Forecast sales
Add forecast
Free hospitality planning tool
Hospitality staffing calculator
Put in one session from the rota you are about to publish. The tool shows whether cover may look light, heavy or worth checking before the week goes live.
ForecastPlan labourCheck wage %Review before publish
ForecastPlan labourCheck wage %Review before publish
Session planning inputs
Use expected trade, covers, service style and current planned cover. Check this against layout, team skill, food service and close-down.
Use this as a planning guide, not a fixed staffing rule.
Session cover review
This session may look light, heavy or worth checking based on the figures entered.
Event-adjusted sales
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Expected customers/covers
Add covers
Current planned team
Add staff
Planned rota hours
Add hours
Planned labour cost
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Forecast wage %
Needs sales
Target labour budget
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Variance
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Peak cover to review
Needs manager judgementSuggested planning cover range
Add session assumptions
Areas to check
Add the session assumptions.
Use this as a planning guide, not a fixed staffing rule.
Formula explanation
- If forecast sales are missing and covers plus average spend are entered, forecast sales are estimated from covers multiplied by average spend.
- Event-adjusted sales = forecast sales multiplied by one plus event uplift percentage when a known event is selected.
- Planned labour cost = planned staff hours multiplied by average hourly wage.
- Forecast wage % = planned labour cost divided by event-adjusted sales, multiplied by 100.
- Target labour budget = event-adjusted sales multiplied by the target wage percentage.
- Variance = planned labour cost minus the target labour budget.
- The staffing pressure status combines wage pressure, planned cover, service style, daypart, event context, food service and outdoor trade. It does not use one fixed cover rule.
Venue notes to review
Check the result against layout, team skill, food service and close-down before changing the rota. Do not cut blindly.
How to use this result
- Use the suggested planning range to decide which session needs review, then check the rota shape by area, team skill and service style.
- If the result suggests possible under-cover, review queues, table service, kitchen pressure, close-down and whether the planned team has the right skills.
- If the result suggests possible over-cover, check whether extra cover protects a peak, prep, close-down, food service or event period before changing hours.
- Do not treat the range as an instruction. Venue layout, team skill and service style matter more than the number alone.
- Check wage percentage with the rota cost checker before publishing.
How RotaSmart handles this
Start with expected trade before shifts are placed.
See labour cost while the rota can still change.
Spot risk before the week goes live.
RotaSmart keeps forecast sales, planned cover, wage percentage and staff changes in view while the rota is being built. Managers can move labour before publishing, not after the session has already happened.
Explore hospitality rota software or see labour cost control.
Planning note
Use this as a planning guide, not a fixed staffing rule.
Review this session inside RotaSmart
Bring one real session and use the walkthrough to check forecast sales, planned cover, wage percentage and staff changes.
Related resources
Keep the same planning context connected across product pages, guides and tools.
Questions operators ask
Short answers for using the tool without treating the result as a fixed operational rule.
Does this calculator tell me a fixed staff number?
No. It suggests a planning range of people to review. Staffing depends on venue layout, team skill, service style and real trading conditions.
Can I use this to cut staff from the rota?
Use it to review the rota, not to cut blindly. Protect peak periods, food service, prep and close-down before removing hours.
Why does wage percentage matter when planning staff?
It links forecast sales to planned labour cost so managers can see whether the rota is likely to be heavy before publishing.
How does RotaSmart do this inside the product?
RotaSmart connects forecast sales, staffing demand, rota cost, wage percentage and staff changes in one weekly planning workflow.
Review this session inside RotaSmart
Bring one real session and use the walkthrough to check forecast sales, planned cover, wage percentage and staff changes.