Kitchen Brigade Calculator
Find out how many chefs and waiters you need based on your covers, shifts and service type. Based on real industry ratios.
Brigade Calculator
Maximum number of covers in one service (lunch or dinner)
How it works
Enter your volume
Number of covers per service, type of service and how many services you do per day.
Industry standard calculation
The calculator applies real hospitality sector ratios for each service type.
Recommended brigade
You get the breakdown of kitchen and FOH positions with the minimum recommended number for each role.
Why calculate your brigade
Optimize your team with AI Chef Pro
The basic calculator is free. With AI Chef Pro you optimize shifts, staff costs and your brigade's productivity.
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Frequently asked questions about kitchen brigade
How many chefs do I need for 50 covers?
It depends on service type. For à la carte (high complexity) you need about 4-5 chefs for 50 covers. For a set menu, 2-3 well-organized chefs may be enough. The calculator applies these ratios based on your service type.
What is the standard waiter-to-cover ratio?
The industry standard is 1 waiter per 10-15 covers for à la carte restaurants, and 1 per 15-20 for set menu or bistro. For fine dining it can drop to 1 per 6-8 covers.
What is a kitchen brigade?
The kitchen brigade is the hierarchically organized team working in a professional kitchen. It was systematized by Auguste Escoffier. It includes roles such as Head Chef, Sous Chef, Section Chefs, Cooks and Assistants.
How do I reduce staff costs without lowering quality?
The key is organization: versatile brigades, efficient mise en place, good shift management and AI tools to optimize operations. AI Chef Pro helps you identify bottlenecks in your team.
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