There are a lot of decisions a restaurant makes in determining how to provide an exceptional experience to all of its guests. The ultimate goal is to be able to provide an exceptional experience to all customers which translates into great food and drinks at every table in a timely manner. To accomplish these goals, it is imperative for a restaurant to establish a pace so that servers are not overwhelmed by surges in customers being seated and the kitchen is not backed up with 20 orders that it cannot fullfill in a timely manager. Without a good pace, a restaurant is creating an environment where everyone is at risk of having a less than exceptional experience. The best server or chef cannot perform if they are overwhelmed.
In establishing a pace, the restaurant considers the staff available to serve and cook as well as the design of the kitchen. Imagine trying to produce 20 different meals in your kitchen at home every 15 minutes! Impossible. To make sure the restaurant offers exceptional service and food, we manage how many people we allow to be seated at a time. If you allowed only 4 people to be seated every 20 minutes at home, you might be able to serve 12 people per hour with a menu that offers multiple selections. While professional kitchens have more equipment than you might have at home, there are still limits to how many items can be prepared and served in a reasonable time and it is the restaurants responsibility to its customers to establish this pace.
In establishing a pace, the restaurant considers the staff available to serve and cook as well as the design of the kitchen. Imagine trying to produce 20 different meals in your kitchen at home every 15 minutes! Impossible. To make sure the restaurant offers exceptional service and food, we manage how many people we allow to be seated at a time. If you allowed only 4 people to be seated every 20 minutes at home, you might be able to serve 12 people per hour with a menu that offers multiple selections. While professional kitchens have more equipment than you might have at home, there are still limits to how many items can be prepared and served in a reasonable time and it is the restaurants responsibility to its customers to establish this pace.
Establishing a pace that will work is absolutely necessary for a restaurant to provide an exceptional experience to all of its customers. When you walk into a restaurant and there is an open table I can assure you that the restaurant would love to fill that table. However, if the kitchen and staff is already overwhelmed, a good manager will keep that table vacant rather than put the experience of the customers at risk. I would rather have a customer yelp me for refusing service than providing poor service, especially when seating that addtional table might impact other tables in addition to the vacant table.
For us, we have determined that we are able to accommodate 10 people every 15 minutes at 3 tables when operating in the Pavilion. When the picnic grounds are open, we usually seat 20 people every 15 minutes. J’s Restaurant limits its pace to 4 people every 15 minutes except that it accepts a reservation for 6 people at the beginning of service and 6 people later in the evening. Our reservation system is set to follow the above guidelines to insure that our pace is managed. If a restaurant establishes the right pace and our customers arrive at the time of their reservation, the restaurant has created an environment where they should be able to provide an exceptional experience to all of its guests. I wish that every customer could experience how a restaurant runs when everyone shows up on time as compared with a day when everyone is late or early. The impact on staff and the kitchen is amazing.
For us, we have determined that we are able to accommodate 10 people every 15 minutes at 3 tables when operating in the Pavilion. When the picnic grounds are open, we usually seat 20 people every 15 minutes. J’s Restaurant limits its pace to 4 people every 15 minutes except that it accepts a reservation for 6 people at the beginning of service and 6 people later in the evening. Our reservation system is set to follow the above guidelines to insure that our pace is managed. If a restaurant establishes the right pace and our customers arrive at the time of their reservation, the restaurant has created an environment where they should be able to provide an exceptional experience to all of its guests. I wish that every customer could experience how a restaurant runs when everyone shows up on time as compared with a day when everyone is late or early. The impact on staff and the kitchen is amazing.
Finally, in addition to controlling pace, it is important for a restaurant to manage the size of a reservation to maintain the ambiance of the restaurant and the experience of every guest in the restaurant. When you go to a restaurant, how many times have you seen a table of 18 set up in the middle of a dining room? Probably seldom as most restaurants do not accommodate large reservations because of the impact that such reservations have on other tables nearby. Those restaurants that can accomodate larger reservations usually offer tables in a private room or area away from others. Consider going to a restaurant with a friend to have a nice experience where you end up seated next to a table of 18 people. What happens to the experience?
If your reservation exceeds our maximum reservation, we would ask that you respect and comply with our policies or request information about hosting a private event. Thanks you for your understanding.
