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As a restaurant owner, manager, or employee, you know that running an efficient and profitable restaurant requires organization and communication. One of the most important aspects is scheduling staff and tracking hours worked. 7Shifts is a web and mobile app designed specifically for restaurants to simplify scheduling, time tracking, and communication between managers and staff.

In this post, I'll provide an overview of 7Shifts, its key features, pricing, and who it's best suited for.

About 7Shifts

7Shifts is a Canadian company founded in 2014 that focuses solely on providing online and mobile scheduling and time tracking solutions for restaurants. While many HR and workforce management platforms cater to all industries, 7Shifts is laser-focused on the needs of restaurants.

The app is designed to streamline scheduling, simplify time tracking, improve communication, and provide insights to optimize labor costs. Thousands of restaurants, cafes, bars, and food trucks worldwide use 7Shifts to manage their workforce.

Key Features

Some of the notable features of 7Shifts include:

- Drag-and-drop schedule builder with forecasted labor costs - The schedule builder makes it easy for managers to create schedules and assign shifts based on role and availability. It forecasts labor costs so you can optimize staffing.

- Timeclock app for clocking in/out - Employees can clock in and out from the mobile app, eliminating paperwork. GPS tracking ensures employees are clocking in from the correct location.

- Communication and shift trading - The app allows managers to mass communicate with employees and handle shift trade requests.

- Task management - Managers can assign checklists of closing tasks to be completed. Employees can mark them done as they work.

- Labor cost insights - 7Shifts provides real-time reporting on labor costs, sales vs labor costs, overtime tracking, and other KPIs. This allows you to adjust scheduling based on insights.

- Payroll integrations - 7Shifts seamlessly integrates with many major payroll platforms including Quickbooks, ADP, Paychex, and more. This allows you to export hours directly to payroll.

- Accessibility - The app and web portal is accessible across devices including desktop, tablet, and smartphones (iOS and Android).

Ideal Users

7Shifts is designed for restaurant owners, operators, managers, and employees. It's ideal for:

- Single or multiple location restaurants - The scheduling is easy to set up for one location, but also allows you to manage multiple restaurants in a group.

- Quick service and casual restaurants - The features cater heavily to fast food, fast casual, and casual dining restaurants.

- Restaurants with hourly employees - Since it focuses on scheduling and time tracking, it's best suited for restaurants with hourly workers.

- Tight labor cost management - The insights and reporting help restaurants control labor costs and optimize staffing schedules.

- High employee turnover - The app makes it easy to onboard new employees and train them on using 7Shifts. The communication keeps them engaged.

Potential Drawbacks

While 7Shifts is a robust platform, there are a few limitations to note:

- More expensive than barebones scheduling apps - The starting price is higher than free or $5/month basic scheduling apps, but you get many more features.

- Not optimized for salaried teams - The app is designed for hourly employees, so it may not have all the features required for managing salaried employees.

- Less automation than some platforms - While it has real-time labor cost tracking, it doesn't provide as much predictive scheduling automation as some platforms.

- Limited advanced HR features - Since it focuses specifically on scheduling and time tracking, it lacks some other HR functionality for training, onboarding, etc.

Pricing

7Shifts has a free basic plan to allow you to try it out. The free plan supports one location with up to 10 active users. All features are included, but it has limited reporting functionality.

The paid plans unlock premium features and support more locations and users:

- Growth: $34.99/month/location - Ideal for restaurants with 2-5 locations.

- Pro: $54.99/month/location - For larger chains with advanced needs.

- Enterprise: Custom pricing - For chains with 6+ locations and negotiated pricing.

You can also add on their timeclock hardware for $50-$100 per unit. The hardware allows employees to clock in/out with a badge rather than the app.

Is 7Shifts the Right Scheduling and Time Tracking App for Your Restaurant?

If you're looking for an employee scheduling and time tracking solution designed specifically for restaurants, 7Shifts is a great option to consider. The combination of easy scheduling, mobile time tracking, and labor insights makes it a valuable tool for restaurants.

The free plan allows you to try it out at no cost. And the paid subscriptions unlock more premium features that can provide a positive ROI by optimizing staff costs.

For restaurants that take workforce management seriously and want purpose-built tools, 7Shifts is worth exploring. The free trial makes it low risk to test out.

Visit 7Shifts.com to learn more about their platform, features, and pricing. Or sign up for a free trial to experience the solution yourself.

Getting Started with 7Shifts

If you want to give 7Shifts a try, it's easy to get started. Here is an overview of how to begin using 7Shifts at your restaurant:

Sign Up for Free Trial

First, go to 7Shifts.com and click Sign Up. Select Start My Free Trial and enter your restaurant details to set up your free account.

The free trial includes one location with up to 10 active users and access to all features. You can upgrade later if you need more.

Set Up Your Location and Users

Once your account is created, you can add your restaurant location details including name, address, contacts, etc.

Then start inviting employees to join 7Shifts. You can bulk upload a list of employees or invite them individually via email. Employees will download the 7Shifts app to access schedules and clock in.

Build Your Schedule

The manager web portal has a drag-and-drop schedule builder that makes it easy to create schedules and assign shifts to employees. You can view staff availability and projected labor costs as you build schedules.

Schedules and assigned shifts are synced to the employee app automatically. Employees get notified of new schedules and changes.

Use Time Clock and Communication Features

Employees can now start clocking in and out via the mobile app. The geo-fencing ensures they clock in when on premise.

The app also allows managers and employees to communicate about shift changes, time-off requests, and more. Managers can also send announcements to the whole team.

Monitor Labor Costs and Productivity

As employees work their shifts, 7Shifts provides real-time reporting on labor costs, sales, and productivity. Managers can use these insights to optimize scheduling and staffing.

The payroll export functionality also saves time on payroll preparation. Hours tracked in 7Shifts auto-sync with compatible payroll platforms.

Get Ongoing Support

7Shifts provides multiple support channels including live chat, phone, email, and community forums. So help is there when you need it.

They also offer regular product releases and enhancements based on customer feedback. So the product is steadily improving.

Ready to Streamline Your Restaurant Workforce?

With easy scheduling, mobile time tracking, and actionable insights - 7Shifts brings serious workforce management to restaurants.

Starting is fast and risk-free with a free trial. The platform will quickly start paying dividends through optimized staffing.

Visit 7Shifts.com to sign up and take control of your restaurant's scheduling and labor costs. The solution can streamline operations, improve productivity, and reduce waste.