Rethinking Casual Dining/Bar Seating
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Burger, medium rare. No fries, but with a side of seating.
The other day, my colleagues and I went to a post-work spot for a little R&R. When we got there, things seemed just right – the scene was lively but not crowded. We got out drinks and then – BOOM – it hit us: there was “no where” to sit. Ok. Only about 60% of the seats were in use. However, tables for 5 were occupied by couples. Other seats that seem available were taken up by purses or used as leg rests. Fortunately, this story had a happen ending, as another coworker and I were brazen enough to start grabbing stools from random places and assembled our own seating circle in the middle of an otherwise empty patio. That said, the situation doesn’t usually end so well: most end up standing, awkwardly balancing their adult beverages and nachos, waiting for an eternity for a spot. Sometimes they luck out… others abandon ship and find another venue for their second round. Experiences like this often leave me wondering if there s a better way to do seating. Here’s my 2 cents
- Have hostesses do the seating. People – especially Americans – love to spread out. A great attribute when trying to populate the great plains. A terrible characteristic when trying to optimize seating in a in-demand venue. Hostesses help with this as they help to minimize the number of seats not in use
- … or have hostesses “guide” seating. Having seating by hostesses can kill the informal vibe. It also requires another staff member. However, having a staff member – perhaps a bus boy who is already making their way around the seating area - occasionally make the rounds and encourage patrons to make room for other patrons may be a decent compromise. It may even create an environment in which patrons self-enforce the policy.
- Employ an “arrange your own seating” policy. One of the reasons that seating ends up being so awkward is that the venue is attempting to identify ahead of time the size of each party. However, if each party grabs it’s own table and seats, parties are likely to only set up the seats they need.
- Default to 2-person tables. Although many groups may be more than 2 people, it’s a lot easier for groups to chat across several tables than for a group of 2 to sit in the middle of bench with groups to either side.
- Install hooks. Purses and coats tend to occupy seats for two reasons: storage and saving seats. Cut down on the former by putting hooks on seats or bars; plus: you may even reduce crime as hooks tend to locate bags closer to their owners than chairs.
- Have seating mirror the distribution of group size. One could track the size of various groups that enter the venue and then have seats mirror this distribution.
- Have a use it or lose it policy. Lots of people believe that because they spent some money, they can occupy a venue’s major asset and money maker – table space – for hours after they have stopped consuming and spending cash. (Side note: I have some friends who do this at brunch and, out of pure embarrassment, I will never eat another meal with them in public.) To get folks out of seats, some venues have posted policies where they limit the time that patrons can occupy a table. Others softly ask patrons who are no longer consuming drinks or food to keep the party going by standing at the bar or in a common space. To reduce confrontation or the awkwardness of requesting a table from a patron, one could incentivize table turn over by offering discounts at neighboring establishments or specials at the bar.
Each of these offer their costs and benefits. But, honestly, which one to employ really depends on the vibe and resources of the venue. Of course, I’m for anything that helps keeps me from that feeling like I’m back in high school and looking for a seat in the cafeteria! 