Restaurant staff scheduling software, built for independent kitchens.

Build next week's schedule in minutes, not hours. Helm Shift drafts the week with AI, works 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.

Start free for 30 days—no card required See pricing

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.

AI-drafted weekly schedules — one tap 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 % before you publish, not after payroll.

Phone-friendly for staff — your team views shifts and requests time off from a link today (no app, no password) — with a dedicated mobile app coming soon.

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.

AI 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 see the new schedule instantly on their phones. Done for the week.

Why independents pick it

Priced for a 4% margin, not a chain.

Minutes, not hours

Owners tell us scheduling used to swallow a full afternoon every week. The AI draft turns it into a quick review.

Labour cost up front

The platforms that show you this usually start at $500+/month. Helm Shift starts at $99 CAD and includes it.

Set up in a day

We load your staff and roles during a 30-minute onboarding. You're scheduling before that night's service.

FAQ

Restaurant scheduling software, answered.

Is Helm Shift's scheduling software free to try?

Yes. Start free for 30 days with no card required. After the trial, plans start at $99 CAD/month, billed month-to-month 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 to install today (a dedicated mobile app is coming soon) and no password to remember. 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 payroll runs.

How does the AI 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 — the AI suggests, you decide.

See it on your restaurant.

Book a free 30-minute demo and we'll build a schedule live, using your team as the example.

Start free for 30 days—no card required

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