A staffing plan for 80, 100 or 150 guests is more than a headcount on the rota. It names floor servers, runners, bar and a manager (or captain), ties roles to the service format and the guest-count guarantee, and protects the busiest ten minutes—not the quiet average of the night.
This page is a worked gallery: invented sample plans for 80 / 100 / 150 covers so restaurant, venue and hotel food and beverage (F&B) teams can copy the shape onto their house template. Ratios and role logic stay consistent with how many servers you need for 100 guests. Put the named plan on the day-of sheet (what is a Banquet Event Order (BEO)); keep client changes, timeline and tasks in one ops workflow (how to organize restaurant event operations).
What every staffing plan example should show
Block | What the example must state |
|---|---|
Guest count used | Prepared / locked guarantee—not the enquiry estimate |
Service format | Plated, buffet, standing / tray, or premium synchronised |
Floor servers | Number + section size (guests per server) |
Runners | Yes/no, and why (distance, multi-course peak, multi-room) |
Manager / captain | Named; not counted as a full floor server on complex nights |
Bar | Separate from floor; beer-and-wine vs cocktail intensity |
Peak window | The overlap you staff for (main drop, speeches, last call) |
Revision | Who owns the plan if the guarantee moves |
Starting ratios (same house rules as the 100-guest guide)
Service format | Starting floor ratio | Usually added separately |
|---|---|---|
Standard plated | 1 server per 20–25 guests | Manager, bar, runner if required |
Premium / synchronised plated | 1 server per 15–20 guests | Manager, runners, dedicated beverage |
Buffet | 1 floor server per 30–40 guests | Buffet attendants / runners |
Simple standing reception | 1 floor server per 40–50 guests | Bartenders, tray passers, cloakroom |
Round up after dividing. Kitchen and dishwashing stay outside these floor numbers.
Example plans — 80 guests (sample)
Example only. Same ratios scaled down; still separate bar and manager on plated nights.
80 — Standard plated dinner
Role | Sample count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Floor servers | 4 (≈20 guests each) | 80 ÷ 22 ≈ 3.6 → round up to 4 |
Manager / captain | 1 | Coordinates kitchen, bar, client; not a full section |
Runner | 0–1 | Add if kitchen is far, stairs/lift, or three courses drop together |
Bar | 1 | Beer-and-wine welcome + dinner service |
Peak to protect | Main-course drop + specials |
80 — Buffet lunch
Role | Sample count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Floor servers | 2–3 | Clearing, drinks on table, guest help |
Buffet attendant / runner | 1 | Refill, station look, dirtyware out |
Lead | 1 (can float) | |
Bar | 0–1 | Only if drinks are mixed to order |
80 — Standing cocktail (tray)
Role | Sample count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Floor / tray | 2 | Circulation + clear |
Pass / tray runners | 1–2 | Canapé pace from kitchen |
Bar | 1–2 | Welcome spike often needs two for cocktails |
Manager | 1 (float) | Programme holds and client cues |
When to add a runner at 80: long route from kitchen to room; two spaces; specials that must hit seats during the main drop; or premium synchronised service (then plan 5 floor servers, not 4).
Example plans — 100 guests (sample)
Example only. Aligns with the live 100-guest guide; here the plan is named by role so nobody “borrows” a floor server for the bar.
100 — Standard plated (wedding / banquet)
Role | Sample count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Floor servers | 5 (≈20 each) | 100 ÷ 22 ≈ 4.5 → 5 |
Manager | 1 | |
Runner / clear | 1 | Strongly recommended on plated peaks |
Bar | 2 | Welcome + dinner; cocktail list → keep two |
Peak to protect | Starter + main windows, cake, last call |
100 — Premium / synchronised plated
Role | Sample count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Floor servers | 6–7 | 1 per 15–20 guests |
Manager | 1 | |
Runners | 1–2 | Feed the pass-to-floor pace |
Bar | 2 (+ float if VIP pour) |
100 — Buffet
Role | Sample count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Floor servers | 3–4 | |
Buffet / runner | 1–2 | Stations + clear |
Lead | 1 | |
Bar | 1–2 | Separate from floor |
100 — Standing reception
Role | Sample count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Floor | 2–3 | |
Tray / pass support | 2+ | Tray maths lives on the sheet |
Bar | 2 | Welcome spike |
Manager | 1 |
When to add a runner at 100: almost always on plated multi-course nights; always when the kitchen pass is distant; when specials + main land together; when two rooms share one kitchen.
Example plans — 150 guests (sample)
Example only. Scaling is not linear if you keep one long bar queue or one narrow corridor—add roles before you simply “add two more servers.”
150 — Standard plated
Role | Sample count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Floor servers | 7 (≈21 each) | 150 ÷ 22 ≈ 6.8 → 7 |
Manager | 1 | Consider a deputy on split rooms |
Runners | 1–2 | Distance and course volume both rise |
Bar | 2–3 | 1 per ~50–75 for simple bar; cocktails lean higher |
Clear / busser | 1 | Keeps floor servers on sections |
Peak to protect | Dual drops if two waves / rooms |
150 — Buffet conference day
Role | Sample count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Floor | 4–5 | |
Buffet attendants | 2 | Hot line + salad/dessert |
Runner | 1 | Ware and refill |
Bar / beverage stations | 1–2 | |
Lead | 1 | Flip between sessions |
150 — Premium gala
Role | Sample count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Floor servers | 8–10 | Closer to 1:15–1:18 |
Manager + deputy | 1+1 | |
Runners | 2 | |
Bar | 3 | Or dedicated wine + cocktail split |
Clear | 1–2 |
When to add runners at 150: default yes on plated; mandatory on multi-room or outdoor-with-indoor kitchen; add clear/busser so section servers are not stuck in the dish pit during the main.
Side-by-side cheat sheet (standard plated)
Guests | Floor servers (start) | Manager | Runner | Bar (beer/wine start) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
80 | 4 | 1 | 0–1 | 1 |
100 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
150 | 7 | 1 | 1–2 | 2–3 |
Buffet and standing plans use fewer floor servers but must show buffet/tray and bar lines explicitly—or you only moved the bottleneck.
When to add runners (decision list)
Add at least one runner when any of these are true:
Kitchen or service pass is far, upstairs, or via lift.
Two or more rooms share one kitchen.
Three+ plated courses must land hot in a short window.
Special / allergen plates are many and seat-mapped.
Premium synchronised service is sold.
Floor servers are already at the tight end of the ratio (e.g. 25 guests each) and clear duty would steal the next course.
Do not “find” a runner by deleting a floor section. Name the role on the BEO / day-of plan and on the shift list.
Common mistakes in 80 / 100 / 150 plans
Six names ≠ six floor servers — Manager and bar silently counted in the ratio.
Planning the average hour — The main drop is what breaks the night.
No update after guarantee change — 82 → 110 without redrawing sections (guest-count guarantee).
Runners unpaid in the plan — “Someone will help from the pass” is not a shift.
Setup/breakdown ignored — Same people cannot dress the room and also open doors.
One blob called “service” — No sections, no owner for specials, no bar open/close.
Copy-paste from 100 to 150 — Corridor and bar queue scale worse than headcount.
FAQ
Do I need different templates for 80, 100 and 150? One house staffing block is enough. Change counts and the runner/clear lines; keep role names stable.
Is four servers enough for 80 plated guests? At ~20 guests each, yes as a floor start—if manager and bar are separate. If those four also mix drinks and clear the pass alone, the main drop will feel short.
How does this relate to the 100-guest article? That guide owns the ratios and role definitions. This page owns side-by-side sample plans at three sizes and the runner trigger list. Start here for examples; open how many servers for 100 guests for the full rationale.
Where do staffing names live day-of? On the current BEO / event sheet and on the event work schedule—not only in a chat thread. Blank structure: BEO template.
What if the client adds a cocktail hour in 2027 after we staffed for plated only? Re-open the plan: tray or pass support and bar intensity change even when the dinner count stays 100.
Lock names to the event—not to a vague rota
Steal the shape: guarantee-based count, format-specific floor number, separate manager/bar, explicit runner/clear when the building or menu demands it, and a peak window you actually staff for. Scale 80 → 100 → 150 with the cheat sheet, then adjust for your rooms.
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