How hosts seat servers in rotation
Servers stand in a fixed order. Each party goes to the next name and the turn moves on, so tables are shared out evenly across the night. The page keeps that order for you: tap the party size, tap Seat, and the next server comes up.
- Section full, break or cut: change the server's status and they are passed over until you change it back. Under Rotation rules, choose whether a full section loses that turn or gets the next table.
- Big party: with the default rules, a party of 6 or more makes that server sit out their next turn.
- Guest asks for someone: tap Seat here on that server. The turn stays with whoever was up.
- Wrong tap: Undo goes back one step at a time.
Everything is saved on this device as you go, so a reload mid-rush picks up where you were.
Splitting sections by seats, not tables
List your tables in the order they sit on the floor and enter how many servers you have. The planner tries every way to cut that list into runs of neighbouring tables and keeps the one where the busiest section has the fewest seats. If several tie, it picks the one where the quietest section has the most.
The sample floor has 16 tables and 56 seats. With 4 servers the sections come out at 12, 12, 16 and 16 seats. An even 14 each would mean splitting up tables that sit side by side, so the planner doesn't offer it. Move a table to another section by hand if your room needs it.
Questions hosts ask
How do you seat servers in rotation?
Put the servers on the floor in a fixed order. Each new party goes to the next name, then the turn moves on. Pass over anyone on break or with a full section and come back to them next time round. Seat the next party even if the last table hasn't ordered yet.
Should a big party count as more than one table?
Many restaurants make a server who takes a large party sit out their next turn, since a 10-top is as much work as two or three small tables. Set the big party size your house uses under Rotation rules, or turn it off.
Straight rotation or balance by covers?
Straight rotation gives everyone the same number of tables and is easy to explain to staff. Balancing by covers gives the next party to whoever has served the fewest guests, which evens out a night of 2-tops and big groups. A server who starts late counts from the average, so they don't get every party.
What if a guest asks for a certain server?
Tap Seat here on that server. The turn stays with whoever was up. By default the requested table uses up that server's next turn, so nobody gets an extra table. If your house treats requests as a bonus, turn that off under Rotation rules.
How many tables should a server have in their section?
There's no fixed number; it depends on the room, the menu and the server. Seats are a fairer measure than tables, since four 2-tops are less work than four 6-tops. The section planner splits your floor by seats, and you can adjust from there for a new server or a far-off patio.
Will I lose the rotation if the tablet reloads?
No. The rotation is saved in this browser after every tap, so a reload, a closed tab or a flat battery won't lose it, and it keeps working without internet once the page has loaded. It isn't shared between devices. Tap New shift before the next service.
Can I keep the rotation on paper instead?
Yes. The Paper sheet tab prints a one-page chart with your servers down the side and a box for each turn. Write the table number and party size in the box and put a slash through it when a server is skipped. It fits Letter and A4.