Have you experienced those busy weekends when your restaurant is packed and you have to turn away eager customers? It's frustrating, but the good news is that by making a few smart changes, you can seat more guests, reduce wait times and boost your profits.
Whether you're running a busy brunch spot or a cosy neighbourhood bistro, finding ways to use every square metre of your space efficiently can make a significant difference.
This article will cover seven strategies to help you maximise your restaurant's seating capacity without sacrificing the dining experience.
1. Divide your restaurant into areas
Areas are specific sections or zones designated for different types of dining experiences or operational purposes. Here are some examples of areas:
- Terrace: Perfect for guests who enjoy dining outdoors.
- Formal dining room: An intimate setting for those looking for a more formal dining experience.
- Bar: A casual spot for quick bites and drinks, ideal for guests in a hurry or looking to relax.
- Family section: A family-friendly zone with amenities like high chairs and a kid-friendly menu.
Using these different areas effectively ensures that every part of your restaurant is utilised to its full potential.
Plus, managing customer flow becomes much easier, reducing congestion and wait times, especially during peak hours. This strategic zoning helps you maximise seating capacity by catering to diverse customer preferences and optimising space.
With Quandoo for Restaurants, it’s easy to create and manage different areas within your restaurant. You can define specific zones and add table configurations. You can also select which areas will be bookable online, allowing customers to choose their preferred section when making a reservation.
2. Plan flexible layouts
Let's say a large group arrives during a busy evening. With a flexible layout, you can easily rearrange tables and chairs to create a long table that fits everyone comfortably.
But with a rigid layout, you might have to split the group across several smaller tables, leading to a fragmented dining experience and potentially underutilised space.
The key is to plan layouts that let you easily combine or separate tables and chairs as needed. This flexibility allows you to quickly adapt to different group sizes and dining needs, whether it’s accommodating a large party or creating more intimate settings during quieter times.
This way, you make sure every part of your restaurant is used well and more guests can be served efficiently.
3. Set booking durations
When you set booking durations, you control how long guests occupy a table. This allows you to plan for multiple seatings within peak hours, ensuring more guests can dine without long wait times.
By managing the length of each booking, you can optimise table turnover, especially during peak times. This means more guests can enjoy your restaurant without extended wait times, boosting your overall revenue.
It’s a simple way to maximise your seating capacity without needing additional space.
With our Dining Duration feature, you can customise how long each booking lasts to fit your restaurant's needs. This flexibility helps you manage customer flow better and utilise your seating capacity more effectively.
4. Make the most of bar seating
Another strategic way to serve more customers without the need for additional tables is using bar seating effectively.
Bar seating provides a flexible and casual dining option that can accommodate more guests, especially during peak times. It’s perfect for solo diners, couples, or those looking for a quick bite or drink.
Make your bar area welcoming with comfortable stools, good lighting and a well-organised bar setup. This encourages guests to choose bar seating over waiting for a table.
Use the bar area to accommodate walk-in guests during peak times. This helps reduce wait times and ensures that you are making full use of your available seating.
5. Improve service flow
A well-organised and efficient service flow ensures that tables are turned over quickly and guests have a pleasant dining experience. When guests are seated, served, and leave on time, you can accommodate more diners throughout the day.
How do you achieve that?
- Optimise table layout: Arrange tables so staff can move easily and serve guests efficiently. Make sure there are clear paths for servers to navigate between the kitchen, bar and dining areas without any obstructions.
- Effective table management: Train your staff to manage tables well. This includes clearing empty dishes before guests leave, resetting tables quickly and checking in with guests to make sure they have everything they need.
- Staff training: Regularly train your staff on best practices for efficient service, such as time management, multitasking, and customer service skills. Well-trained staff can handle busy periods better, ensuring a smooth dining experience for guests
6. Use outdoor seating
Outdoor seating refers to tables and chairs set up outside your restaurant, such as on a patio, terrace or sidewalk. This seating can be seasonal, available during warmer months or designed to be comfortable year-round with the right amenities.
This extra space provides additional seating during peak times, cutting down on indoor congestion and wait times. It also lets you serve more guests without needing major renovations or expansions.
7. Maintain real-time availability
Do you face challenges with reservations, such as overbooking, no-shows and last-minute changes that lead to empty tables and lost revenue? Maintaining real-time availability can help address these issues and maximise your seating capacity.
Real-time availability ensures that your reservation system reflects the current status of your tables. By keeping your availability up-to-date, you can fill vacant tables quickly and reduce the chances of no-shows, ultimately maximising your seating capacity.
Invest in a reservation system like Quandoo for Restaurants that centralises all your reservations—online, walk-ins and offline bookings. Your availability is updated in real-time, reducing the risk of overbooking and missed opportunities.
Want to make the most of your seating capacity? Sign up for Quandoo for Restaurants to manage your reservations efficiently and serve more guests.
Conclusion
Take a look around your restaurant – are you making the most of your space? The goal is to serve more guests without needing additional room.
Regularly evaluate and adjust your layout to make sure every part of your restaurant is working for you. These smart strategies not only help you seat more guests but also make their dining experience better, leading to happier customers and more revenue.
