Modern Restaurant Management

NOVEMBER 19, 2024

Catering to solo diners is more just than seating them as restaurants would any other customer. Good operators understand that the party of four that spends $250 over three hours on a four top isn’t more “valuable” than the solo diner that spends $70 in sixty minutes on a two top, or a solo seating experience.

Customer Experience 450

Customer Experience Fine Dining Seating Catering 450

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 9, 2025

Efficient electric heating keeps guests warm, extends seating capacity and helps maintain the lively, inviting atmosphere your business is known for — no matter the weather. With the right systems in place, you can not only maintain outdoor seating year-round but also create an atmosphere that keeps guests coming back for more.

Outdoor 386

Outdoor Brewery Seating Small Business 386

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 30, 2025

For example, since they are seeing more-frequent larger parties they opted to have fewer booths that tend to seat only four. "Our tables can easily be moved to seat larger parties, without making them feel like the whole place needs to be rearranged to accommodate them. The bars can seat up to 18 people.

Design 221

Design Front of House Seating Back of House 221

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 29, 2025

Guaranteed seating areas allow diners to reserve specific seating areas—like patios or bar tops—giving them more control over their experience while helping restaurants reduce seating conflicts. We’ve also introduced features that make the dining experience more transparent and convenient.

Operations 221

Operations Front of House Seating Reservations 221

EATER

MAY 28, 2025

On updating the concept We had to take out a big portion of the seating to build the coffee counter. The inside space lost about 24 seats, but at the same time, we had a streetery that added back all of those seats and more. Bastille was a dinner house and very wine-forward; the check average was high.

Seating 228

Seating Back of House 2025 Presentation 228

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 16, 2025

The multi-course experience is served at a 10-seat counter with two seatings per evening. Unlike omakase, which centers on raw fish, kaiseki is a cooked and composed tasting menu that flows with the rhythm of the seasons.

Back of House 340

Back of House Customer Experience Customer Service Hospitality 340

EATER

APRIL 11, 2025

What if youre seated next to someone who sucks? But no, the worst part is that I was seated next to him. Timothy Dearings le , a BYOB communal dinner party in Philadelphia, offers one seating a night. Diners gather at one of chef Kendall DaCostas supper clubs. Daron English Communal dining is all the rage.

Fine Dining 241

Fine Dining Seating Dine-in Cash Management 241

Lavu

MAY 30, 2025

The last thing any restaurant should do is make the customer feel like they are being pushed out of their seat for the next guest. Maximizing table turnover is crucial for restaurants to optimize their seating capacity and increase their profitability. However, turning tables must be done tactfully.

Seating 140

Seating Mobile Ordering Customer Service Customer Experience 140

EATER

MAY 14, 2025

Size of restaurant in 2020: 850 square feet, 24 seats (20 dining room, 4 bar) Size of restaurant now: 4,700 square feet, 56 seats (48 dining room, 6 bar, 2 ADA bar) On finding a space We didnt think we needed over 4,500 square feet. We also have two seats at the bar that we reserve for walk-in drinks and la carte bites.

Seating 225

Seating Outdoor Dine-in Beverage 225

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 22, 2025

Allowing designers to adjust everything, from seating and kitchen workflows to lighting and décor. For customers, 3D design tools allow the creation of warm and interactive dining spaces since restaurant operators can try different seating arrangements. Indeed, 3D modeling can help enhance this flexibility in today's design.

Design 221

Design Technology Fine Dining Fast Casual 221

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 3, 2025

Our concept for the live-fire restaurant integrated multiple types of experiences that immerse customers into a compact, yet intimate dining footprint: an extensive wine space, bar experience, chef's counter and wine display, and a highly flexible, financially viable seat count.

Fast Casual 251

Fast Casual 2025 Design Customer Experience 251

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 18, 2022

That’s not necessarily a bad thing—when you have enough staff to handle the crowd and an efficient plan to get those waiting customers seated and served in a reasonable amount of time, you can call it a successful day. Managing a crowded lobby of customers waiting to be seated requires plenty of effort from your staff.

Seating 507

Seating Customer Experience Customer Service Take-out 507

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 25, 2025

Here, restaurants must ensure they provide accurate information, such as hours, contact details, and attributes like outdoor seating or delivery options. Search : Search engines, primarily Google, offer a traditional method for finding restaurants.

SEO 324

SEO Social Media Customer Experience Customer Service 324

Modern Restaurant Management

AUGUST 5, 2021

A future forward restaurant model will be characterized by contactless delivery, curbside pick-up, and outdoor seating and will be more able to respond to heightened anxieties about business hygienic practices. If you currently lack outdoor seating, you may want to consider renovations or look for a new location that can accommodate.

Food Truck 539

Food Truck Retail Mobile Ordering Food Safety 539

7 Shifts

NOVEMBER 24, 2024

How do you balance seating arrangements to maintain fairness and efficiency? What steps do you take to handle special seating requests, such as accessibility needs? What strategies do you use to communicate with servers effectively to manage seating flow? How do you ensure guests feel welcome when they arrive?

Hospitality 195

Hospitality Seating Customer Experience Reservations 195

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 23, 2020

Some trending concepts over the past several years have included more open seating, high ceilings, and exposed structure concepts. As restaurant owners in Florida, patio seating can be seen as a less than desired component to our space specifically in the spring and summer months. With the current climate of the U.S.,

Design 539

Design 2021 Outdoor Brewery 539

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 9, 2025

Small dining rooms feature dim lighting, vintage decor, and closely spaced seating that fosters conversation. This intimacy creates a sense of belonging that turns dining into a personal, almost home-like experience. Authenticity Authenticity is at the heart of every French bistro.

Fine Dining 221

Fine Dining Influencer Dine-in Innovation 221

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 24, 2025

The Untapped Power of Music In an era of fierce competition in the restaurant and hospitality sectors, curating an unparalleled guest experience isn’t just beneficial, it’s essential for turning reserved seats into lasting memories. Older generations (55+) prefer outdoor seating driving 27% of reservations.

License 251

License Fine Dining Customer Experience Dine-in 251

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 7, 2025

The majority of operators say increasing traffic on-site and getting diners back in their seats will be more important to their restaurant's success in 2025. Restaurants aim to attract more in-person diners. This is especially important to 90 percent of fine dining operators and 87 percent of casual dining operators.

Definition 282

Definition Loyalty Program 2025 Fine Dining 282

Goliath Consulting

APRIL 5, 2025

Efficient Seating and Ordering Process Minimize wait times and ensure smooth transitions from arrival to seating. The ambiance should be inviting, with appropriate lighting, music, cleanliness, and decor that aligns with your restaurants theme. Provide digital menus or physical copies that are clear and well-designed.

Customer Experience 195

Customer Experience Email Marketing Customer Service Mobile Ordering 195

Modern Restaurant Management

JULY 5, 2022

I don’t have one client who has all the servers necessary to run their operations, which results in a lot of complaints about long waiting times once the guest is seated. For a few minutes, the guest feels better because they are in a seat, but the big problem is on the horizon. Improve Service Through the Menu.

Seating 468

Seating Training Customer Service Point of Sale 468

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 9, 2025

A good patio setup isn’t just about adding seats, it’s about creating an extension of the guest experience that works just as hard as your dining room. What details should operators pay attention to when setting up a patio for dining?

Outdoor 251

Outdoor Mobile Ordering Loyalty Program Fast Casual 251

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 25, 2021

Best of all, creating a more comfortable outdoor seating space can increase ROI for restaurants in a post-COVID world. It’s a classic ‘turning lemons into lemonade’ scenario, creating a comfortable outdoor seating space for today’s restrictions that will work to generate increased revenue tomorrow.

Outdoor 530

Outdoor Technology Customer Experience Dine-in 530

Modern Restaurant Management

OCTOBER 28, 2020

The floor plan of a seating area should not only make it easy for employees and patrons to observe social distancing guidelines, but the foot traffic flow should also make sense. Create designated areas (for curbside pickup and for those guests waiting to be seated). Design Your Floor Plan with Social Distancing in Mind.

Outdoor 531

Outdoor Food Safety Social Media Food Truck 531

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 2, 2024

For this, flexible seating arrangements are the key – from cozy booths to communal tables and counter seating, offering options that cater to individual preferences ensures that solo diners feel comfortable and valued. First impressions matter. Creating an inviting ambiance is critical for attracting (and retaining) solo diners.

Loyalty Program 411

Loyalty Program Catering Seating Customer Experience 411

Modern Restaurant Management

AUGUST 18, 2023

Each table has its own wench, which allows them to be raised and lowered to any desired height –– seated, cocktail, or all the way up to the ceiling –– using a network of cables and an electric power source. Two 26-foot farm-style tables are suspended from the ceiling with cables and can be set to any height.

Back of House 418

Back of House Seating Seasonal Menu Design 418

Culinary Cues

MAY 12, 2025

Guests spending hundreds of dollars for a memorable meal and making reservations months in advance just to garner a seat. Fifteen-hour workdays, no time for anything but the pursuit of excellence. Wine lists that resemble an encyclopedia of the wine making craft are just the price of admission.

Fine Dining 348

Fine Dining Seasonal Menu Front of House White Paper 348

The Rail

JANUARY 15, 2025

Look for underutilized corners, walls, or other spaces that could serve additional purposes, such as hosting extra storage, decorative elements, or seating options. Another key point is using slim chairs that allow more seating without crowding. Similarly, flexible seating arrangements keep operations smooth.

Outdoor 130

Outdoor Seating Customer Service Customer Experience 130

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 10, 2021

Going to a movie used to be much like the pre-digital experience of visiting a restaurant: arrive at the establishment, queue up with others with the same idea, get access if capacity permits, and hope you won’t have to step over too many people on the way to your seat.

Airlines 493

Airlines Consumer Goods Point of Sale Hotels 493

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 1, 2022

The past year has also continued to drive consumer demand for alcohol to-go and outdoor dining with nearly four in 10 consumers saying the availability of outdoor seating would make them more likely to choose one restaurant over another similar one. Roughly half of U.S.

2022 518

2022 2030 Food Supply Recruiting 518

Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 8, 2022

We had seating for 150 and there wasn’t an empty chair. A line of people was waiting for seats, so we knew that service was now on fire. We offered two seatings that filled our dining room and set two buffet lines serviced by a carver at each and three food runners to keep everything stocked. By 8:15 the dining room was full.

Front of House 449

Front of House Back of House Seating Food Truck 449

Modern Restaurant Management

NOVEMBER 16, 2022

They are struggling with false waits (customers waiting to be seated even when there are plenty of empty tables). .” As a result, we’re seeing restaurants closing early or not able to open at all because they don’t have enough staff. And they are hiring staff they should not, assuming any warm body is better than no bodies.

Retail 558

Retail Hiring Recruiting Insurance 558

Modern Restaurant Management

JULY 20, 2021

It is a constant balancing act to maintain an optimal turnover rate—one that is long enough to allow guests to enjoy their dining experience and not feel rushed, yet short enough to maximize revenue and ensure new parties don’t have to wait a long time to be seated. It’s dining, on demand. By Capturing the Guest Impulse.

Dietary Restrictions 493

Dietary Restrictions Customer Experience Dine-in Online Ordering 493