This guide has evolved quite a lot over time. Initially called "Full staff table", just a simple stat comparison table I had typed in Excel to assist myself, posted online, to now a proper full-blown staff guide with much more contents which I discovered and added over time.

When hiring, you can preview the maxed stats and skills of any employee before you hire them. However, since the maxed stats are at level 20, I didn't find this very useful, because you can not look the stats up again and the average player likely won't be able to get all staff to level 20, due to training costs amounting to 327k per employee:

Daily pay increases on average by 21 per level (see salary section)

Employees gain skills in random order at level 3 and 7 and always unlock a recipe at level 15.
*The first two staff to lv5 unlock recipes (for me this was Kyoko and Liu).

Unlocks additional recipes at Lv5 & Lv10:


Subjective noteworthy Lv15 recipes:



Beyond reaching the aforementioned important thresholds, it's generally more beneficial to train a server over a cook, but do keep an eye where your restaurant's bottlenecks are.

To unlock staff, you first need to complete the Sub Mission "A Scolding from Yoshie".

Let's get the staff requirements out of the way. After rigorous testing, The Cooksta rating seems completely irrelevant in terms of staff availability; I was able to hire every single staff member on Coal Cooksta rating (that is your starting rank, before even bronze!) - so it's either currently bugged or the system, that you unlocked better staff as you improved your rating, got scrapped/abandoned.

The different ad types not only increase the number of applicants, but they are also solely the deciding factor on who applies, despite their description. I used the cheapest Ad possible and moved onto the next once I didn't get any more applicants. See my test results, in order of appearance, here:


As for Maki, she is a story character and will appear in your restaurant once you progress through the story. In my case, this occurred when I was Silver Cooksta during Chapter 2.

Cook skills:
*Cooking++ currently seems to be partially bugged, only rewarding +50 instead of +100 on Maki and Tohoku, resulting in differentiating statcaps- I reported this issue.

Active Server skills:

Passive Server skills:

Procure/dispatch:

Cooks require high cooking stats to cook faster. Having 2 cooks allows for parallel cooking. Bancho has the equivalent speed of a staff with cooking-stat of 1 (⏳ 6s).
The ingredient prep skill has a chance to increase cooked plates by 5% (Expert) or 10% (Master).

Kitchen slots are unlocked at Bronze & Gold Cooksta rating




Best cooks:

¹Yusuke should rather procure ingredients once you have enough good cooks.
Why not Raul? -> See FAQ section.

Servers require high serving stats to walk/serve faster. Carrying plates is 33% slower.

Stats don't increase speed of active server skill tasks that have a UI timer ⏳ (cleaning, etc).
There are many useful skills for servers (see above).

An additional Serving slot is unlocked at Silver Cooksta rating



Best servers:

¹While Billy doesn't have the highest serving/speed, his fast cleanup skill can still be very helpful at a busy branch! His lv15 recipe (Crimson Fish Roll) is noteworthy, since it requires neither seasoning nor farming.

Once you finish all VIP missions to unlock the restaurant branch, you need to assign a manager.

The manager fulfills the role of Dave in the branch restaurant and, with the exception of cocktails, can inherently do all the other tasks (cleaning, serving drinks, refilling wasabi)¹ REGARDLESS of their skills!
¹they should still get support on some of those tasks to not get overwhelmed.

They should have a mix of high cooking for rank (being able to use higher ranked ingredients), as well as high serving to be able to serve quickly. Their total stats² have to be high in order to attract more customers (Popularity)
²appeal-stat seems to have slightly more weight than other stats (+~30%).


Best managers:

[Send over ingredients and make sure to set the Operation Policy to "Price" in the branch staff screen, in order to improve its profits.]

If you have left over staff, put them on dispatch to procure seasoning for you (1-11 +bonus). Dispatched staff always returns in the next day's evening. A higher procure stat will improve the yield, and the skill "Dispatch Master" further increases the amount of items acquired through dispatch by +2.



Good dispatch/procure:

High appeal increases the chance for bonus items (+2-12, depending on the staffs Procure&Appeal). The %-chance appears to be around Appeal/12. This means for example that charismatic Mitchell, who has a terrible procure stat (caps at 29 procure with 1-2 base yield), actually makes for a fairly average Procurer.

For this reason, Itsuki and Kyoko can outperform the likes of Pai, Carolina & Liu, albeit with fluctuating results.

Here is a detailed lv20 Procure bar chart, based on my testing:


Due to variations in staff dispatched, yield ranges, luck/bonus & different bonus ranges, the exact amount of ingredients gathered can be volatile and vary widely, so take the following table with a grain of salt. However, I still think that providing a rough expected ballpark, based on my fairly extensive test observations, may prove useful to some people:

All staff gets a salary, even when idle in the waiting room. Daily Salary depends on the quality of the staff, generally better employees have a higher salary (except for the story character Maki), which they make up for by producing better results.

Immediately hiring everyone would cost minimum 685 per day, which can be challenging very early on. Hiring At a full lineup of level 10 the daily pay for salaries is 4.6k which should not be a big issue at that stage. A fully maxed all lvl20 staff lineup would run for ~9.1k in salaries which, when you are that far in the game, is peanuts.

So you shouldn't worry about salary too much. Firing someone to save 200 per day, but then not receiving procured items for example, is a poor strategy in the long run.
Still, all staff, except for Maki, can be fired ("dismiss") and rehired at lvl1 at any time. You will receive back a fraction of gold cost, based on the employee's stats (Ø1.3k at lv5, Ø5k at lv10, Ø10k at lv15, Ø20k at lv20). On average, it's best to train someone to lv5 before dismissing them.

Leveling up staff increases their salary by 9.1-39 gold (65% of starting salary) per level, rounded down. The following table is made from my own test-observations:

The following table lists all starting stats and base training growth, excluding bonus stats gained from skills (Cooking+/Serving+). Not all stats are useful to every role. (Cooks only benefits from cooking, Server only from serving, and unused dispatched staff from Procure+Appeal.)

Sorted, left to right, by primary stat growth.

Sorted by peak stat, relevant stat in bold.

Sorted by peak stat

Sorted by peak stat

This section is kinda pointless in terms of gameplay, but I'd like to add some lore, and now I've already spent the time writing down dialog, so... <Application / staff dialog / manager dialog>. Once a staff is trained to max lv20 a special Cooksta post about them will appear in the phone app.

Maki

I'll become an amazing cook, like I promised my father.
I'll become a great cook and make my father proud!
Phew… Working isn't easy…
Me, as a branch manager …wow.
I'm sure my father would be so happy to see this…

Maki wants to become a chef. She would make mistakes in the beginning, but she's a reliable staff now. 👍864

---

El Nino (Ref: Blue Demon, Lucha libre/mexican wrestling)

Speed and finesse are key.
Hahahaha! I'll satisfy the customers with my signature movements!
I am El Niño! I'll be the fastest manager you've ever seen!

Come to Bancho Sushi, where you can see El Nino's signature move. 👍481

---

Yusuke (Ref: Atomic Samurai - One-Punch Man)

Finally, a chance to show you the results of my training.
Hahaha! I've got faster hands than anyone else!
I'm so talented.
Heh heh. I am the ruler of this place!

Yusuke has agile hands. Sometimes I worry that he might hurt himself. 👍480

---

Itsuki

I will not fail my mission, my lord.
I trained as a ninja for several years… But it wasn't easy making a living as a ninja.
Leave it all to me, my lord.
Like a ninja…how to be somewhere and not be seen…
Being a manager is more than I deserve.
But if its something new for me to conquer, I can do it!

Itsuki has a unique career history. When you call her, she sometimes responds from the most peculiar places. 👍976

---

Cohh (Ref: streamer)

It's always been my dream to work by the ocean side.
This is amazing! Thank you.
I won't let you down.
Wow!... To think I get to work so closely with someone I admire so much, Dave!
It's just like a game!!

CohhCarnage loves playing video games. He always plays video games during his breaktime. 👍540

---

Pai

I'll show you I'm still going strong.
If you keep on practicing, you can become a master.
I'm new at this so it won't be easy…
But my training will shine through!

Pai is our oldest staff! He works out, so he's in better shape than most young people. 👍317

---

Raptor (Ref: youtuber)

I'm Raptor. Join me and my gaming friends from all over the world.
Barely believe you hired me! The sushi is so good here, you'd think I'd eat all your profits!
Alright!. I'm the branch manager of Bancho Sushi now!
It's an honor.

Raptor wears a mask even when eating. He eats food through a small gap in his mask. 👍544

---

Charlie

Data analysis reveals that this sushi bar has high potential.
This place is 890 square meters, so the optimal seating capacity is…
N-Never mind.
The role of a manager is to streamline the customers dining experience.
Heh heh. Seems like the perfect job for me. I got this.

Charlie has a good memory, is good at math, and never makes mistakes. 👍390

---

Yone (Ref: Naiz - Master of Eternity)

I'll show you what spicy work looks like!
All right, let's roll!
Wow! Me…a Manager?! I'll do my best!

Yone is a great cook and a gourmet. She hits the gym, too. 👍993

---

Drae (Ref: youtuber)

If you need a Sushi taste tester, I'm your man!
Gonna be honest with you, I lied on me résumé.
I have no idea what I'm doing!
Heh heh. So…I can still be a manager without knowing much about cooking right?

Drae loves video games, and he's recently taken an interest in cooking. 👍482

---

Davina

I feel the spirit of adventure here!
Don't worry. Haha!
I'll save this shop!
Hahah! I'll make this place dangerously, thrillingly, awesome!

Davina is a healthy and energetic person. She loves being dispatched to other places. 👍360

---

Masayoshi (Ref: Goro Majima - Yakuza)

I mean…I can use a knife.
Oh yea. These sharp knives are more like it!
I can do a lot with these…
Haha. So that makes me leader of this place!?
So, this place is my territory now…

Masayoshi is good with knives. I guess he really loves his knives… 👍342

---

Carolina

I'm nobody's inferior, in both work skills and looks. Haha!
Customers have been flooding in lately.
Are they fascinated by my beauty?
The manager is the face of a restaurant!
I'd say the restaurant is already a success!

Carolina makes everyone around her happy with her vibes. But she has a loud voice. 👍388

---

James (Ref: Jason - Friday the 13th)

Ugh… uh…
…Hoo …. Ha… hoo… ha…
ma..muh…ma…manager…

James is shy. When you see him, say hello instead of running away. 👍366

---

Mitchell

I like this place. I want to try working here.
I just love working here! I'll do my best!
I've never worked at a sushi place. Please, I need your support.
Oh… a managerhuh… You think I can handle it?
Well it sounds like I can count on you, Dave! I'll do my best!

Mitchell is a humble and innocent young man. But he ends the day with his cruiser motorcycle. 👍503

Liu

You won't regret choosing me.
Hahaha! Don't worry about running the restaurant as long as I'm here!
An excellent choice!
Looks like 'm the right person for the job of manager!

Liu is full of energy. His positivity is always helpful. 👍370

---

Tohoku (Ref: Saitama - One-Punch Man)

I've trained so hard my hair nearly fell out.
Whatever it is, do it every day, 100 times a day!
Entrusting me to be manager!?
I'll work my behind off!
…Well, maybe not THAT hard.

Tohoku is always the first to come to the restaurant and train. 👍360

---

Billy (Ref: David Bowie)

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… Fire!
Do you feel the heat of this beach!?
Rock 'n roll!
Yesss! Let's get this place pumpin' with hot music!

Billy is a bundle of fun. Listening to upbeat music cheers him up. 👍370

---

Kyoko

I'm going to make money fast and go traveling.
Opening only for the evening…
But I'm too exhausted at such a late hour.
Ah…Manager huh? Well I'm good at what I do but…
Kind of…a pain…

Kyoko complains sometimes, but she's been with us for a long time. 👍827

---

Jandi

I'll stick meticulously to principle.
Hmm, I'm not used to wearing a uniform…
I hope I'll get used to it.
Will I be able to handle it?
Please help me out, Dave!

Jandi is quiet, but earnest and thorough. 👍409

---

Raul (Ref: Samson - Cho Aniki)

Cooking is power! Power comes from the muscles!
Hmm…Are you exercising?
All energy comes from the muscles.
I'm going to make this place into a muscle filled powerhouse of a restaurant!
Please keep an eye on me!

Meet Raul. He's as reliable as reliable can be. Don't believe the rumor that claim female customers leave whenever he's serving. 👍333

---

Let me know if I missed any references!

Is the guide up to date? What is the source?
The guide was written after full release, I manually gathered all data myself painstakingly from my own save files (including all images which I cropped from screenshots in GIMP). I confirmed and updated everything, current version to v1.0.2.1322 ("3/15 Hotfix"), last updated Mar 27, 2024.

Can you add dispatch item amounts, or other specific thing that isn't listed?
If it's staff related, maybe. However, some things are extremely RNG-based and hard to verify myself (such as procure), and I prefer not to copy from other sources, I want to verify everything myself and that would require immense time commitment without data mining, time I do not always have. There are other guides and sources that cover those, though.
[*Procure data implemented!]

What does the appeal stat do?
Appeal increases the chance to procure untasked bonus seasoning when dispatched. It's also one of the stats contributing towards the manager popularity. I have not found any other reproducible benefit of appeal. To me, it seems to be the least important staff stat.

How exactly is manager popularity calculated?
The exact popularity formula is unknown, however a fitting formula that yields consistently correct results could be Cooking + Serving + Procure + (Appeal x 1.3), then the additional ★-thresholds would be at 900/1400/1800/2300. To simplify, and because the exact formula isn't really important, I think stating higher total stats=more stars, is a good enough statement.

What do green numbers in staff attributes mean?
The green numbers mean that the value is not just the natural stat gain but also has been stat-boosted by a skill (Cooking+/Cooking++/Serving+/Irresistible Charm).

What is your favorite restaurant line-up?
Depends on the save file and my progression, but currently I like this one:
Main: - (/)
Branch: - -

Another solid setup is something like this:
Main: -
Branch: - -
Observe your restaurants bottleneck, experiment with your current staff, and have fun!

Why don't you consider Raul as a top-tier cook?
At a first glance, when only looking at his skills, he seems like a great cook. However - Out of all designated cooks, he has by far the lowest cook stat. He requires more training & higher pay compared to most other cooks. In early game, delaying dishes can reduce customer count, profits, and flames/likes. More than his 10g drink profit can make up for. This doesn't matter much in lategame, when the cooks are 500+ stats and can easily keep up, however that's also a stage where his skill becomes irrelevant due to drink scaling, the flat +10 drink profit isn't noticeable any more, after more expensive drinks get introduced and a single dish nets 1000+. Also, compared to the other 7 top cooks, he has the 2nd highest procure ability, which means that having him cook comes at a daily cost of seasoning. I ran the numbers, he just did not perform top-tier as a cook in my testing.

How exactly does Ingredient Prep Expert/Master work?
It's pretty simple, it works exactly as the text states. Assume a simple dish requires 1 fish, you put down 30 of that sushi, with ingredient prep master you will - on average - receive 33 servings, while only using 30 ingredients (+10% for free). Expert is the same but 5%. The chance also stacks. And it also works when enabling auto-supply and in the branch. However, I find it more important to get ingredient prep cooks into the main restaurant as the branch dishes cannot be manually chosen, and it tends to work with the player's leftovers.

I disagree with X
If I made an objective error, feel free to post it in the comments and, assuming I am able to verify it, I will fix it.

Some stuff that didn't make the cut: Album[imgur.com]
Firing table, Dispatch table, Manager tresholds, Every stat @every lvl

Latest noteworthy guide updates:

• 2023-07-16 - Added images for all staff and skills
  
• 2023-07-19 - For those who prefer to see higher levels I manually checked all stats for 15 and 20 as well and updated all tables.
  
• 2023-07-28 - After a LOT more of firing/training and reloading: Added salary section. Many minor improvements.
  
• 2023-07-30 - Added hiring fees and lv1 starting salaries.
  
• 2023-08-06 - Added salaries for lv15+20, added salary totals, added dialog & references.
  
• 2023-08-07 - Tested and added notes manager popularity cap reached. Tested and added Staff and Cooksta requirements. Tested and corrected staff recipe information.
  
• 2023-08-08 - More rank&popularity details. New dialog images. Misc improvements.
  
• 2023-08-11 - Correct staff recipe info since two of the Lv5 staff dishes can vary, Minor misc changes.
  
• 2023-08-17 - (New patch) Updated Operation cost Platinum 2000>750, Diamond 4000>1250.
  
• 2023-08-18 - (New patch) Updated salaries. Seems like the payraises increased by 30% (before: +50% of base pay per level, now +65% of base pay).
  
• 2023-08-21 - Skill notes improved.
  
• 2023-08-26 - Added "Base stats & growth" section.
  
• 2023-09-17 - Tested more dismissal numbers and added short info in pay section.
  
• 2023-10-16 - (New patch) Added new manager conversations from recent 10/11 content update.
  
• 2023-10-19 - (New patch) Added all special lv20 staff cooksta posts in lore section.
  
• 2023-10-29 - Further testing and addressing of bonus procure/dispatch. Removed TotalStats from all Full staff tables (not very useful & bloats into steam section character limit), added daily wages instead. Tested, recorded, timed and added short info tables of walking & cooking speeds
  
• 2023-11-01 - Complete overhaul of branch manager section to streamline recommendations by consolidating the previous 3 tables (lv10/15/20) into one.
  
• 2023-11-02 - Exhaustive testing on procure, added procure ranges and procure table, some minor improvements in other sections.
  
• 2023-11-03 - Digging deeper into my test data, added data Bonus/Appeal/Chance to Procure section
  
• 2023-11-12 - update manager cocktail inheritance (currently changed or bugged).
  
• 2024-01-28 - Short mention of subjective, noteworthy lv15 recipes to training section.
  
• 2024-03-27 - Add scatter plot for cook&serve

I hope you found the guide useful, I spent a lot of time gathering the data and trying to display it in a functional way, so feel free to leave a rating!