Catering & events / Staff
Plan event service staff
Turn your guest-to-staff ratio into headcount and staff hours.
Event plan
Staff cover
Enter guests.
How it works
Put in your numbers
Use your own rates, times and measurements.
See your answer straight away
It works it out as you type.
Copy or print it
Send it on, or keep it with the job.
What it covers: Plan service headcount and staff hours from your ratio.
Free to use. No sign-in needed.
How to work out how many service staff an event needs
The number of service staff depends on the guests, the service style and how many guests one person can look after well. There is no single right ratio, so start from what has worked for your team. This planner turns your ratio into headcount, total staff hours and staff cost.
- Choose the service style: plated meal, family style, buffet, or cocktail or canapés. The planner fills in a guests per service staff member figure as a starting point, which you should change to your own.
- Enter the guests expected. Use the confirmed number if you have it.
- Set guests per service staff member, as a whole number, from your own past events. Fewer guests per person means more attentive service. The planner rounds service staff up to whole people.
- Enter the hours per staff shift, including time before and after service if staff are paid for it. The planner uses the same shift length for setup and support staff.
- Add any extra setup or support staff, such as runners, cleaners or a supervisor, who are not part of the service ratio.
- Open Costs, choose your currency and add a staff cost per hour if you want the staff cost. The planner shows the total people, service staff, setup or support staff, total staff hours and cost.
Tips and common mistakes
- Do not copy a ratio from another business without testing it. The menu, venue layout and guest expectations all change what one person can handle.
- Plan whole people and round up. Part of a person still means one more person on the night.
- Plan breaks on long shifts, and check the rules where you work on shift length, breaks and pay.
- After each event, note how service went and adjust your guests per staff member for next time.
Questions
How many waiters do I need per guest?
Divide the number of guests by how many guests one staff member can serve well in your service style, then round up. As an illustration only, 120 guests at 15 guests per person needs 8 service staff. Set the ratio from your own experience with similar menus and venues.
Does the service style change how many staff I need?
Yes. A plated meal usually needs more people per guest than a buffet, because staff carry more and visit tables more often. Pick the service style in the planner, then adjust the starting figure to match your team.
How do I work out total staff hours for an event?
Multiply the total number of staff, including setup and support, by the hours in each shift. 10 staff on 6 hour shifts is 60 staff hours. Multiply by your hourly staff cost to get the staff cost.
Should setup staff be included in the service ratio?
Usually not. The ratio is about guests served during the event. Add setup crew, runners or cleaners separately as extra setup or support staff so they are not lost in the service numbers.
How do I estimate event staffing costs?
Work out total staff hours, then multiply by your full hourly cost per person. Use your own pay rates and any extra costs of employing staff, and check the rules where you work on minimum shifts and pay.
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