Balance Turning Over Tables with Increasing Dwell Time

During your busiest times, you want to turn over tables quickly to get more checks and get more customers in the door. But at other times, you may prefer that customers linger a while to enjoy themselves (and spend more money). In this post, we’ll discuss how you can control the length of time a customer remains in your restaurant.

How can you turn tables quickly?

Get the server to the table fast.
Offering to take drink orders as soon as diners are seated sets the pace. This is a much more positive way to speed the process than hovering at the end of the meal. Quick service makes the diner feel taken care of, and it’s in your best interest as well when you are busy.

Clear as you go.
Remove plates of diners as they finish rather than waiting for all to complete their meals. Diner’s like it because they don’t have to sit in front of dirty dishes and it subtly puts the idea of leaving promptly in their minds.

Leave the check.
Don’t wait to be asked. When diners are ready to leave, they completely run out of patience. Waiting for the check can completely ruin their dining experience.

Improve your technology.
Enabling customers to pay at the table rather than waiting for their server to take it to the register can save valuable minutes – making you and them happier

Would you rather increase dwell time?

Offer free wifi.
Customers will linger if they can work on their laptop while enjoying their coffee or meal. Make your restaurant business-friendly and people will come (and stay) often during those slow, between-meal times.

Make them feel welcome.
Diners won’t stay if they feel like you’re waiting for them to leave. Train your servers to be friendly and non-obtrusive or offer only counter service during slow periods.

Provide entertainment.
Live music or other entertainment can encourage people to hang around.

Serve great cocktails and desserts.
To increase the time that a diner spends with their meal, you need to offer several courses. Ideally, this includes a pre-dinner cocktail, appetizer, entrée and dessert and coffee.

Restaurant owners can disagree on whether quick turnaround or lingering guests are best, but with the right approach, it’s within your control. If you are looking for additional restaurant best practices or want to add to your restaurant executive or management team, contact the experts at Horizon Hospitality. Our restaurant recruitment experts can help you get the talent you need to keep your restaurant running efficiently and profitably.

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