How to Make a Floor Plan of Restaurant Tables for Seating

Making a spot-on floor plan for your restaurant is essential for success. Overcrowding can result from tables shoved too close together, while a restaurant with lots of large tables may seem out of sync if the business typically caters to parties of two or three. Determine the type of restaurant you operate -- a small bistro or family style business, for example -- and follow steps to match a floor plan of tables and seating that is right for you. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Instructions

1

Take a weekly tally of standard party sizes. Identify how many couples -- or two-tops -- as well as parties of three, four or larger frequent the restaurant.

2

Tabulate percentages. Divide how many two-tops you had by the total amount of weekly guests. For example, take 100 two-tops and divide by 300 total guests. The calculation determines that 33 percent -- or one-third of your total standard weekly guests -- are parties of two. Take the 40 -- hypothetical -- three-tops you had and divide it by 300. The calculation determines that 13 percent of your total standard weekly guests are parties of three. Continue these calculations until you have all necessary percentages.

3

Identify how many two-top tables, four-top tables -- and so on -- you have in your restaurant to determine if you need to increase or decrease table sizes to suit your customers' needs. For example, while two-tops can often be pulled together to make a large table, your business may benefit from purchasing more large tables -- and reducing the amount of two-tops -- if it typically caters to larger parties.

4

Line the perimeter of walls with smaller two-top tables and situate standard four-tops in the center of the room for ideal movement between customers and staff. Situate larger tables at the back of the floor or in specialized alcoves to keep the main area from feeling overwhelmed.

5

Make sure all tables have enough room for people to maneuver. Leave at least two feet of aisle room for servers and patrons to move comfortably. Ensure that each table setting accommodates a minimum of 300-square inches of personal space for each seated guest. Additionally, allow between 22 inches of space between seat backs and 36 inches of space between a seat back and a fixed wall.