Space Saving Seating

It is in every restaurant's best interest to maximize the seating capacity of the establishment. You have a set square footage for the restaurant or bar and need to comfortably cram as many seats as possible into the space. There are several effective methods for maximizing seating capacity in a restaurant or bar.

1) Line the walls of the restaurant with a banquette or booths. Booths and benches are a great way to utilize the space right next to a wall that can sometimes go unused. While a booths are not very versatile (you cannot move seats or rearrange tables to accommodate different sizes of parties), banquettes provide ample seating and allow for versatility. Tables can be pushed together for large groups. Another attractive feature of banquettes is that virtually any body type can comfortably sit and dine.

2) In your bar, use bar stools without back rests. Back rests add extra bulk to the chair, and while they might not actually take up more square footage, they clutter the appearance of your bar. Generally people become more agitated in busy environments so keeping the visual clutter to a minimum is a good idea. With the back rests out of the way, you can add a few more bar stools without making the bar seem overly full. Be careful not to cram too many seats in the bar as people don't always enjoy rubbing elbows with a stranger.

3) Round tables are a great way to easily add seating without over-filling your dining room. A round table can comfortable fit 5, where a square table could only seat 4. This is a simple way of maximizing your dining room's seating potential without making it look like you're trying to cram chairs around tables. The most important thing to keep in mind is to not over do it. You'll find that a few extra chairs will be an asset, while too many may actually harm your restaurant's profits.