Best Restaurant Scheduling Software: Why 7shifts Leads the Pack

Running a restaurant is a juggling act. And while scheduling might seem like just another ball in the air, it’s actually the backbone of your operations—affecting everything from labor costs to team morale. 

That’s why choosing the right restaurant scheduling software matters.

The best solutions don’t just make scheduling easier; they actively improve how your business runs. So what makes a good scheduling software—and why does 7shifts come out on top? Let’s break it down.

What is restaurant scheduling software?

To start with the basics: restaurant scheduling software is a tool that helps restaurants build, share, and manage staff schedules in one place. It replaces spreadsheets and paper schedules with restaurant-specific scheduling, labor insights, and team communication.

 

 

Why 7shifts is the best restaurant scheduling software

We know—we’re 7shifts. So sure, it might sound biased when we say we’re the top restaurant scheduling software on the market. But here’s the thing: we’ve got all the features (and the customer stories) to back it up. This includes: 

Templated schedules to save hours each week

Time is money, and this is especially true in the restaurant industry. With drag and drop features, building a schedule in 7shifts only takes a few clicks. 

Any published schedule can be saved as a reusable template, and you can create unlimited templates for different roles, seasons, and locations. 

Michele Bryant, Director of Operations at Jamba Juice: “I don’t have to create a new schedule. I just have to tweak it every week. I have to make one template—that one is extremely quick.” 

Employee availability is also built right in, so you’ll never have to dig through notes or second-guess who’s available—and when. 

 

 

Labor cost control & accurate forecasting

Only 36% of restaurants hit their labor targets, while 44% spend more than planned. Restaurant margins are tight—and labor is usually the biggest cost. But it can also be one of the most controllable costs, if you have the right tools in place (like 7shifts for scheduling). 

The platform uses historical sales and labor data to build more accurate schedules, helping you avoid both understaffing (improving the guest and employee experience) and overstaffing (improving the restaurant’s labor margins).

You can set and track your budgets as you go—and with more data available over time, forecasting becomes even more precise, at 95% accuracy.

Josh Bishop, Owner of Fork & Fire and Wildfire: “To be honest, we didn’t know what we were doing when we started. We weren’t using the tools that 7shifts could provide. […] We were losing money the first year, and it was all labor—now, we are running a very efficient restaurant, and labor is the biggest area that we’ve improved. I would give 80% of that credit to 7shifts, just providing comprehensive tools so that we can manage it.”

 

 

 

Trevor Guy, IT Manager at Tono Pizzeria: “The integration between Toast and 7shifts is 10 times better than between Toast and Homebase. It automatically syncs wages and positions—one button. I had to do it all manually in Homebase […] Homebase reporting was actually just flat out incorrect. That has been a huge difference when we came to 7shifts—7shifts reporting is so robust and so great.”

Built-in local compliance safeguards

One small slip-up can bring big consequences—it’s clear compliance is no joke. In states like California, where labor laws are complex, 7shifts helps keep it simple with scheduling features like:

• Scheduled break setups 
• Fair workweek law compliance
• Time restrictions for scheduling minors
• Warnings for expired employee certifications
• Detection of missed meal or rest breaks
• Split shift premium enforcement
• Reporting pay enforcement (i.e., for ‘called in but sent home’ hours)

Michele Bryant, Director of Operations at Jamba Juice: “I love that it’s on the schedule, and it gives us a little error […] It doesn’t even wait until it’s expired. It tells us it’s expiring soon. We can act before it even gets there—so that’s amazing.”

Yvis Manrique, Director of Field Operations at Toastique: “I love that once you’re setting up an account and you put in your area, it immediately syncs in whatever laws are for that area. And we have learned a lot.”

 

 

Team-managed restaurant shift swaps 

Scrambling to text and call your entire staff just to find shift coverage can be a nightmare. And even when someone agrees, there’s still room for miscommunication. But 7shifts cuts through the mess with the Shift Pool feature.

Employees are empowered to manage shifts themselves, with the ability to put shifts up for grabs or pick one up. And don’t worry—managers can stay in control as the final approver if they choose to. Then, all key shift details are updated automatically on the schedule for everyone to check at any time.

Jason Frankot, Owner of Black Sheep Coffee: “[The Shift Pool feature] has been great, and it really helps with day-to-day operations because we’re not just guessing […] We let anyone trade any shift at any time. Just with the ease and knowing that they don’t need approval to do that, for how we have it set up, it makes it rather user-friendly. And I think the staff really appreciates that.”

Mobile, on-the-go access

If you’re going out of town or moving between stores, you can still manage everything remotely with 7shifts—no laptop required. The mobile app gives you access to scheduling and other key tools on the go.

Leslie Broadland, Franchisee of Jamba Juice: “I can’t say it enough. You don’t think of running your business remotely, but you’re able to be on top of it remotely […] Here I am, on a park bench on my phone, and I can see all my 7shifts—and I can manage everything on it.”

And that’s also a plus for employees, who can also view schedules, swap shifts, request time off, and communicate with staff directly in the app—creating a more engaged, connected team. 

Connie Walker, Regional Manager at Jeremiah’s Italian Ice: “The majority of college kids and the staff that we have—they’re on their phone, and that’s what they’re going to look at.” 

Beyond scheduling: An all-in-one restaurant platfotm

Scheduling is just the beginning. 7shifts gives operators a single platform to manage all the shift details that keep a restaurant running smoothly. This includes:

Team communication – Keep your staff connected with private chats or team-wide announcements, all on a restaurant-specific platform, so messages don’t get lost in the chaos. Plus, no private contact information needs to be shared between employees. 

Time clocking – Track hours accurately, reduce errors, and ensure compliance with labor laws, all while giving employees an easy way to clock in and out from their phones.

Payroll (U.S. only) – Process payroll in minutes with automatic calculations that include tips, overtime, and deductions. Direct deposit gets your team paid on time, every time.

Tip management – Set up automatic tip pool calculations with customized distributions and pay your team via direct deposit, eliminating trips to the bank and handling cash manually.

Team engagement – Keep your staff connected and motivated with Shift Feedback, recognition tools, and easy access to updates from their mobile devices.

Additionally, you can manage tasks, onboard new employees, store important documents, and keep all your operations in one place—so nothing falls through the cracks.

Josh Bishop, Owner of Fork & Fire and Wildfire: “When people are like ‘tech stack,’ I’m like, ‘I don’t want a tech stack.’ I just want a platform […] I can just teach somebody how to use 7shifts, and even if they need to bounce around and bang around for a little bit to find it, everything’s in one spot. It’s just so much more seamless to have one place that they go for all of those things.”

7shifts for scheduling: Built to scale as your restaurant grows

7shifts is designed to support restaurants at every stage of growth—from single-location establishments to multi-unit franchises. Here are a few examples of how different types of restaurants leveraged the platform for better scheduling (and better restaurant operations overall):

Restaurant	Size	How 7shifts helped
2d Restaurant	1 location (independent)	Time spent went down to as little as 5 minutes per schedule.
Tono Pizzeria	12 locations (multi-unit chain)	Labor costs went down about 6 to 7% because of accurate reporting.
Jeremiah’s Italian Ice	120+ locations (franchise brand)	120+ locations adopted the platform, creating more consistent processes from store to store.

How much does 7shifts cost?

If you still have commitment issues, the good news is that 7shifts offers a free 14-day trial of the Pro plan—no contract or credit card required. After the trial, you can continue with the free Comp plan or choose from flexible monthly or annual plans designed to accommodate restaurants of all sizes. Here’s a breakdown:

Plan	Price (billed annually)		Description of plan
Comp	Free		Basic scheduling for restaurants just getting started—includes employee scheduling, time-off requests, and mobile access.
Essentials	$39.99 per month		Core scheduling tools plus labor budgeting, POS integrations, and compliance safeguards to help manage labor costs.
Pro	$79.99 per month		Advanced tools, including sales and labor forecasting, task management, tip pooling, and deeper team communication features.
Premium	$134.99 per month		All Pro features plus enterprise-level tools—perfect for multi-location brands needing advanced reporting, custom integrations, and dedicated support. Plus, 7shifts Payroll can be added by location.

Visit our pricing page for details on each plan’s features, as well as the available add-ons that go beyond scheduling.

How to choose the right restaurant scheduling software

With so many options, choosing the right one can feel like a lot. Focus on a few essentials first:

1. Match your size and complexity. A single-location shop needs something different than a multi-unit brand, so choose a tool that fits now and can scale later.
2. Go restaurant-specific when possible. Generic scheduling tools often miss key needs like tips, split shifts, and restaurant compliance rules.
3. Think ROI, not just price. A free tool can cost you more if it leads to bad labor decisions or compliance issues.
4. Test it with your team. Use a trial to see if it actually works in the flow of service (7shifts offers a 14-day Pro trial).

 

 

The best restaurant scheduling software, summarized

Restaurant scheduling isn’t just about filling shifts—it’s about controlling labor costs, staying compliant, and keeping your team happy. The right software can save managers hours each week, improve margins, and create a smoother experience for staff and guests alike.

 

 

And this is where 7shifts comes in—trusted by over 55,000 restaurants, building the perfect schedule just got easier, faster, and smarter. Start your free trial with us today.