The Christmas trading period is a double-edged sword for restaurants: bookings go up, spend per head increases… and so do labour costs. Between casual staff, extended trading hours, and the unpredictability of large groups, wage blowouts can quietly erode what should be your most profitable month of the year.

The good news? With the right systems, data and planning, restaurants can keep labour costs controlled without compromising service. Here’s how.

Forecast Your Sales Using Last Year’s POS Data

Start by pulling last year’s December and early- January sales reports from your POS. Look at:

• Day-by-day sales

• Hourly trading peaks

• Average pax per booking

• Category sales (food vs beverage)

• Weather-related spikes

This becomes your baseline forecast. Even if your venue has changed, patterns like Thursday/Friday peak periods, office parties, or NYE demand repeat every year.

A realistic forecast gives you a staffing blueprint so you can roster based on data, not vibes.

Build Smart Rosters From Actual Sales, Not Guesswork

Use your POS reporting platform or rostering integration to map wage costs against forecasted revenue.

Look at:

• Wage % per shift

• Required headcount per hour

• Role distribution (floor, bar, pass, KP)

• Breaks and meal periods

If your roster pushes you beyond your target wage %, adjust now, before the shift.

Build two versions of each roster:

• A base roster for average expected trade

• A stretch roster for big days (and call people in only if needed)

Use Real-Time Sales to Adjust Staffing On The Fly

A powerful POS can show you live sales and average spend per head, so if tonight’s service is softer than expected, you don’t have to wait until the end of the night to see the impact.

During service, track:

• Live revenue vs forecast

• Average spend per head

• Table turns

• Section performance

If you’re running 20–25% below forecast by 8pm, you can cut a casual early without hurting service.

Reduce Inefficiencies With Handheld Ordering & Faster Workflow

A major cause of overstaffing is slow workflow: waiting for terminals, bottlenecks at the pass, manual orders, and inefficient table coverage.

Tools that reduce labour needs:

• Handheld POS for faster order-taking

• Automated modifiers to avoid time-consuming clarifications

• Instant kitchen printing

• Table management tools

• Integrated payments for faster bill settlement

Faster service = fewer staff required per section and earlier home times (but still happy customers).

Track Staff Performance with POS Metrics

Your POS can surface insights about:

• Average sales per staff member

• Upsell rates (desserts, cocktails, add-ons)

• Void/comp patterns

• Speed of service

This helps you schedule your highest-performing casuals on peak nights, which is far more cost-effective than rostering blindly.

Set Clear Expectations for Casual Staff Before December Hits

Most labour blowouts are caused by reactive decision-making during service. Get ahead of it by briefing staff:

• Expected shift lengths

• Cut times for quiet nights

• Start times for peak days

• Break expectations

• Upsell targets

• Section responsibilities

A confident, aligned team is faster and more efficient, which equals a healthier wage %.

Use Deposits and Pre-Orders to Make Labour Predictable

Christmas group bookings are notorious for showing up with the wrong guest count or ordering unpredictably.

Solve this with:

• Deposits

• Pre-orders through your POS

• Set menus

• Automatic booking reminders

If you know exactly how many people are coming, and what they’re eating, you can roster accurately and avoid surprise staffing spikes.

Analyse Labour % Daily (Not Weekly)

Weekly reporting is too slow during the festive season. Instead, run a daily wage-cost report via your POS or rostering integration.

Track:

• Wage % by day

• Wage % by service period

• Actual revenue vs forecast

• Overtime

• Inefficient shift lengths

Small daily adjustments prevent end-of-week “how did we spend that much?” moments.

And lastly, do your homework and look for the most cost effective POS and Payments solution to ensure you are on a $0 cost upfront plan for software and hardware. This will not only streamline operations, but make an impactful deifference to the bottom line.