Opening Hours and Capacity: Matching Your Schedule to Real Demand

Choosing opening hours by habit or guesswork can leave you paying staff to watch an empty room, or disappointing customers during a rush. Data, even simple data, helps you do better.

Look at when sales happen

For the first few weeks, record sales by the hour. A simple tally sheet works if you have no till reports. You will probably see peaks, such as commuter mornings, lunch or after-gym times, and quiet periods in between. Note the day of the week too, as weekends often look different from weekdays.

Match staffing to the curve

Staff cost is one of your biggest expenses, so line it up with demand. You might run one person in quiet periods and two or three at peaks. Consider split shifts, short peak-only shifts or prep tasks scheduled for quiet times. Avoid opening during hours that regularly lose money unless they serve another purpose, such as attracting a new customer group.

Calculate your capacity

Capacity is how many orders you can serve per hour without slipping on quality. Time the full process for typical items: taking the order, making it, cleaning up and handing it over. If a smoothie takes three minutes of blender time and one person can do twenty an hour, then that is a useful limit for planning. Longer waits can cost you sales and reviews.

Use limits for online orders

If you take online orders for pickup or delivery, set a cap on orders per time slot and keep a buffer for walk-ins. It is better to show "next available at 1:30" than to promise 20 minutes and deliver in 50. Pause orders if the kitchen is overloaded.

Plan prep around opening

Work backwards from opening. If you need thirty minutes to set up and an hour to prep, schedule staff accordingly. Closing needs time too, for cleaning, counting and restocking. Include these in labour planning, because they are real work.

Post hours online, on the door and on social media, and update them promptly for holidays or changes. Nothing frustrates customers more than a closed sign during advertised hours.

Test and adjust

Try an extra hour or a new day for a few weeks, then compare the added sales with the added costs. Keep what works and drop what does not. Local rules about trading hours and staff working time differ by place, so check what applies to you. Review the schedule each season, as customer routines change with weather, school terms and holidays.

Remember that hours can change as you learn. Tell your regular customers about any changes ahead of time, and consider trying a short pilot, such as one late evening a week, before you commit staff and money to a permanent schedule.

This article is general information, not legal, financial or medical advice.