High turnover, handled.
Offers, the handbook and first shifts move from one step to the next automatically — so a line cook hired Tuesday is signed, food-handler card on file, and on the schedule for Friday night. Time off approved with coverage in view, a time clock at the host stand, and hours ready for payroll.
14 days freeNo credit card requiredEvery feature included
Harbor Grill · this week
Wed, Oct 21 · 31 employees- OLLine Cook offer viewedSent yesterday · sign by Fri · $19/hrNudge
- FHFood-handler card expiringSam Ortiz · 21 days · renewal requestedView
- ✓Friday dinner · every shift filled9 of 9 · published MonView
- !Handbook unsigned · 2 new hiresBlocks first punchRemind
- PTO2 time-off requests · Sat 10/31Coverage shown before approvingDecide
- OTOvertime buildingDana Reyes · 38h by ThursdayReview
From "you're hired" to Friday night, without the manager chasing anyone.
Restaurant HR happens between the lunch rush and the dinner rush.
Hired at the bar, paperwork never
A new server starts Friday. The W-4 and handbook are "in the office." The office is a shelf.
Food-handler card lapsed
The health inspector asks for it. It expired in August. The cook didn't know either.
Schedule on the wall and in a group chat
Two versions, three no-shows, one Friday night short-staffed.
Punches that don't match the shift
Clocked in at 3:40 for a 4:00 start, every day, every server. Payroll paid all of it.
Hire tonight's shift. Keep the records straight.
Hired Tuesday, signed Tuesday, on the line Friday.
Send the offer to the candidate's phone with the rate benchmarked against your current cooks or servers. When they sign, PunchPro creates their record and assigns the role's checklist — handbook, W-4, I-9, direct deposit, food-handler card, alcohol-service permit for bar staff. Clock-in waits until the required items are done.
- Workflows per role: server, bartender, line cook, host, housekeeping, manager
- Handbook and conduct policy signed before the first shift
- Everything from a phone — no office, no printer
Food-handler cards and alcohol permits that renew before they lapse.
Mark the card each role requires. PunchPro alerts you and the employee at 60, 30 and 7 days, asks for the renewal upload from their phone, and can keep an expired required card off the schedule until it's renewed. Inspector asks? Every card is dated and on the record.
- Food-handler, food-manager, alcohol-service, allergen training
- Required per role so new hires' checklists are right
- Expired items flagged when you build the schedule
Friday dinner: every station filled, published once.
Build the week by shift and station from a template, see availability before you assign, and publish — everyone's notified on their phone and there's one live version. Approve Saturday time off knowing who else is off and whether the bar is still covered.
- Scheduling by FOH/BOH, station and shift
- Time off approved with coverage and blackout dates
- Open shifts visible to managers before the week starts
Clock in at the host stand. Pay for the shift that was worked.
Staff clock in from a tablet at the host stand or their phone, with location context at the punch. Early punches and overtime are flagged against the schedule mid-week. One record per employee holds rate, signed documents, cards and hours; payroll review catches missed punches before you export.
- Time tracking with scheduled-vs-actual
- Overtime visible Wednesday, not payday
- Payroll review and export to QuickBooks, ADP, Paychex or Paycom
What PunchPro does for a restaurant — and what it doesn't.
PunchPro manages the people: hiring paperwork, records, policies, cards, schedules, time, PTO and payroll prep. It is not a POS, a tip-pooling tool or a full-service payroll provider, and it works alongside the ones you use.
| Need | PunchPro | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Offer letters, onboarding, handbook sign-off | Yes | From a phone, before the first shift |
| Food-handler & alcohol permit tracking | Yes | Required per role, alerts, can hold scheduling |
| Scheduling by station and shift | Yes | Published to phones; one live version |
| Time clock (tablet or phone) | Yes | Location context at the punch; scheduled vs. actual |
| Time off with coverage & blackout dates | Yes | Balances by role |
| Payroll review & export | Yes | QuickBooks, ADP, Paychex, Paycom |
| Tip pooling, tip reporting | No | Handled in your POS or payroll |
| POS, reservations, inventory | No | Not in PunchPro |
| Employee shift swapping | No | Managers reassign shifts |
Who runs their staff on PunchPro.
Restaurant scheduling apps vs. one system for the whole house.
Scheduling app + paper HR
- Hiring paperwork on a shelf in the office
- Food-handler cards as photos in a text thread
- Time clock in the POS, HR somewhere else
- PTO approved without seeing coverage
- Per-location pricing and add-ons
PunchPro
- Offers, handbook and forms signed from a phone
- Cards dated on the record with renewal alerts
- Schedule, punches, PTO and records in one app
- Coverage shown on every approval
- One plan per business, every feature
One plan for front of house, back of house and the office.
per business, plus $7 per active user / month
A 30-person restaurant: $249.99 / month · 14-day free trial, no credit card required
- Scheduling by station
- Time clock & kiosk
- Time off with coverage
- Payroll review & export
- Offer letters & e-signature
- Onboarding workflows
- Handbook builder
- Permit & card tracking
- Employee records
- Overtime tracking
HR software for restaurants, answered plainly.
What should HR software do for a restaurant?
Onboard hourly hires from a phone, collect handbook and policy signatures before the first shift, track food-handler cards and alcohol permits with expiry alerts, schedule by station, clock people in at the venue, approve time off with coverage in view, and hand payroll clean hours. PunchPro does all of that; it does not handle tips, POS or reservations.
Does PunchPro handle tips?
No. Tip pooling and tip reporting stay in your POS or payroll system. PunchPro exports approved hours to QuickBooks, ADP, Paychex or Paycom.
Can staff clock in on a tablet at the host stand?
Yes. Use a shared tablet kiosk or each employee's phone. Location context is captured at the punch; there's no continuous tracking.
Can an expired food-handler card keep someone off the schedule?
Yes. Mark the card as required for the role and PunchPro can hold scheduling or clock-in until a renewal is uploaded and approved. Managers can waive it; waivers are logged.
Can employees swap shifts?
Not directly. Managers reassign shifts so coverage and overtime stay under control; employees see the updated schedule immediately on their phone.
How fast can I onboard a new hire?
Send the offer from your phone; when they sign, the record is created and the role's checklist is assigned. Most hires finish handbook, W-4 and I-9 steps the same day from their phone.
Does it work for hotels and venues, not just restaurants?
Yes. Any hourly team — housekeeping, front desk, maintenance, banquet and event staff — uses the same scheduling, time clock, onboarding and records.
What does it cost?
$39.99 per month per business plus $7 per active user per month, every feature included. 14-day free trial, no credit card required.
Staff Friday night without the Friday-afternoon scramble.
Set up your roles, send your first offer, and publish next week's schedule today.
14 days freeNo credit card requiredEvery feature included