Overstaffing on a busy Saturday is like buying insurance that costs more than what you're protecting. Most restaurant owners add extra bodies as a safety net, forgetting each person burns through €150-200 daily. The trick lies in balancing stellar service with actual profitability.
The real costs of overstaffing
Each additional staff member costs you more than just the wage. Calculate with:
- Gross wage + employer contributions (average 30% extra)
- Meals for staff
- Possible overtime (150% of hourly wage)
💡 Example:
You schedule 2 extra servers for a busy Saturday:
- 2 × €15/hour × 8 hours = €240
- Employer contributions (30%): €72
- Meals: 2 × €8 = €16
Total extra costs: €328
Calculate break-even for extra staff
To determine whether extra staff pays for itself, calculate how much additional revenue you need:
Formula: Extra costs / Average profit margin = Required additional revenue
💡 Example:
Extra staff costs €328, your profit margin is 12%:
- €328 / 0.12 = €2,733 additional revenue needed
- At average check of €35: 78 extra covers
- That's 10 extra covers per hour
Ask yourself: do I really expect 78 extra guests?
Flexible solutions for peak days
Instead of scheduling extra people in advance, you can work more flexibly:
- On-call staff: Call them in if it gets busier than expected
- Longer shifts: Have regular staff work longer (overtime costs, but lower total costs)
- Simplified menu: Limit the menu on busy days to work faster
- Spread reservations: Direct early and late reservations to quieter times
⚠️ Caution:
Understaffing is also dangerous. Poor service costs you customers long-term. Find the balance between costs and quality.
Use data for better planning
Track what actually happened on busy days - the kind of thing you only learn after closing your first month at a loss:
- How many covers did you actually have?
- What was your revenue per hour?
- Were there complaints about long wait times?
- Was your staff stressed and overwhelmed?
With this data, you can better estimate how many people you really need next time.
💡 Practical tip:
Many restaurants use tools like food cost calculators to track their daily figures. This way you quickly see if extra staff paid for itself and can plan better next time.
How do you calculate whether extra staff pays for itself?
Calculate the total cost of extra staff
Add up the gross wage, employer contributions (30% extra), meals, and any overtime. These are your actual costs for that day.
Determine your average profit margin
Look at your P&L from last month. Divide your net profit by your revenue. This gives you your profit margin percentage (usually 8-15% for restaurants).
Calculate the required additional revenue
Divide the extra staff costs by your profit margin. This tells you how much additional revenue you need to break even.
✨ Pro tip
Schedule exactly 3 hours of on-call coverage instead of full shifts. You'll save €120-180 per person while keeping flexibility for that unexpected 7pm rush.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
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Frequently asked questions
What if I schedule too few staff and it gets too busy?
Always keep 1-2 on-call staff who you can call in within 2 hours. Better to add reactively than to schedule too many preventively.
Should I include employer contributions in the calculation?
Yes, always. Employer contributions are approximately 30% on top of the gross wage. A €15/hour employee actually costs you €19.50/hour.
What if my regular staff have to work overtime?
Overtime costs 150% of the normal hourly wage, but is often cheaper than hiring an extra person for a full day.
📚 Sources consulted
- EU Verordening 852/2004 — Levensmiddelenhygiëne (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 853/2004 — Hygiënevoorschriften voor levensmiddelen van dierlijke oorsprong (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 1169/2011 — Voedselinformatie aan consumenten (2011) — Official source
- NVWA — Hygiënecode voor de horeca (2024) — Official source
- NVWA — Allergenen in voedsel (2024) — Official source
- Codex Alimentarius — International Food Standards (2024) — Official source
- FSA — Safer food, better business (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- BVL — Lebensmittelhygiene (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- Warenwetbesluit Bereiding en behandeling van levensmiddelen (2024) — Official source
- WHO — Foodborne diseases estimates (2024) — Official source
Food Standards Agency (FSA) — https://www.food.gov.uk
The HACCP standards shown in this application are for informational purposes only. KitchenNmbrs does not guarantee that displayed values are current or complete. Always consult the FSA or your local authority for the latest regulations.
Written by
Jeffrey Smit
Founder & CEO of KitchenNmbrs
Jeffrey Smit built KitchenNmbrs from 8 years of hands-on experience as kitchen manager at 1NUL8 Group in Rotterdam. His mission: give every restaurant owner control over food cost.
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