Post-launch staff changes (v1.008 + v1.009)
- v1.008: you can now assign up to two employees to the Pizza Chef, Waiter and Busser roles — the per-role cap changed from one to two.
- v1.008: Pizza Stations now use a shared ingredient inventory (ingredients placed in one station can also be used by Pizza Chefs at another station); the shared capacity grows with the perks of Lv4 Pizza Chefs.
- v1.008: Waiters no longer take breaks; staff ask for promotions and talk far less often.
- v1.009: staff payments no longer completely empty the cash register — a small safety reserve stays. The Fry Cook now prepares fries whenever potato stock is low.
Staff roles seen in the full release
The staff screen describes these jobs:
| Role | Tested description |
|---|---|
| Assembler | Prepares pizzas for incoming orders; keep the station supplied with toppings. |
| Buser | Clears used trays so seats become available again. |
| Waiter | Carries finished orders from the counter to customers. |
| Cashier | Handles incoming customer orders. |
| Fryer | Works the fryer station. |
| Porter | Stores deliveries, tidies piles, mops dirt, takes out trash and repairs worn stations. |
The porter role was level-gated in the tested session and became assignable at level 10.
Traits matter
Candidates can roll traits such as Frugal, Chain Smoker, Heavy Hand, Long Arm, Skilled Hands, Forgetful, Charming or Organized. Do not hire from rarity alone: a candidate’s role fit and negative traits can matter more than the color of the card.
Tested employee upgrade progression
One employee upgrade track in full-release footage showed:
- Level 2: +10% movement speed.
- Level 3: +5% additional tips on delivered orders.
- Level 4: +15% additional tips on delivered orders.
- Final shown perk: carry two trays per trip.
Treat those numbers as video-tested for that build/role, not a promise that every role has the identical tree.
Staff-screen upgrade example
The official Steam screenshots show a five-level progress track per role. The values below come from that screenshot: the older video-test numbers above are from a different build and are kept separate.
| Level | Reward shown on the official staff screen |
|---|---|
| 1 | +5% tips while on shift |
| 2 | +10% movement speed |
| 3 | +15% tips while on shift |
| 4 | +25% reach when moving tables |
| 5 | Carries two trays per trip |
The same screen lists a daily salary of roughly $41–44 per worker in the tested example (three workers = 136$/day shown as total).
What to hire first
For solo play, a buser or waiter removes repetitive walking. If the front stays clean but kitchen assembly is the bottleneck, an assembler is more useful. Porter becomes attractive once maintenance, trash and deliveries compete with cooking time.
Staff idle: check the task before hiring more
| What you see | Check first | Relevant update |
|---|---|---|
| Pizza Chef is waiting | Listen for the named missing ingredient and refill shared station stock. | v1.008 makes missing-ingredient callouts clearer. |
| Staff cannot store a delivery | Free space on storage shelves; a new employee cannot create shelf space. | v1.008 displays a full-shelf explanation. |
| A specific order will not start | Read whether its ingredient cannot be stored in the station. | v1.008 displays that limitation. |
| Fry Cook cannot work | Check the fryer basket, then potato stock for fries. | v1.008 reports a missing basket; v1.009 adds low-stock fries preparation. |
| Busser is idle while used trays remain | Update, then check whether the customer has left and the tray is used. | v1.010 restores missed trays to the task list. |
| Worker keeps trying an unreachable task | Check access to the workstation or target. | v1.010 makes the worker use the nearest reachable position. |
These are checks for the specific task, not a universal command to replace the employee. If an item on a Pizza Station is inaccessible after assigning a chef, remove that chef from the role to retrieve the item; v1.008 explicitly fixes that interaction.
Compare upgrades on the employee you will use
The older video track and the promotional screenshot below are examples, not one combined upgrade tree. Read the current role’s perk and salary before purchasing. In particular, the Level 4 Pizza Chef shared-capacity perk is different from a table-service perk. Version v1.010 fixes this capacity bonus switching inconsistently while the employee is on shift.
If an upgrade says more XP is required despite enough experience, update the game and check its money requirement: v1.008 corrects an error that displayed an XP shortage when the actual shortage was cash. Pay for the bottleneck you can identify, then watch one complete order before buying the second worker for that role.
Current fixes: official v1.010 announcement.
Q&A
What does a buser do?
The staff UI in tested full-release footage says a buser clears used trays so seats can be reused.
What does the porter do?
The porter handles deliveries, tidying, mopping, trash and repairs. It was level-gated to level 10 in the tested session.
Who is the best first employee?
There is no universal best. Hire for your bottleneck: buser/waiter for front-of-house walking, assembler for kitchen throughput.