Thursday 17 The swap
Sam can’t do Thursday.
By hand. He offers his close in the staff app. Ava picks it up, you approve it, and the rota and both their phones change together.
Or just say“Approve Sam’s swap with Ava.”
Shift swap appIndustriesCafé rota software
Simple rota software for cafés.
Rota software for cafés and coffee shops. Cover the open, the lunch rush and the close on one live rota, and when someone calls in sick at six, just tell Weekola.
14-day trial No payment details required
Nothing changes until you confirm. Maya off sick · Jess opens · Jess notified
Why café rotas get messy so quickly.
- 06:30
The open can’t slip
Someone has to be in to switch the machine on. A 6am text saying they’re ill leaves you guessing who can.
- 11:30
Lunch rushes need the right people in
Two is fine all morning. By half eleven you need three, and one of them has to be on the coffee.
- Term time
Students swap shifts all the time
Seminars, exams, a lift home. Swaps agreed in a group chat rarely make it back onto the rota.
- Saturday
Weekend cover changes fastest
Your busiest days are the ones people most want off, and the ones where a gap hurts most.
- Payday
Hours rebuilt from memory
Who stayed late on Thursday? The clock knows. A spreadsheet only knows what someone typed.
- Every day
“Is this the latest rota?”
A screenshot goes stale the moment you change anything, and nobody knows it has.
Sample week · Harbour Coffee
A café week, in Weekola.
Three days at Harbour Coffee. Each change done by hand in a couple of taps, or said in a sentence. Either way, you confirm it and the rota changes.
Saturday 19 The rush
Three on for lunch.
By hand. Set it once as a coverage rule. Any Saturday that falls short shows the gap before you publish, and auto-fill offers someone who can take it.
Or just say“We need three on Saturday lunch, 11:30 to 14:30.”
Rota softwareSunday 20 Next week
Out before bedtime.
By hand. Copy the week that worked, check the gaps, publish. Everyone gets their shifts in the app, so nobody asks for a screenshot.
Or just say“Copy this week to next and publish it.”
Replace WhatsApp staff rotas
Said or tapped, Weekola Brain checks the same rules and nothing changes until you confirm. See everything you can ask
Everything a café week needs. Nothing it doesn’t.
Start with the rota. Add the rest when the café needs it; each part picks up where the last one left off.
- RotaThe open, the rush and the close on one live week, published to every phone.£11/month
- Shift swapsStudents swap and offer shifts in the app. You approve; the rota follows.£5/monthWorks with Rota
- AttendanceClock-ins from their own phones, beside the shift they belong to.£7/month
- TimesheetsHours reviewed, approved and exported for payroll.£9/monthWorks with Attendance
- LeaveHolidays requested in the app and on the rota before you plan the week.IncludedEvery workspace
- Weekola BrainSay what’s changed. It checks your rules and prepares the change for you to confirm.IncludedEvery workspace
Is Weekola right for your café?
A good fit
- An owner-run café or coffee shop with roughly 5 to 30 staff
- Hourly, part-time and student staff on shifts
- A rota that lives in a spreadsheet or a group chat
- Hours checked by hand before payroll
Probably not the right tool
- Hundreds of staff and a workforce-planning team
- Running payroll itself: Weekola prepares hours, not pay, tax or NI
- HR advice or compliance consultancy
- Forecasting staff from till or sales data
Café rota questions.
Short answers for café owners about the rota, the team and the hours.
What is the best rota software for cafés?
The best café rota software gives small teams one live rota, simple staff access, manager-approved swaps, attendance records and timesheet prep without full HR-suite complexity.
Can Weekola replace my café rota spreadsheet?
Yes. Weekola helps cafés move weekly rota planning, shift changes, leave visibility and attendance-linked timesheet prep out of spreadsheets.
Can staff view café shifts on their phone?
Yes. Staff can view their published shifts from a phone or browser, so they do not need to ask for the latest rota screenshot.
Can Weekola help with weekend café cover?
Yes. Coverage rules show when a Saturday falls short before you publish, and when someone calls in sick Weekola checks who holds the right role, has enough rest and isn’t on leave.
Can staff swap café shifts in Weekola?
Yes. Staff can request swaps and managers can approve changes before they affect the rota.
Can I just tell Weekola what’s changed?
Yes. Weekola Brain is included with every workspace. Type or say “Maya’s off sick for the open, find another barista”, and it checks roles, rest and time off, then prepares the change. Nothing changes until you confirm.
Does Weekola track attendance for café staff?
Yes. Weekola can track clock-ins and clock-outs so managers can compare attendance with planned café shifts.
Can Weekola help prepare café timesheets for payroll?
Yes. Weekola supports timesheet prep from attendance records, but it does not run final payroll or replace payroll advice.
Is Weekola suitable for a small café with 5 to 30 staff?
Yes. Weekola is built for small shift-based teams, including cafés with roughly 5 to 30 staff.
Can I start with rota only?
Yes. Weekola is modular, so a café can start with rota workflows and add other modules when needed.
Cover the open, the rush and the close.
Rota is £11/month for your whole team, with Leave and Weekola Brain included. Add Shift swaps for £5/month when the students start swapping.
14-day trial No payment details required