Build a reliable core team first
In DAVE THE DIVER, Bancho Sushi is your night shift: you dive during the day, then turn that catch into dinner sales at night. For a beginner-friendly setup, start with one strong kitchen staffer and one strong floor staffer (your server), then add backups only when service starts slipping. Kitchen stats control dish prep speed. Serving staff control table flow and, once trained, can also handle drinks and cleanup. If customers wait too long or sit at dirty tables, they can leave early, which means less revenue and fewer tips.
Use training (spending gold to level staff) on a small core team first. Training raises stats and can unlock new staff skills, so focused investment is usually more efficient than leveling everyone at once. Keep testing new hires, but prioritize upgrades on the people who already keep your rush hours smooth.
Use dispatch to cover ingredient gaps
Dispatch means sending waiting-room staff to gather a specific seasoning or ingredient. Those workers are unavailable for that service, then return later with the requested item. Because Procure affects dispatch yield, this is a great role for staff who are not part of your main nightly lineup.
Menu setup that protects profit
Run a focused menu each night instead of filling every slot. Auto Supply replenishes staple dishes only when they are ordered, which usually reduces waste compared with preloading large quantities. Keep one premium dish in limited quantity for high-ticket sales, and put recipe upgrades into dishes built from fish you can consistently catch or reproduce in the Fish Farm.
On party nights, load event-marked dishes first (the ones with the pink ribbon icon), then fill remaining menu space with your most reliable earners. That keeps the night profitable without overcomplicating prep.
- Before opening: check ingredient counts and remove dishes you cannot restock.
- During service: if food is delayed, add kitchen power; if tables stall, add serving power.
- After closing: reinvest in core staff training and 1 to 2 main recipes, not everything at once.