Restaurant staff scheduling software, built for independent kitchens.

Build next week's schedule in seconds, not hours. One tap drafts the week around everyone's availability and time-off, and shows your labour cost before you publish, all for a price an owner-operator can actually justify.

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The problem

Scheduling shouldn't eat your Sunday.

For most independent restaurants, the weekly schedule still lives in a notebook, a group chat, or a spreadsheet held together by memory. It works, until someone calls in sick, two people get booked for the same shift, or you realise on payday that last week's labour ran way over.

Helm Shift replaces that whole ritual. It's restaurant scheduling software made for independent restaurants of all sizes, one location or several, the operators that big platforms price out. You build the roster on one screen, your team sees it on their phones, and the numbers are in front of you the whole time.

What you get

Everything you need to staff the week.

Weekly schedules in one tap, Helm Shift builds the full week around availability and target hours. You review and publish.

Drag-and-drop builder, every team member gets a row across the week. Tap to cycle shifts, drag to move them between people and days.

Availability & time-off, staff set when they can work; the scheduler respects it automatically, so you stop double-booking.

Live labour cost estimator, see estimated cost and labour % while you build, before you publish.

Phone-friendly for staff, your team views shifts and requests time off from a link, and adds it to their home screen in a few taps. No App Store download.

Shift pool & swaps, open shifts and swap requests live in one place, with no chance of two people claiming the same slot.

How it works

From blank week to published in four steps.

Staff set availability

Everyone marks when they can work, recurring, date-range, or always-available, right from their phone.

Helm Shift drafts the week

One tap generates a full schedule around availability, time-off, and each person's target hours.

You review and adjust

Drag a shift to anyone, any day. Watch the labour estimate update live as you go. Nothing's live until you say so.

Publish to the team

Hit publish and your staff get an email, and see the new week the moment they open Helm Shift on their phone. Done for the week.

Why independents pick it

Priced for a thin margin, not a chain.

Seconds, not hours

If the schedule currently eats your Sunday afternoon, the draft turns it into a quick review.

Labour cost up front

On most platforms this sits behind a higher tier, if it's there at all. Helm Shift starts at $29.99 CAD plus tax and includes it.

Set up on one call

We bring in your staff and roles together during the setup call, so you finish it with a working schedule.

FAQ

Restaurant scheduling software, answered.

Is Helm Shift's scheduling software free to try?

Yes. Start free for 30 days, no card required. After the trial, plans start at $29.99 CAD/month plus tax, billed monthly or yearly with no contract, cancel anytime.

Can staff see their schedule on their phone?

Yes. Staff get a phone-friendly link to view their schedule and request time off. No App Store download. Staff open a link and can add Helm Shift to their home screen in a few taps, so it opens like any other app. Managers build and publish from a tablet or laptop.

Does the scheduler estimate labour cost?

Yes. You see an estimated labour cost and labour percentage as you build, before you publish, so you can catch an expensive week before it happens instead of after it is worked.

How does Helm Shift build the schedule?

With one tap, Helm Shift drafts a full week around each person's availability, time-off, and target hours. You always review and edit before anything is published, Helm Shift suggests, you decide.

See it on your restaurant.

Book a free setup call and we'll build a schedule live, using your team as the example.

Book your free setup call

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