Captain's Log
Captain's Log is the floor captain's end-of-shift diary — covers served, estimated revenue, an overall service rating, items that sold out (86'd) during the shift, staff absences/lates, equipment issues, service highlights, and notes for the next shift — filed per shift and viewable as a timeline so nothing gets lost between handovers.
Overview
Each entry is filed against a Date and Shift (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner/Late Night) and records Covers Served, an estimated Revenue figure, and an overall Service Rating (Smooth/Mixed/Rough).
The 86 List tracks items that sold out during the shift, each with the time it ran out and the reason, so the next shift knows what's still unavailable at opening.
Staff absences and lates are logged here as a quick operational note — this is not a payroll record, just context for the next manager.
Equipment Issues records what broke or malfunctioned during the shift, Highlights captures what went well (a VIP guest, flawless service, a big-spend table), and Notes for Next Shift carries forward prep requests, reservations to watch, and special guests expected.
Each entry shows a badge linking to today's Service Recovery incidents, and entries display newest-first as collapsible timeline cards.
This is distinct from the Service Recovery Log (per-incident narrative with resolution tracking), Staff Roster (scheduling only), Staff Performance (aggregated sales/tip metrics), Void & Comp Log (financial comp transactions), and the Manager on Duty Journal (a separate, more formal sign-off record) — Captain's Log is the quick operational shift diary.
Before You Start
- You must have the Reports feature enabled on your plan.
Step-by-Step Guide
1 File a shift entry
- Click "New Entry" and select the Date and Shift.
- Enter Covers Served, an estimated Revenue figure, and the overall Service Rating.
- Add any 86'd items with their time and reason, log staff absences/lates and equipment issues, and note Highlights.
- Fill in Notes for Next Shift with anything the incoming captain should know, then save.
2 Review the shift timeline
- Open Captain's Log to see entries newest-first as collapsible cards.
- Expand a card to review its full detail, or check the linked Service Recovery incident count badge.
3 Print a handover sheet
- Open the entry for the shift that just ended.
- Print the handover sheet for the incoming floor staff.
Every Field & Button, Explained
| Field / Button | What it does |
|---|---|
Shift (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner/Late Night) | Which service the entry covers. |
Service Rating (Smooth/Mixed/Rough) | A quick overall read on how the shift went. |
86 List | Items that sold out during the shift, each with the time and reason — helps the next shift know what to expect at opening. |
Notes for Next Shift | Prep requests, reservations to watch, and special guests incoming — the forward-looking part of the entry. |
Tips & Best Practices
- Log the 86 List as items run out, not from memory at end of shift — the time recorded is what tells the next shift when to expect stock to be back.
- Keep Notes for Next Shift specific and actionable — "busy tonight" is less useful than "8pm: VIP table 12, wants the corner booth".
- File the entry before you leave rather than the next day — a same-day entry is far more accurate than one written from memory.