Manager on Duty Journal
Manager on Duty Journal is the structured end-of-shift log every fine-dining manager should write — covers done, revenue, service notes, incidents, staff issues, maintenance flags, VIP highlights and handover notes for the next shift — captured per shift, signed off to lock it in, and kept as a searchable archive.
Overview
Each entry records Date, Shift (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner/Late Night), the Manager on Duty, Covers (pax), and an optional Revenue figure, alongside six narrative sections: Service Notes, Incidents/Complaints, Staff Issues, Maintenance/Equipment, VIP/Guest Highlights, and Handover for Next Shift.
An entry starts as DRAFT and can be edited freely; Sign-Off locks it and records the signing manager's name and timestamp, turning it into a permanent record.
Today's unsigned entry is shown at the top as a "needs sign-off" banner, so an open-ended log from earlier in the day doesn't get forgotten before shift close.
A Stats strip shows covers served this week and how many entries are still open (not yet signed off), giving a quick operational pulse.
The Archive supports date-range search and filtering by shift or manager, and a formal handover sheet can be printed for a physical shift-change briefing.
This is distinct from Pre-Service Briefing (forward-looking instructions to staff before a shift), Guest Complaint Log (formal per-incident complaint tracking), Shift Log/Captain's Log (general operational shift records), and Staff Roster (scheduling only) — this is the manager's own narrative record of how the shift went.
Before You Start
- You must have the Billing feature enabled on your plan.
- Agree on a consistent shift-close routine so entries are written and signed off before the next Manager on Duty starts, keeping the handover notes actually useful.
Step-by-Step Guide
1 Write an end-of-shift entry
- Click "New Entry" and select the Date and Shift.
- Enter Covers and Revenue if tracked here.
- Fill in the six narrative sections as relevant — Service Notes, Incidents/Complaints, Staff Issues, Maintenance/Equipment, VIP/Guest Highlights, and Handover for Next Shift.
- Save as DRAFT if you need to finish it later, or proceed to sign off.
2 Sign off an entry
- Open a DRAFT entry and review all sections for completeness.
- Sign off — this records your name and timestamp and locks the entry from further edits.
3 Hand over to the next shift
- Before your shift ends, make sure Handover for Next Shift is filled in with pending tasks, reservations to watch, and prep items.
- Print the formal handover sheet if your restaurant uses a physical handover briefing.
4 Search the archive
- Open the Archive and set a date range.
- Filter by Shift or Manager to find a specific past entry, e.g. reviewing all Dinner shift incidents over the past month.
Every Field & Button, Explained
| Field / Button | What it does |
|---|---|
Shift (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner/Late Night) | Which service the entry covers; each shift has its own colour/emoji for quick scanning. |
Six narrative sections | Service Notes, Incidents/Complaints, Staff Issues, Maintenance/Equipment, VIP/Guest Highlights, Handover for Next Shift — each a free-text field with its own placeholder prompt. |
Status (DRAFT/SIGNED_OFF) | DRAFT entries remain editable; SIGNED_OFF entries are locked and carry the signing manager's name and timestamp. |
Stats strip | Covers served this week, and count of open (not yet signed off) entries. |
Tips & Best Practices
- Fill in Handover for Next Shift even on an uneventful day — the next manager relies on it existing, not just being useful when something went wrong.
- Sign off entries before you leave for the day rather than the next morning — an unsigned entry sitting open makes it harder to trust the archive as a complete record.
- Use the Incidents/Complaints section even for minor issues — a pattern only becomes visible in the Archive if every occurrence was actually logged.