Finding a balance between providing a superior guest experience and raising revenues can become a complicated endeavour while managing staff and overseeing operations. Table turnover, which is a measurement of how long each party occupies their table, can be a crucial element in finding success.

Find the rate

Start the process by calculating the existing turnover rate at your restaurant. This can be simply accomplished by totalling the number of parties during a certain time period and dividing that number by the number of tables you have. That final number tells you how many times you can expect to flip each table during the time period you specified.

Once you’ve determined the rate, you can set about improving that number to boost your bottom line, however, keep in mind that there are mitigating factors, such as the size of tables and parties, which could inhibit achieving a higher rate. There are a few things you can do as an operator to maximize your table turnover rate and your margins.

Train your staff

Your team plays an important role in turning tables, so training becomes vital. Staying attentive to each table means that customers looking to order extras, make a change, or pay the bill don’t have to wait and extend their stay. This approach can also enhance the guest experience by providing better service and more attention. Similarly, combining trips to the table saves time and better manages your labour, along with improving your guest experience.

Refine your processes by analyzing data to determine where improvements can be made to the time better spent by servers to boost your numbers.

Upgrade your technology

Your POS system can also affect the speed of your service, slowing everything down, for example, if your patio servers have to go inside for each transaction. A simple and efficient reservation system can stagger seating to maximize table turnover, and making your menu available online can allow diners to decide ahead of their visit, saving time at the table.

Make the most of your menu

Reducing the size of your menu can make it easier – and faster – for diners to decide on their meals, so consider consolidating the number of dishes you offer. Prepping certain dishes or ingredients ahead of time can also result in faster turnaround from the kitchen, taking the pressure off and speeding up service.

Working to improve your table turnover rate without compromising the guest experience can allow operators to increase efficiency, better manage labour, and build the bottom line.