Information to restaurant seating capability – what works and what doesn't

There are several methods that are standard for properly setting the seating capacity in a restaurant. You can follow these directions and make sure you don't go wrong as these are some tried and tested formulas that will depend on the type of restaurant you want to have. You need to create different seating plans for the restaurant. Once you have decided on the type of restaurant, it is easier to apply the formula to determine seating capacity and prepare the restaurant's seating arrangement.

The following guidelines can be observed depending on the type of property you want.

Upscale restaurant

For a fine dining restaurant, one must be able to dine elegantly and enjoy all courses peacefully. Since guests will be spending a fair amount of time, they must be comfortable and hassle-free. You need to have at least 18 to 20 square meters of space per dinner in your restaurant in order to guarantee your guests a comfortable meal.

Fast food restaurant

Since such a restaurant needs to keep guests moving, the seating capacity is different from the above. 11-14 square meters of space per head is considered perfect for a fast food restaurant.

A full service restaurant

You need to have at least 12-15 square feet per person if you're planning a full-service restaurant. In this way you ensure that you have no problems with restaurant stands while looking after your customers and that they can enjoy their meals comfortably.

Restaurant seating capacity guide - restaurant

Table service

The minimum required space per person in such a type of restaurant is 15 to 18 square feet. It is the general seating policy that any business owner can follow and maximize performance from the resources available. The seating arrangement also depends on the type of service you want to offer your customers, using the maximum of the real estate available and not wasting valuable real estate.

Another key factor that makes the process easier is the simple ratio of the dining area to the kitchen area. So the key takeaway is 60% dining area and 40% kitchen of all available real estate. The rule of thumb is that you can follow whether you want to buy an existing restaurant or open a new one.

Which does not work!

If you have a restaurant that is too busy, diners cannot move around freely and disturb each other while they are moving. Even maintenance becomes difficult for waiters as they have to move quickly on the floor and a crowded restaurant will either slow them down or add to their workload. Too much space is also not a good idea as you will lose valuable real estate and waste potential revenue. The restaurant seating plan is therefore a major challenge that business owners must face in order to maximize their profits.

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