How to Create the Ideal Labor Budget

Labor cost is the biggest expense for most restaurants. Learn how to improve your scheduling and labor budgeting practices using tools you already have. Receive practical tips to create an ideal labor budget unique to your restaurant.

How to Create the Ideal Labor Budget

About This Course

Category:

Operations

Recommended For:

Owner, General Manager, Assistant Manager

Learning Time:

1 hour 14 minutes

What You Will Learn

Labor cost is most often the biggest expense for restaurants. It is also one of the most difficult expenses to control as operators struggle between giving staff enough hours to keep them happy versus keeping labor cost low enough to make a profit.

Learn how to significantly improve your scheduling and labor budgeting practices using tools you may already have - such as a POS system for tracking time and attendance - but may not be taking advantage of.

Receive practical, proven methods to reduce overtime, eliminate early clock-ins, schedule staff based on guest counts, create an ideal labor budget unique to your restaurant and other ways to maximize the utilization of your staffs and lower your labor cost.

  • Discover the Ideal Labor Cost for your restaurant
  • Simple but effective method for forecasting sales and guest counts
  • How a proper balance of full-time and part-time staff can significantly reduce overtime
  • Making schedules that result in maximum productivity
  • How to create an ideal labor budget - and how to meet it!
  • A proven shift management technique for hitting your budget numbers
  • Use the time clock features in your POS system to their full potential
  • How to use the free download resources on RestaurantOwner.com to reduce labor cost

Instructor: Joe Erickson


Joe Erickson

Joe brings his extensive experience in restaurant management to the forefront. With a background that spans Luther's Catering, Sunset Dinner Cruises, Bobby Mac's, Nicole's Cafe San Felipe, and Truluck's Steak and Stone Crab, he's consistently driven innovation. Joe's primary focus lies in creating streamlined systems and processes that enhance restaurant efficiency, elevate product utilization, and, most importantly, ensure a consistent and exceptional guest experience.

Section 1
Course Overview
  • 1.
    Labor Budget Course Overview
    3:57
Section 2
What Should Labor Cost Be?
  • 2.
    Industry Averages
    5:03
  • 3.
    Ideal Labor Cost
    4:57
  • 4.
    Productivity KPIs
    5:45
  • 5.
    Tools for Tracking KPIs
    2:11
  • 6.
    What Should Labor Cost Be Quiz
    1:00
Section 3
How to Maximize Productivity
  • 7.
    3 Key Objectives of Maximum Productivity
    4:35
  • 8.
    Go LEAN - Automate, Delegate, Eliminate
    6:13
  • 9.
    Evaluating Labor Needs Through Focused Observation
    5:39
  • 10.
    4 Basic Activities of Hourly Workers
    8:39
  • 11.
    Optimum Staffing Guidelines
    3:51
  • 12.
    Maximizing Productivity Quiz
    1:00
Section 4
Productivity-Based Scheduling
  • 13.
    Sales Forecasting
    4:19
  • 14.
    Master Staffing Guidelines
    2:39
  • 15.
    Budgeted Scheduling
    3:27
  • 16.
    Productivity Scheduling Quiz
    1:00
Section 5
Managing the Labor Budget
  • 17.
    Shift Management
    2:45
  • 18.
    Measuring Results
    2:10
  • 19.
    Managing the Labor Budget Quiz
    1:00
Section 6
Summary
  • 20.
    Course Review
    3:49

©2025 RestaurantOwner.com - All Rights Reserved