How do I review a caterer’s staff schedules for peak weekends?

Ask for schedules, timesheets and the matching event orders for the busiest weekends. Compare the planned staffing with what actually happened. Did extra people arrive late? Did the kitchen run short? Were people covering two roles at once? The gaps between the plan and the real shift show how stretched the operation is.

Then look at who is on those rosters. Note the lead cooks, the event captains and the drivers, and check how many of them are employees, casual workers or agency staff. If the same few names appear everywhere, ask what happens if one leaves. Look at turnover over the last while and at how new people are trained for the rush.

Finally, ask how the caterer finds extra help when two large events fall on the same day. A reliable pool of returning workers is an asset. A scramble of last-minute calls is a risk. Ask whether overtime is typical, and have your accountant look at labour cost against event revenue on those weekends. Ask to see how breaks, travel time and set-up and cleanup hours are scheduled, because those are the hours most often left out of the plan. Check how sick days and no-shows were covered last time. A schedule that works only when nobody falls ill is fragile.

Key takeaways

• Compare weekend rosters with event orders and what actually happened.
• Count how many peak shifts rest on the same few people.
• Ask how extra help is found when events overlap.