How to build the team for a new restaurant
How many employees by restaurant size
| Restaurant type | Seats | Waiters per shift | Cooks per shift | Helpers per shift | Managers | Total staff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small bistro | 30–50 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1 | 1 | 6–9 |
| Mid-size restaurant | 80–120 | 3–4 | 3–4 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 12–18 |
| Large restaurant | 120–200 | 5–7 | 5–7 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 22–30 |
| Fine-dining restaurant | 40–80 | 4–6 (higher ratio) | 4–6 + pastry chef | 2 | 2–3 + sommelier | 18–25 |
| Chain (3+ locations) | variable | + continuous recruiting | + group executive chef | + | + regional | 40+ |
Team org chart (mid-size restaurant)
Front of House (FOH) — floor
- <strong>Restaurant Manager / Maître d'hôtel</strong> — 1 person. Runs all FOH operations.
- <strong>Headwaiter / shift maître</strong> — 1–2 people (1 per shift). Coordinates the waiters.
- <strong>Waiters</strong> — 6–10 total (3–4 per rotating shift). Direct table service.
- <strong>Runner (picol)</strong> — 1–2 people. Waiter support, plate running.
- <strong>Hostess</strong> — 1–2 people (optional, only fine-dining or high-volume). Greets guests.
- <strong>Sommelier</strong> — 1 person (fine-dining only). Wine specialist.
- <strong>Bartender</strong> — 1–2 people. Behind the bar, reports directly to the Restaurant Manager.
Back of House (BOH) — kitchen
- <strong>Executive chef</strong> — 1 person. Kitchen leadership, menu planning, food-cost control.
- <strong>Sous-chef</strong> — 1 person. Chef's second, day-to-day operational lead.
- <strong>Chefs de partie</strong> — 2–4 people (depending on menu and volume). Owners of stations: cold line, hot line, grill, garde manger.
- <strong>Cooks</strong> — 2–4 people. Work the stations under the chef de partie.
- <strong>Kitchen assistant</strong> — 1–2 people. Cook support.
- <strong>Kitchen helpers / dishwashers</strong> — 2–3 people. Cleaning, dish-washing, mise en place support.
- <strong>Pastry chef</strong> — 1 person (fine-dining only or complex dessert menu).
Recruitment calendar — 6–8 weeks before opening
Week −8: executive chef + Restaurant Manager
The two anchors — first hires. The chef helps finalise the menu and kitchen layout; the Restaurant Manager joins later for crew training. We recommend 3–5 interviews for each role, plus a trial cooking session for the chef.
Week −6: sous-chef + head bartender
Next in the hierarchy. They work with the chef pre-opening: food cost, suppliers, crew training.
Week −4: chefs de partie + headwaiter
Middle management. The operational team takes shape — they're the ones who'll interview the operational staff next.
Week −3: waiters, cooks, runners
Volume recruitment. We recommend pre-selecting batches of 30–50 candidates, compressing interviews into 2–3 dedicated days. For volume, post jobs on the PHE platform or ask for pre-selection help on /contact.
Week −2: helpers, dishwashers
The most accessible positions — fast recruitment (1 week from pre-selection to decision).
Week −1: trial week / soft opening
The full crew works one week before the official open, with a reduced menu and a limited audience (family, friends, a handful of food bloggers). You stress-test flow, pacing and kitchen-floor communication.
Week 0: official opening
All systems live. The manager and chef stay on site 14–16h/day in the first week to step in fast if anything breaks.
2026 indicative salaries (Bucharest, mid-size restaurant)
| Role | Junior | Mid | Senior |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant Manager | — | 8,000–12,000 RON | 12,000–18,000 RON |
| Executive chef | — | 9,000–13,000 RON | 13,000–25,000 RON |
| Sous-chef | — | 7,000–10,000 RON | 10,000–14,000 RON |
| Headwaiter / Maître | — | 5,500–7,000 RON | 7,000–9,000 RON |
| Chef de partie | — | 5,500–8,000 RON | 8,000–11,000 RON |
| Head bartender | — | 5,500–7,500 RON | 7,500–10,000 RON |
| Waiter | 3,000–3,800 RON | 3,800–5,000 RON | 5,000–7,000 RON |
| Cook | 4,000–5,000 RON | 5,000–7,000 RON | 7,000–9,500 RON |
| Bartender | 3,500–4,500 RON | 4,500–6,000 RON | 6,000–8,500 RON |
| Runner | 2,800–3,500 RON | 3,500–4,500 RON | — |
| Kitchen helper | 2,500–3,300 RON | 3,300–4,200 RON | — |
| Sommelier | — | 8,000–12,000 RON | 12,000–18,000 RON |
Month-1 payroll — 80–120-seat mid-size restaurant
- •1× Restaurant Manager (mid): 10,000 RON
- •1× Executive chef (mid): 11,000 RON
- •1× Sous-chef: 8,000 RON
- •1× Headwaiter: 6,000 RON
- •2× Chefs de partie: 13,000 RON
- •1× Head bartender: 6,500 RON
- •6× Waiters (junior/mid mix): 4,500 × 6 = 27,000 RON
- •4× Cooks (mid): 5,500 × 4 = 22,000 RON
- •2× Runners: 3,500 × 2 = 7,000 RON
- •3× Helpers: 3,000 × 3 = 9,000 RON
- •1× Second bartender: 5,000 RON
Interview process — filtering done right
Operational roles (waiter, cook, helper)
- <strong>15-min phone pre-screen:</strong> experience, availability, motivation, salary expectations.
- <strong>30-min in-person interview:</strong> appearance, communication, attitude, scenario questions (How would you handle X?).
- <strong>Trial day 4–8h:</strong> the candidate works a shift in your restaurant with the current crew (details below).
- <strong>Decision + offer:</strong> salary, start date, job description.
Senior roles (executive chef, Restaurant Manager)
- <strong>1h initial interview:</strong> experience, vision, questions specific to your restaurant type.
- <strong>Trial cooking / management scenario:</strong> the chef cooks 2–3 dishes for you and your team; the manager solves real scenarios (overbooking, team conflict).
- <strong>Salary + benefits negotiation:</strong> performance bonuses, monthly bonuses, profit share (rare, but possible).
- <strong>Extended reference check:</strong> call 3–5 previous employers, especially for executive roles.
Trial day — the real test
The most effective evaluation: the candidate works 4–8h in your restaurant with the current crew. You pay as a normal working day. Why:
- •You see how they handle real conditions, not just an interview
- •Your current crew gives fast feedback (chemistry with the team)
- •The candidate sees the culture — sometimes they pass after the trial, which is a healthy signal
- •Waiters: you see real service, pacing, customer interaction
- •Cooks: you see speed, organisation, technical knowledge
Training and soft opening
1–2 weeks of pre-opening training
- •<strong>Days 1–3:</strong> menu training for everyone (waiters and cooks) — tasting, dish-by-dish description, allergens.
- •<strong>Days 4–7:</strong> service simulation with internal actors (the team plays customers) — pacing test, kitchen-floor communication.
- •<strong>Days 8–10:</strong> soft opening at 30–50% capacity, limited audience (family, friends) — fast feedback.
- •<strong>Days 11–14:</strong> final tweaks on menu, layout, flow.
Critical training topics
- •Detailed menu: ingredients, allergens, prep process, pricing
- •POS: how to enter orders, how to check out
- •Service rules: serving order, clearing, refills
- •Kitchen-floor communication: terminology, order structure
- •HACCP hygiene rules
- •Event-specific rules (cocktail, brunch, business lunch)
5 common mistakes in team building
1. Undersizing the crew to save money
Going from 4 to 3 waiters per shift saves ~1,000 RON/month. The gap between a restaurant with good pacing and one with unhappy customers is unrecoverable. Month one is the most important for reputation.
2. Hiring too late
Starting recruitment 3 weeks before opening forces you to accept weak candidates out of panic. Start 6–8 weeks ahead to keep options open.
3. Skipping the trial day
“They seemed nice in the interview” isn't a hiring basis. A trial costs 250–400 RON and saves 1–2 months of pain when the candidate doesn't work out in practice.
4. Below-market salaries
Offering 3,000 RON for a mid-level waiter when the market is at 4,500 RON guarantees constant churn. Better to pay correctly and keep the crew stable — replacement cost (new training + degraded service) is usually higher than the salary delta.
5. Cutting the training budget
Restaurants that „launch cold” without training lose customers in the first months. 1–2 weeks of training plus a soft opening are the non-negotiable minimum.
Frequently asked questions
How many employees for an 80-seat restaurant?+
About 12–15 employees total, spread across shifts: 1 Restaurant Manager, 1 executive chef, 1 sous-chef, 1 headwaiter, 4–5 waiters, 3–4 cooks, 1–2 helpers, 1 bartender.
How long does recruitment take for a new restaurant?+
6–8 weeks from the first senior candidates to opening day. Key roles (chef, manager) — 8 weeks ahead; operational staff — 3–4 weeks ahead; helpers — 2 weeks ahead.
What does an executive chef cost in Bucharest?+
Mid-size / casual restaurant: 10,000–14,000 RON gross/month. Fine-dining or boutique restaurant: 14,000–25,000 RON. Restaurant chains / group executive chef: 20,000+ RON.
How do you verify a HoReCa candidate's experience?+
Call at least 2 previous employers from the CV. Useful questions: real tenure, exact role, work attitude, reason for leaving. For chefs: check that the prior restaurant exists and matches the declared format. For waiters: confirm dates with the prior restaurant's admin.
Do I need a sommelier for a casual restaurant?+
No. A sommelier is only needed for fine-dining or restaurants with a dedicated wine bar. For casual venues, the bartender or headwaiter can recommend wine with a short pairing training.
Can PHE recruit a restaurant's entire staff?+
We split recruitment by segment. For key positions — executive chef, F&B manager, head bartender / mixologist — we cover end-to-end via the PHE consulting service, accredited in Labour Mediation. For operational volume (waiters, cooks, helpers), use the job platform directly or request pre-selection on /contact for large batches (10+ positions). We don't offer a single „total recruitment” bundle — the split reflects our real scope.
Paid trial day or unpaid?+
Mandatory paid. Standard: 250–400 RON for a 4–8h shift. Good candidates won't work for free — and paying is the professional standard.
What's normal staff churn in HoReCa?+
HoReCa typically runs 40–60% annual churn in Romania, higher than most industries. New restaurants often see 60–80% in year one. Stabilises after 12–18 months with sound management and correct pay.
We help you build the team for your new restaurant
For key positions (executive chef, F&B manager, head bartender / mixologist) use PHE consulting. For operational volume, the job platform or pre-selection on request.