task with clarity.
6. Staff Roster Template
Keeping track of staff is more than just names on a schedule. You need to know roles, locations, and availability at a glance. The Staff Roster Template by gives you a simple way to keep that all in order.
This template can:
- Organize staff roster by role, department, shift, or location
- Store contact info and team details in one central place
- Sort and filter to assign work quickly and accurately
- Track and optimize time off to prevent scheduling conflicts
- Present everything in a clean, spreadsheet-style layout
🔑 Ideal for: Restaurant managers and HR teams who need a clear, up-to-date roster that supports smart scheduling and keeps the team running smoothly.
7. PTO Calendar Template
Time off is part of the job. But when you run a restaurant, one missing shift can throw everything off. ’s PTO Calendar Template helps you stay ahead of that. It shows who’s off, when, and why—so you can plan ahead, keep the floor covered, and avoid last-minute scheduling scrambles.
This template can:
- Log time off by the hour, with reason and approval details
- Show leave types to spot trends and manage fairness
- Display coverage in a Calendar for quick planning
- Help you stay ahead of staffing gaps before they affect service
🔑 Ideal for: Restaurant managers and HR staff who need a clear, reliable way to handle time-off requests and avoid staffing gaps.
👀 Did You Know? The 9/80 work schedule gives teams a full day off every other week, without cutting hours. It’s popular in offices, but the concept might inspire new ways to build flexibility into your restaurant schedule.
8. 24-hour Schedule Template
When your restaurant runs 24/7, you can’t afford to lose track of time. Every hour counts. This 24-Hour Schedule Template by is made for places that don’t slow down—where late-night crews, prep teams, and rotating shifts all have to stay in sync.
This template can:
- Schedule shifts, breaks, and key tasks across a full 24-hour timeline
- Track notes, team check-ins, and daily issues in real time
- Assign work and adjust on the fly without losing visibility
- Capture the full rhythm of your day, not just task lists
- Keep fast-moving teams aligned and operations steady
🔑 Ideal for: Restaurant managers and shift leads who need full-day coverage without chaos—hour by hour, task by task.
9. Team Schedule Template
Running a restaurant team means more than just posting a schedule. You need to have confidence that your team can handle the day. The Team Schedule Template gives you a full view of your staff and their responsibilities so that they stay organized, coverage stays balanced, and daily service runs without disruption.
This template can:
- Assign roles by position, section, or station for full team clarity
- Help new hires stay on track with clear task assignments
- Let you adjust shifts quickly when someone calls out or demand spikes
- Avoid schedule rewrites by moving tasks instead of rebuilding the plan
- Keep visibility high so you can spot and fix coverage gaps fast
🔑 Ideal for: Restaurant managers and supervisors who want to reduce confusion, delegate work clearly, and keep the whole team moving in the same direction.
10. Change of Shift Report Template
When one shift ends and another begins, details matter. The Change of Shift Report Template helps your team share key updates, track pending tasks, and flag issues before they escalate.
This template can:
- Record completed tasks, incidents, and responsibilities left open
- Include shift times, employee names, and work summaries in one place
- Highlight challenges so the next team can act fast
- Provide a clear, repeatable format for every shift change
- Improve accountability and reduce errors during handoffs
🔑 Ideal for: Restaurant managers and shift supervisors who need a reliable method to document shift activities and ensure seamless handovers.
11. Monthly Work Schedule Template
The Monthly Schedule Template from helps you see the big picture—what needs to happen, when, and who’s responsible. It gives you a full view of what needs to get done, who’s doing it, and when, so you can manage tasks, teams, and timelines without missing a beat.
This template can:
- Schedule tasks across the month with clear deadlines and assignees
- Track progress, update priorities, and adjust plans as needed
- Log key details like costs, task types, and the owner
- Help teams stay aligned on big-picture goals and day-to-day actions
- Reduce last-minute scrambles with structured monthly planning
🔑 Ideal for: Restaurant managers who need to plan monthly operations, coordinate staff, and keep everything running smoothly.
12. 2-2-3 Schedule Template
When you’re open every day, you need a schedule that keeps people working without burning them out. The 2-2-3 Schedule Template by is built for that.
This template helps you implement a 2-2-3 work schedule that keeps shifts fair and teams reenergized, without sacrificing consistency or performance.
This template can:
- Follow a 2-day on, 2 off, and 3 on rotation over a 28-day cycle
- Assign roles like cook, server, or manager to keep tasks clear
- Track attendance and maintain even staffing across shifts
- Reduce burnout by balancing work and rest for every team member
- Support continuous operations without gaps or shift guesswork
🔑 Ideal for: Managers who run round-the-clock operations and need a rotating schedule that balances coverage and work-life balance.
13. Services Timesheet Template
Tracking hours in a service-based restaurant helps you understand where every minute and dollar goes. The Services Timesheet Template from helps you do that. It’s designed to simplify labor tracking, improve scheduling decisions, and keep payroll accurate, without extra admin.
This template can:
- Log worked hours, sick leave, and vacation time
- Track hourly rates and calculate total pay automatically
- Monitor employee performance to manage labor costs
- Offer daily, weekly, and monthly views for spotting trends
- Leverage Integrations to integrate with popular payroll processing tools
🔑 Ideal for: Restaurant managers who need to track employee hours, manage labor costs, and ensure efficient scheduling.
14. Personal Schedule Availability Template
Some days get away from you. Tasks pile up, shifts overlap, and no one’s sure who’s actually available. The Personal Schedule Availability Template helps fix that.
This template helps you stay ahead by making your availability visible, organized, and easy to manage. It’s built for flexible teams that need clarity without the back-and-forth.
This template can:
- Block out availability by the hour and flag scheduling conflicts
- Log meetings, shifts, personal time, and notes in one place
- Make it easy for managers to schedule around real-time availability
- Help part-time or multi-role staff stay organized across changing shifts
- Keep schedules clear without relying on texts or scattered messages
🔑 Ideal for: Part-time staff, restaurant managers, or team leads who need a simple way to share and manage availability without the back-and-forth.
📮 Insight: 32% of workers struggle to carve out personal time, yet only 14% block it on their calendar. If it’s not scheduled, it’s not protected! 📆
’s Calendar helps you reserve personal hours like meetings. It syncs with external calendars, allows you to set recurring work and personal time blocks, and allows you to drag and drop events or tasks to adjust your schedule easily. Stop last-minute work before it creeps into your free time!
💫 Real Results: Lulu Press saves 1 hour per day, per employee using Automations—leading to a 12% increase in work efficiency.
15. Restaurant Schedule Template by Workfeed
Excel Spreadsheets can do the job, but they often create more work than they save. The free Restaurant Schedule Template from Workfeed allows you to build weekly schedules without the usual formatting headache.
It’s a simple Excel file that helps you stay organized without the need to purchase full-scale software.
This template can:
- Let you customize start days, shift times, and employee names
- Use dropdowns to assign roles and reduce manual input
- Keep your weekly schedule clear and easy to read
- Help minimize shift conflicts without added complexity
- Serve as a practical option before switching to advanced tools
🔑 Ideal for: Small restaurant owners and shift leads who want a simple, editable schedule that’s easy to share and update.
16. Restaurant Scheduling Template by Toast
Managing shifts, roles, and hours in a busy restaurant can be overwhelming. Toast’s Restaurant Scheduling Template provides a simple way to stay organized without overcomplicating the process. This template is built in Excel, easy to customize, and ideal for restaurants that want structure without extra software.
This template can:
- Assign roles, set shift times, and enter employee names
- Automatically calculate total hours to help manage labor costs
- Offer a clean, repeatable layout for weekly use
- Make schedule updates fast with no steep learning curve
- Provide a practical alternative to full scheduling platforms
🔑 Ideal for: Restaurant managers and small business owners seeking a simple, efficient way to organize weekly staff schedules and monitor labor hours.
17. Spreadsheet Restaurant Staff Schedule Template by GooDocs
Goodocs’ Simple Restaurant Staff Schedule Template is built for quick planning with zero distractions. It works in both Google Sheets and Excel, so you can jump in, customize, and share it with your team without needing extra tools or apps.
This template can:
- List employee names and roles like server, host, or cook
- Block out shifts across all seven days with a clean weekly grid
- Support morning, midday, and evening shifts with flexible formatting
- Use color coding to make schedules easier to read at a glance
- Be printed or shared digitally for quick team updates
🔑 Ideal for: Restaurant managers who want a simple, editable schedule that’s easy to fill out, print, and post on the break room wall.
18. Colorful Restaurant Schedule by GooDocs
The Goodocs’ Colorful Restaurant Schedule Template is designed for quick updates and clear communication. Built in Google Slides and PowerPoint, it’s easy to open, edit, and display where your team can see it—no setup or learning curve required.
This template can:
- Assign employee names, roles, and shift times in a simple layout
- Use color-coded days to make the weekly schedule easier to scan
- Include space for notes like goals, events, or inventory reminders
- Be printed or displayed digitally for team-wide visibility
- Help keep everyone aligned without complex tools or time tracking
🔑 Ideal for: Restaurant managers who want a visual, easy-to-edit weekly schedule that staff can read quickly and follow without question.
19. Restaurant Labour Schedule Template by Restaurantowner.com
The Restaurant Labor Schedule Template from RestaurantOwner.com is built in Excel and clearly outlines all the small and big details. You can schedule up to 100 employees across 20 departments—front of house, kitchen, bar, you name it.
This template can:
- Assign up to 50 shift types using dropdowns for faster scheduling
- Support double shifts and complex staffing needs
- Automatically total weekly hours and labor costs to control your budget
- Cover six weeks at a time for long-range planning and event prep
- Provide a clear, no-frills layout built for high-volume teams
🔑 Ideal for: Restaurant managers who need a detailed, Excel-based tool to schedule shifts, monitor labor costs, and avoid coverage gaps across departments.
20. Restaurant Schedule Template by 7Shifts
The 7shifts Restaurant Schedule Excel Template is simple, clear, and made for fast planning. It opens in Excel and gives you a clean weekly layout to drop in names, roles, and shift times.
This template can:
- Drop in employee names, roles, and shift times with ease
- Use dropdowns for common positions like server, host, and bartender
- Be copied and reused weekly for consistent scheduling
- Be printed, posted, or shared with your team as needed
- Keep schedules clear without extra setup or features
🔑 Ideal for: Restaurant managers who want a straightforward, no-fuss way to schedule staff each week without using complex software.
What Makes a Good Restaurant Schedule Template?
Now that you’ve come this far in the blog, how do you know which restaurant scedule template is best for you?
A well-designed restaurant schedule template keeps your team organized, reduces confusion, and helps control labor costs. It also gives structure to your weekly planning and supports better shift coverage.
Here are the key features an ideal restaurant schedule template should include:
- Clear shift structure: Define daily shift times using employee timesheets to ensure full coverage across breakfast, lunch, and dinner service
- Role assignment fields: Assign tasks and roles—servers, cooks, hosts—so everyone knows their responsibilities
- Weekly schedule layout: View all seven days in one place to plan staffing and prevent gaps
- Labor hour tracking: Monitor total hours worked to manage labor costs and avoid overtime
- Employee availability section: Log team availability to reduce scheduling conflicts and last-minute changes
- Notes and communication space: Leave room for manager notes or shift-specific reminders
- Work-life balance support: Space to alternate shifts fairly and prevent burnout among staff
- Printable and digital format: Easy to share with your team, whether on paper or online
Take the Chaos Out of Restaurant Scheduling with
Building a staff schedule shouldn’t feel like solving a puzzle with missing pieces. With , you can ditch the whiteboard and start managing your restaurant schedule with ease.
Plan shifts, track labor costs, log availability, and adjust on the fly—all in one clean workspace. No more texting back and forth, scribbling on printed charts, or dealing with last-minute gaps. Just a streamlined system that keeps your team aligned and your service smooth.
And with 1,000+ templates (including the restaurant scheduling ones you saw above), gives you the power to stay organized—all while serving great food and leading a great team.
✨ Ready to simplify your schedule? Sign up for and get started for free—forever.
Everything you need to stay organized and get work done.
