Microsoft Planner Playbook for Restaurants: Simple Shift and Task Boards Your Team Will Use

If your “system” today is a whiteboard, sticky notes, and a group text, you are not alone. Most busy restaurants run that way until a missed prep list or no‑show shift hurts a Saturday night.

I use Microsoft Planner for restaurants to turn that chaos into two clear boards your team can use in minutes: one for shifts, one for tasks. No giant project plan, no tech headache, just simple cards that match how service really runs.

In this playbook I will walk through the exact board layouts, bucket names, and task templates I set up for clients so you can copy them, tweak them, and get everything running in a single weekend.

Why Microsoft Planner Works So Well In A Restaurant

Planner lives inside Microsoft 365, so your team can open it on phones, a host stand tablet, or a back‑office PC. It feels like sticky notes on columns, only shared and trackable.

Here is why I like using Planner in restaurants:

• Everyone sees the same plan in real time.
• Tasks live with owners, not “whoever remembers.”
• You can check progress from home before service.

If you want a quick walk‑through of the basics, Microsoft has a simple guide on how to manage your tasks in Microsoft Planner. I build on that base and tune it for line cooks, servers, bartenders, and managers.

Planner is not a full shift‑scheduling app. Many of my clients pair it with the Shifts tool in Teams and use Microsoft’s own shift management and staff scheduling features for time and attendance, then use Planner for “what needs to get done” during those shifts.

Your Two Core Boards: Shift Board And Task Board

To keep things simple for staff, I always start with just two plans:

1. Shift Board
2. Daily & Weekly Task Board

If you do nothing else this weekend except set these up, you will already be ahead of most restaurants.

Shift Board Template: Who Owns What This Shift

Create a plan called: FOH & BOH Shift Board.

Use these buckets:

• “Today’s Open”
• “Mid‑Shift”
• “Pre‑Close”
• “Done / Verified”

Sample tasks your team can reuse:

• “Brunch: Fill all coffee, tea, and juice stations”
• “Line: Prep burger station, 2 hotel pans each of fries and patties”
• “Bar: Cut garnishes, restock backup well”
• “Expo: Print specials, mark gluten‑free items”

For labels, try simple colors your staff will remember:

• Red: “Manager only”
• Blue: “FOH”
• Green: “BOH”
• Yellow: “Bar”

Inside each task, I add a short checklist. For example:

Task title: “Close line station”
Checklist:

• Wrap all proteins
• Label and date all pans
• Wipe and sanitize station
• Restock for tomorrow’s lunch

On a busy brunch rush, this board keeps new hosts, servers, and line cooks from asking you the same questions all day. They can open the plan on their phone, filter by their name, and see what is left.

Daily & Weekly Task Board: The Manager’s Brain

Next, create another plan called: Restaurant Operations Board.

Buckets I like to use:

• “Today”
• “This Week”
• “Inventory & Ordering”
• “Repairs & Maintenance”
• “Marketing & Events”
• “Waiting on Vendor”

Sample tasks you can drop in right away:

• “Monday: Count bar inventory before open”
• “Wednesday: Walk‑in temp check and photo”
• “Friday: Deep clean expo window and heat lamps”
• “Monthly: Hood cleaning schedule check‑in”
• “Catering: Confirm headcount and menu 72 hours out”

For checklists, keep them short and clear. For example:

Task title: “Friday liquor order”
Checklist:

• Run inventory on top 20 bottles
• Export POS sales from last 7 days
• Adjust par levels for upcoming holiday
• Email order to rep before 3 p.m.

If you want more structure for monthly planning, I sometimes point clients to this simple restaurant operations planning cycle template. We then mirror the main items inside Planner as recurring tasks.

Set It Up In One Weekend: A Simple Rollout Plan

You do not need weeks of meetings to get value. Here is how I set this up with owners in a single weekend.

1. Create your first plan
Open Planner from Office.com, then use the Microsoft guide on how to create a plan in Planner if you need screenshots. Name it “FOH & BOH Shift Board” and add the four buckets from above.

2. Add only your top 10 repeating tasks
Think about the ten things that hurt most when they are missed. Put only those on the Shift Board and assign them. Do the same on the Operations Board.

3. Invite only the first wave of staff
I usually start with one manager, one lead server, one lead cook, and the bar lead. Once they like it, they train others on shift.

4. Run it for one full week
During each pre‑shift, stand at the screen and move cards together. Ask: “What can we delete, what is missing?” Update in real time so the board matches how you talk.

5. Lock the simple rules
After the first week, set three or four rules, such as:

• Every task must have one owner.
• Only managers move items into “Done / Verified.”
• If you see a problem, log it as a task, not a text.

Once these rules stick, Planner becomes part of how the restaurant runs, not another “app of the month.”

Keeping It Simple So Your Team Actually Uses It

The fastest way to kill Planner in a restaurant is to overbuild it. I keep standards tight:

• No more than 4 to 6 buckets per plan.
• Short task names that fit on a mobile screen.
• Checklists under 6 steps.

I also map the board to real life. For example, “Pre‑Close” tasks should match the closing checklist hanging in the kitchen. If you already use a template like the restaurant manager checklist from 7shifts, you can copy those items into Planner cards and slowly retire the paper.

When staff see the same words on the wall and in Planner, adoption climbs fast. They do not feel like they are learning a new system, only moving the same checklist into an app.

How Planner Fits Into Your Bigger Restaurant Tech Stack

Planner is one small piece of your tech, but it touches many others. As I roll out boards like this for clients, I wrap them inside broader Small Business IT support so the tools stay fast and safe.

That often includes Cybersecurity Services, Endpoint Security, Device Hardening, and Business Continuity & Security so a lost tablet, power outage, or malware alert does not shut service down. Behind the scenes my team handles Cloud Infrastructure, Secure Cloud Architecture, Cloud Management, Data Center Technology, and Infrastructure Optimization.

We bring Innovative IT Solutions and Tailored Technology Services together as a single Business Technology Partner, backed by practical Technology Consulting. All of this becomes a clear IT Strategy for SMBs and real‑world Digital Transformation, from Office 365 Migration to Managed IT for Small Business, Restaurant POS Support, and Kitchen Technology Solutions that tie into your boards.

If you want to go deeper on Planner features later, Microsoft’s guide on how to build your plan in Microsoft Planner is a good next step, but you do not need any of that to get value from the two boards we just covered.

Bringing It All Together

You do not need to “rebuild your systems” to get real value from Microsoft Planner for restaurants. Start with two simple boards, a few clear buckets, and copy‑paste task templates your team understands in seconds.

From there, you can tie those boards into your POS, your kitchen screens, and the rest of your tech stack while my team keeps the security, backups, and cloud pieces tight in the background.

If you would like help setting up these boards, or want a full review of your restaurant tech stack, reach out and I will walk you through a simple, low‑stress plan that fits your staff and your service style. Your next brunch rush can feel a lot more controlled, without you living on group texts.