Your Restaurant Tycoon 3 star rating adds up fixed contributions from each rating factor. Improve the categories holding you back to work toward five stars over your door.
section
Service
Staff and workflow factors that also make the restaurant run better.
Waiter Tray Upgrade
Waiter Tray is a small Service gain. It is one of the first upgrade purchases that feeds the Service bar.
- Category rating
- 0.25
- Type
- Upgrade
- Total rating
- 0.05
- Related system
- Upgrades
- How to complete
- Buy the Waiter Tray upgrade.
Waiter Cart Upgrade
Waiter Cart matches Waiter Tray as a small Service gain. Buy it after the tray if staff still cannot keep plates moving.
- Category rating
- 0.25
- Type
- Upgrade
- Total rating
- 0.05
- Related system
- Upgrades
- How to complete
- Buy the Waiter Cart upgrade.
Card Payments Upgrade
Card Payments is a mid-size Service requirement. It is an upgrade purchase, not a staffing or speed check.
- Category rating
- 0.5
- Type
- Upgrade
- Total rating
- 0.1
- Related system
- Upgrades
- How to complete
- Buy the Card Payments upgrade.
Customers Seated Quickly
This Service check is about seating speed, not a named upgrade. Enough servers and a clear path to tables help more than extra decor.
- Category rating
- 0.5
- Type
- Service speed
- Total rating
- 0.1
- Related system
- Workers
- How to complete
- Seat arriving customers promptly. The official wiki does not list a time in seconds.
Customer Orders taken Quickly
Order speed is a Service-bar check. Staff who can greet and take orders without a pile-up are what this row is watching.
- Category rating
- 0.5
- Type
- Service speed
- Total rating
- 0.1
- Related system
- Workers
- How to complete
- Take customer orders promptly after they sit down. The official wiki does not list a time in seconds.
Food Given to Customers Quickly
This Service check is about food reaching the table. Chefs, servers, and a short kitchen-to-seat path all support it.
- Category rating
- 0.5
- Type
- Service speed
- Total rating
- 0.1
- Related system
- Workers
- How to complete
- Get cooked food to tables promptly. The official wiki does not list a time in seconds.
Have 8 Chefs
The Service bar wants a full kitchen staff of 8 chefs. This is a headcount check, not a chef level check.
- Category rating
- 0.5
- Type
- Staff
- Total rating
- 0.1
- Related system
- Workers
- How to complete
- Hire 8 chefs. That is the chef hiring cap.
Have 8 Waiters
The Service bar wants 8 waiters. The rating table uses Waiters, while the staff menu uses Servers for the same role.
- Category rating
- 0.5
- Type
- Staff
- Total rating
- 0.1
- Related system
- Workers
- How to complete
- Hire 8 waiters. The Workers page calls this role Servers, with the same 8-person cap.
Chef Average Level is 5
This Service row looks at chef levels, not how many chefs you hired. Average level 5 means the kitchen staff is fully upgraded.
- Category rating
- 0.5
- Type
- Staff
- Total rating
- 0.1
- Related system
- Workers
- How to complete
- Raise chefs until their average level is 5. Worker levels cap at 5.
Server Average Level is 5
Server average level 5 is the largest Service-bar gain. It is worth more than the chef-level row and more than any single Service upgrade.
- Category rating
- 1.0
- Type
- Staff
- Total rating
- 0.2
- Related system
- Workers
- How to complete
- Raise servers until their average level is 5. Worker levels cap at 5.
section
Food
Kitchen upgrades and a full menu of starters, mains and desserts.
Level 2 Kitchens Upgrade
Level 2 Kitchens is a Food-bar upgrade. It is the first kitchen-tier purchase that feeds rating.
- Category rating
- 0.5
- Type
- Upgrade
- Total rating
- 0.1
- Related system
- Upgrades
- How to complete
- Buy the Level 2 Kitchens upgrade.
Level 3 Kitchens Upgrade
Level 3 Kitchens matches Level 2 as a Food-bar upgrade. Level 4 Kitchens exists as an upgrade, but it is not a Food rating row.
- Category rating
- 0.5
- Type
- Upgrade
- Total rating
- 0.1
- Related system
- Upgrades
- How to complete
- Buy the Level 3 Kitchens upgrade.
Unlock 200 Foods
Unlocking 200 foods is a Food-bar milestone. It counts dishes you have unlocked, not the 10/20/10 live-menu checks.
- Category rating
- 0.5
- Type
- Menu
- Total rating
- 0.1
- Related system
- Food
- How to complete
- Unlock 200 food dishes. This is unlock progress, not the number of dishes currently on the menu.
At least 10 Starters on Menu
The Food bar wants 10 starters available to order. Unlocked starters sitting off the menu do not count.
- Category rating
- 0.5
- Type
- Menu
- Total rating
- 0.1
- Related system
- Food
- How to complete
- Keep at least 10 starter dishes on the current menu.
At least 10 Desserts on Menu
The Food bar wants 10 desserts on the live menu. This is a course-count check, separate from unlocking 200 foods.
- Category rating
- 0.5
- Type
- Menu
- Total rating
- 0.1
- Related system
- Food
- How to complete
- Keep at least 10 dessert dishes on the current menu.
At least 20 Mains on Menu
Twenty mains on the menu is the bigger Food course check. It is worth twice as much total rating as the starter or dessert rows.
- Category rating
- 1.0
- Type
- Menu
- Total rating
- 0.2
- Related system
- Food
- How to complete
- Keep at least 20 main dishes on the current menu.
2 Order Counters, 6 Ovens and 6 Kitchen Counters on plot
This combined kitchen setup is the largest Food-bar gain. All three counts have to be on the plot at the same time.
- Category rating
- 1.5
- Type
- Kitchen equipment
- Total rating
- 0.3
- Related system
- Build items
- How to complete
- Place 2 order counters, 6 ovens, and 6 kitchen counters on the plot.
section
Atmosphere
Decor, music and roofs that make the restaurant look finished.
Music Playing in Restaurant
Atmosphere starts with music actually playing. Owning extra genres is a separate row from having a track on.
- Category rating
- 0.5
- Type
- Music
- Total rating
- 0.1
- Related system
- Music
- How to complete
- Play any music in the restaurant.
5 Music Genres Owned
This Atmosphere row counts owned music genres, not whether a track is currently playing. Two genres are already unlocked when you join.
- Category rating
- 0.5
- Type
- Music
- Total rating
- 0.1
- Related system
- Music
- How to complete
- Own 5 music genres.
5 Roofs
Five roofs is a small Atmosphere build check. It is a placed-item count, not a music or art requirement.
- Category rating
- 0.5
- Type
- Build count
- Total rating
- 0.1
- Related system
- Build items
- How to complete
- Place 5 roof pieces on the plot.
20 Art Items on Plot
The Atmosphere bar wants 20 Art items placed. This is an Art-category count, not a general decoration total.
- Category rating
- 0.5
- Type
- Build count
- Total rating
- 0.1
- Related system
- Build items
- How to complete
- Place 20 Art category items on the plot.
15 Electronic Items on Plot
Fifteen Electronic items fill another Atmosphere slot. The rating table says Electronic, and Build Mode files the same items under Electronics.
- Category rating
- 0.5
- Type
- Build count
- Total rating
- 0.1
- Related system
- Build items
- How to complete
- Place 15 Electronic items on the plot. Build Mode lists this category as Electronics.
15 Fun Items on Plot
Fifteen Fun items is another Atmosphere placement check. It is separate from Art, Outdoor, and Nature counts.
- Category rating
- 0.5
- Type
- Build count
- Total rating
- 0.1
- Related system
- Build items
- How to complete
- Place 15 Fun category items on the plot.
15 Outdoor Items on Plot
Outdoor items are worth more Atmosphere rating than Art, Fun, or Electronic counts. Fifteen Outdoor pieces add 1.0 to the category bar.
- Category rating
- 1.0
- Type
- Build count
- Total rating
- 0.2
- Related system
- Build items
- How to complete
- Place 15 Outdoor category items on the plot.
20 Nature Items on Plot
Twenty Nature items is the largest Atmosphere gain. If the Atmosphere bar is the leftover gap, this is the highest-value placement row.
- Category rating
- 1.5
- Type
- Build count
- Total rating
- 0.3
- Related system
- Build items
- How to complete
- Place 20 Nature category items on the plot.
section
Expansions
The expensive category: floor space priced per rating point.
Basic Advertising Upgrade
Basic Advertising is a small Expansions-bar upgrade. Advertising rows sit on Expansions even though they also affect customer flow.
- Category rating
- 0.25
- Type
- Upgrade
- Total rating
- 0.05
- Related system
- Upgrades
- How to complete
- Buy the Basic Advertising upgrade.
Print Advertising Upgrade
Print Advertising is the second small advertising row on the Expansions bar. Buy it after Basic Advertising.
- Category rating
- 0.25
- Type
- Upgrade
- Total rating
- 0.05
- Related system
- Upgrades
- How to complete
- Buy the Print Advertising upgrade.
Billboard Advertising Upgrade
Billboard Advertising is another 0.25 Expansions gain. It is one of four advertising upgrades on this bar.
- Category rating
- 0.25
- Type
- Upgrade
- Total rating
- 0.05
- Related system
- Upgrades
- How to complete
- Buy the Billboard Advertising upgrade.
Media Advertising Upgrade
Media Advertising finishes the four advertising rows. Together they add 1.0 to the Expansions category.
- Category rating
- 0.25
- Type
- Upgrade
- Total rating
- 0.05
- Related system
- Upgrades
- How to complete
- Buy the Media Advertising upgrade.
Purchase all Restaurant Expansions
Buying every plot expansion is the largest Expansions-bar gain. Floor upgrades, advertising, value, and seats are separate rows.
- Category rating
- 2
- Type
- Upgrade
- Total rating
- 0.5
- Related system
- Upgrades
- How to complete
- Buy every restaurant plot expansion. The Upgrades page lists eight expansion purchases.
Floor 2 Upgrade
Floor 2 is a small Expansions gain. The rating table names Floor 2, which matches the Second Floor upgrade.
- Category rating
- 0.25
- Type
- Upgrade
- Total rating
- 0.05
- Related system
- Upgrades
- How to complete
- Buy the Second Floor upgrade. Third Floor exists as an upgrade, but it is not an official rating row.
Restaurant Value is at least 200k
A 200k restaurant value is a large Expansions check. Value comes from what you have built and bought, not from advertising alone.
- Category rating
- 1.0
- Type
- Restaurant progress
- Total rating
- 0.2
- Related system
- Build items
- How to complete
- Raise restaurant value to at least 200k. The info sign shows restaurant value.
100 Seats for Customers
One hundred seats is the other large Expansions progress check. Tables and chairs have to add up to that capacity.
- Category rating
- 1.0
- Type
- Build count
- Total rating
- 0.2
- Related system
- Build items
- How to complete
- Place seating for at least 100 customers.
section
Hygiene
The cheapest category to finish and the worst one to skip.
12 Other Types of Bathroom items on Plot
Twelve extra bathroom items is one of the two biggest Hygiene gains. Toilets and sinks are counted on their own rows.
- Category rating
- 2.0
- Type
- Hygiene
- Total rating
- 0.4
- Related system
- Build items
- How to complete
- Place 12 bathroom items that are not toilets or sinks. Bathroom pieces are decorative.
3 Toilets on Plot
Three toilets match the extra-bathroom row as a 2.0 Hygiene gain. Sinks are a separate count.
- Category rating
- 2.0
- Type
- Hygiene
- Total rating
- 0.4
- Related system
- Build items
- How to complete
- Place 3 toilets on the plot.
3 Sinks on Plot
Three sinks finish the Hygiene bar. This row is a little smaller than the toilet and extra-bathroom checks, but it is still a large total-rating gain.
- Category rating
- 1.5
- Type
- Hygiene
- Total rating
- 0.3
- Related system
- Build items
- How to complete
- Place 3 sinks on the plot.
How the math works
Each factor contributes its listed value to a category score, and categories roll up into the total star rating. That structure rewards breadth: maxing one category while ignoring hygiene caps your stars harder than spreading effort. The cheap factors are deliberately front-loaded, so early stars come fast and the last half-star costs the most.
An efficient route to five stars
- Sweep the one-purchase factors first: single upgrades that pay their rating slice instantly.
- Service factors compound, since better-served customers also tip and return.
- Hygiene is the easiest category to complete and the most embarrassing to fail.
- Expansion factors cost the most cash per rating point; schedule them last unless you need the floor space anyway.
FAQ
How is the star rating calculated?
Each factor adds its listed value to a category, and the categories sum to your stars. It is a fixed checklist, not a hidden judgment.
What is the fastest way to raise my rating?
Buy the single-purchase upgrade factors first, then finish hygiene. Both pay rating instantly for little cash.
Why are my stars stuck?
Almost always an ignored category. Check which category is furthest from complete; the total caps when one lags.
