What should the dining room manager review first to determine the number of employees to schedule for a workday?

• A. Sales forecast
• B. Guest reservation system
• C. Reservation log book
• D. Employee scheduling software

Answer: (C)

Focusing on daily guest demand drives the staffing plan. The reservation log book provides the actual list of reservations for the day, with times and party sizes, giving a concrete headcount to anticipate. By checking this first, the manager can size the dining room crew—servers, hosts, and support staff—to match the expected flow and maintain service levels.

A sales forecast looks at demand over a broader period and isn’t precise for a single day. The reservation system can show bookings, but the log book is typically the most direct, day-specific record. Scheduling software is what you use to assign shifts once the needed headcount is known, not the primary source for determining how many employees are required.