Surya has been serving North Indian and Nepalese food in the Netherlands since 2002. In Utrecht, the restaurant runs two locations: the full-service restaurant at Janskerkhof 23, open from noon until midnight every day, and Surya To Go, built around takeaway, pickups and delivery orders.

Both kitchens serve the same brand, but their days run differently. The restaurant plans around lunch and dinner service, while the takeaway branch follows the flow of orders and collection times. Coordinating staff across both locations meant keeping track of two schedules, last-minute changes and worked hours.

With Session Pilot Ops, Surya manages both locations through one account, with a separate rota for each branch and a shared view for the manager.

Two kitchens, two different rhythms

The restaurant at Janskerkhof needs staff for the dining room, kitchen preparation and long service hours. Surya To Go has a different priority: getting orders ready for pickup and delivery, with enough people behind the counter when demand rises.

Planning both locations as if they were one team would leave gaps in one place and excess staff in another. Each branch needs its own shifts and staffing levels, even when some employees can work at either location.

Separate schedules made coordination harder

Before Session Pilot, the two branches planned their rotas separately. Staff who could work at both locations could be double-booked or overlooked, while sick calls and shift swaps moved through group chats.

Worked hours also had to be pieced together for each branch at the end of the month. The challenge was not simply creating two schedules. It was keeping them consistent while giving the manager a clear picture of the whole operation.

One account, two locations

In Session Pilot Ops, Surya manages Janskerkhof and Surya To Go under one account. Each location has its own rota, departments, opening hours and staffing needs.

Kitchen, service and takeaway or counter roles can be planned according to the work each branch needs. Employees have a single profile, including those who work across both locations, and scheduling conflicts can be flagged before the rota is published.

The manager can view both branches side by side, by day or by week, without losing the detail each location needs.

Building the week in plain language

Instead of starting with a blank spreadsheet, the manager can describe the staffing requirements in everyday language. For example, two cooks and three servers might be needed at Janskerkhof on Friday evening, while Surya To Go needs additional counter staff from 17:00.

Session Pilot Ops uses those requirements, together with staff availability and roles, to generate a draft rota for each branch. The manager can review the schedules, make adjustments with drag and drop, and publish them when everything is ready.

Each employee then sees their own shifts in the app, including the location where they are scheduled to work.

Changes stay with the rota

When someone calls in sick or needs to swap a shift, the change can be handled in the app rather than through a group chat. The relevant branch's rota updates accordingly, giving the manager and staff a clearer view of the current schedule.

Employees also clock in using a QR code at their location. The code refreshes every 15 seconds, helping ensure that recorded hours correspond to staff physically present at the branch.

Worked hours, ready for payroll

Because employees clock in and out at their respective locations, Session Pilot records worked hours by person and branch. Instead of piecing together separate records at month-end, the manager has the hours organised and ready for payroll preparation.

The same structure that keeps the rotas separate also makes it easier to see where people worked and how their hours are distributed across the two locations.

The result

Two locations do not have to mean two disconnected planning processes. Surya can organise each branch around its own service, coordinate employees who work across both kitchens, and manage scheduling changes from one place.

With AI-assisted rota planning, in-app shift management and QR clock-in, Session Pilot Ops brings the restaurant and takeaway operation into one coordinated system.

Surya in Utrecht uses Session Pilot Ops to manage two locations, plan separate rotas and record worked hours across both branches. If your restaurant group runs multiple locations with different staffing needs, Session Pilot brings them together in one account while letting each team work to its own rhythm.