restaurant table top

How to Decide Number of Table Tops for Your Restaurant?

Restaurant tables are the highlight of any dining area, and you must choose them wisely. Whether you are an aspiring restaurateur or an established restaurant design company, every new project brings a few complications that can impede or delay your restaurant’s opening. Irrespective of the scale and size of your business, your customers always need comfortable tables to enjoy their food. Hence, you need to select the best restaurant table tops that suit the layout. Read on to know about crucial factors that you must consider while selecting the right number of restaurant table tops:

9 factors to decide right number of table tops for restaurant

1. Understand the Business Regulations

Before allocating the available space, the first thing you need to figure out is the local guidelines. How much space do you need per customer? How wide should the aisles be? Where and how many exits do you need? Local guidelines dictate all these issues. Contact the local authorities to enquire about the dimensions and get your restaurant layout approved. Although every restaurant has a unique layout and ambiance, here are a few general design rules you can follow:

  • Ideally, all your staff should move only in one direction to increase efficiency and avoid any cross traffic.
  • Include one server station containing tableware, a POS terminal, dustbins, etc., for every fifty seats in your dining room.
  • Restrooms should be easy to locate and access.

2. Calculate the Square Footage of Your Dining Area

dining area

The floor area of any restaurant has several segments like kitchen, waiting area, dining room, restroom, storage, etc. Before you proceed to buy restaurant furniture, measure the available spaces and calculate the square footage that’s available for seating purposes. Usually, dining rooms cover as much as 60% of the total floor area in a restaurant. Even within the dining room, you must leave adequate buffer areas depending upon your venue. For example, fine-dining restaurants require meal carts to serve at tableside. Similarly, family restaurants might have bussing carts, and you need additional space to maneuver them. The spatial planning of the floor space should depend on the anticipated traffic flow and restaurant-style.

3. Calculate the Seating Capacity

To select the correct number of table tops, you must first determine the number of people that can be accommodated comfortably in the total square footage of your restaurant. Again, it depends on the type of your restaurant. Fine-dining restaurants, understandably, would require more square feet per customer than a banquet or fast food restaurant. The North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers (NAFEM) lays out the guidelines for space allowance per seat according to different service types as given below:

Type of Restaurant

Average spacing per customer (Square Foot)

Banquet Service

10-11

Fast Food Restaurant

11-14

Industry Cafeteria

12-15

Family Restaurant

15-18

Fine-Dining Restaurant

18-20

4. Identify What Size Restaurant Tables Will Work Best

size of table

Before purchasing tabletops and accompanied restaurant seating, you need to know which restaurant table sizes work the best for this space. When choosing the correct size of restaurant table tops, consider factors like plate size, restaurant theme, dining style, and types of events hosted at your place. There are many restaurant layout seating charts available by searching the internet to guide you visually in designing your floor space. As a rule of thumb, divide the dining area with at least three table sizes to accommodate small, medium, and large groups. For example, use small tables at the window area space near the entrance to seat two persons. Similarly, place medium and large tables in the middle section of the dining room to accommodate families and larger groups.

5. Consider the Impact of Theme on the Sizing of Table Tops

Another crucial consideration for choosing the table top for a restaurant is how its size will impact the theme. The layout, design, and theme significantly govern the number and size of tables that you need. For example, a fine dining restaurant needs large table tops to accommodate dinnerware and table pieces. On the other hand, you can settle for a smaller table top to serve small groups in fast dining restaurants.

6. Choose Adjustable Sizing In Table Tops

sizing in table tops

Over the last few years, restaurant owners have come to realize the benefits of adjustable sizing in table tops. Investing in adjustable tables helps you to accommodate different groups and occasions. For example, you can join small square or rectangular tables to seat large groups. Similarly, you can consider flip-top tables, in which you can flip the four edges of the table to create a larger table area. In short, adjustable table tops are excellent to augment your seating capacity according to changing business requirements. However, while choosing such table tops, consider the spacing required between tables to allow convenient movement during the transition.

7. Determine How Many ADA-Compliant Restaurant Tables You Will Need

Restaurants, being a part of the hospitability industry, must follow the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Before completing the layout of your restaurant, you should determine the number of ADA-compliant table tops that you need. In this regard, you can check the specifications of the local building inspector for federal and state requirements. Your facility should be easily accessible for a person with a physical disability. Check with your local codes or an experienced restaurant furniture vendor familiar with ADA-compliant restaurant table tops to determine the correct table base design and height required. Also, check your local authority to determine the minimum number of ADA-compliant tables you must have in your restaurant. While restaurants usually leave an 18-inch gap between tables for the passage area, ADA requires you to provide at least 36-inch wide aisles to accommodate wheelchairs.

8. Mark the Layout of Table Selection on the Floor With Tape

floor and table top combination

Sometimes, a floor plan looks exceptionally well on paper but turns out to be a disaster when executed. One way to avoid such mishaps is by laying out the table selection on the floor with tape and examining the configuration to confirm your choice. In particular, check the following points:

  • Are there chances of your staff bumping into each other or with customers?
  • Are your tables adhering to social distancing guidelines?
  • Will your customers be able to find the restrooms without wandering?

9. Contact Us!

Buying the right restaurant furniture is significant investment and can be a daunting task if it’s your first purchase. Don’t be afraid to call on an expert restaurant furniture vendor to ask questions. A reputable vendor will want to help you with advice so that you make the right purchase.

At Missouri Table & Chair, we build restaurant table tops that offer durability and quality at some of the most competitive prices in the commercial furniture industry. Our modern restaurant table tops come with one-of-a-kind customer service tailored to each client. When you build the restaurant of your dreams, we understand that it requires creativity and innovative thinking. With our 40+ years of experience, trust us to freshen your dining space with the perfect furniture for your restaurant.

Summing it up

Intelligently managing your restaurant’s dining area goes beyond the placement of chairs and tables. An ultimate layout design of a restaurant enhances its visual appeal and optimizes the efficiency of your staff as well. It facilitates the proper flow of:

  • Utilities: Water, electricity, air
  • People: Restaurant staff, customers
  • Products: Food, beverages, take-away orders
  • Information: Table or order information, bills or payments

As you might have noticed by now, deciding the number of table tops in your restaurant is not straightforward. It depends on your restaurant’s style, theme, floor area, clientele, etc. Accordingly, you can measure up the floor space in your restaurant and narrow down your options.

This short guide aims to help you make the best use of the space available for your restaurant. Hopefully, by learning from the points mentioned above, you will be able to decide the correct number of table tops in your restaurant for a profitable business.