Restaurant: 3 techniques to improve table rotation

In fast food, every second counts and every detail can boost your sales! Today, we're going to explore a dynamic aspect that's essential to your restaurant's success: table rotation.

Imagine: more happy guests, more orders, and therefore, more profits! In this article, we guide you through the most effective tips and strategies for keeping your tables turning like never before. Whether you're a pro with a spatula or just diving into the fast-food business, we've got some smart, easy-to-implement tips that will make your restaurant the king of turnover.

Get ready to discover how to turn every corner of your establishment into a little gold mine, while keeping your customers smiling and satisfied. Let's take an instructive tour of the art of table rotation!

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The importance of table rotation

In a context of ever-increasing demand, knowing how to effectively manage table rotation is crucial to boosting your establishment's revenues and welcoming the maximum number of guests at any time of day. 

Managing table rotation, a delicate balance to strike, can prove complex: the aim is to renew tables quickly without giving customers the impression that they're in a hurry. Ignoring the importance of this factor can lead to reduced revenue potential and lower customer satisfaction.

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Impact on profitability

The impact of table rotation on profitability can be seen in several ways:

• Increased number of guests served: Fast turnaround means more guests can be served, resulting in higher sales and profits.
• Space optimization: By maximizing the use of each table, the restaurant makes full use of its seating capacity, which is particularly important where space is limited.
• Enhanced customer experience: Effective management of table rotation can reduce waiting times for customers, improving their overall satisfaction. 
• Workflow management: A well-managed rotation enables staff to work in a more fluid and organized way, which can improve operational efficiency and reduce labor costs.

Benefits for the customer experience

Here are the various advantages of a good table rotation for your restaurant:

• Goodbye waiting, hello smiling: no more long queues! With efficient table rotation, your customers are greeted and served quickly, leaving them feeling satisfied and efficient. They have more time to enjoy their meal and less time to look at their watch.
• VIP service at every table: When tables are turned at a perfect pace, your team can really concentrate on each customer. The result? More attentive, more personalized service that makes everyone feel like the star of the show.
• A sparkling atmosphere: A restaurant where everything moves smoothly is a place full of life. This positive energy can be felt and contributes to creating a dynamic, pleasant atmosphere that people love to come back to.
• Happy customers who come back: When the experience is top-notch, customers remember it. They're more likely to come back and share their positive experience with others. It's magic word-of-mouth in action!
• Flexibility and responsiveness: A good rotation also means being able to adapt at a moment's notice to special requests and changing customer needs. It shows that your restaurant isn't just a place to eat, but a space where every customer is unique.

👉 Going further: how to improve the customer experience in your restaurant!

Fortunately, there are both effective and subtle methods for calculating and improving your restaurant's turnover rate, while maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction.

Turnover calculation and analysis

The table turnover rate in a restaurant is an indicator that measures how often a table can be occupied and serve new guests during a specific service. 

Calculation methods

It is calculated by dividing the average total number of customers served by the number of seats available in the restaurant:

👉 Average total number of customers served / seats available in the restaurant

Let's take an example: if a restaurant with 24 seats serves an average of 48 customers per service, this means that its table turnover rate is 2.

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3 effective rotation techniques

In the art of catering, the layout and arrangement of tables are like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle: properly placed, they create a perfect image of efficiency and comfort.

1. Space and time optimization

Here's how to transform your space into a veritable theater of gastronomy, where each table plays its role to perfection for optimal rotation:

Make sure you use all the space available in your room and on your terrace strategically. It's also vital to place your customers according to their numbers to maximize space and efficiency. 

Even during low-traffic periods, it's a good idea to seat a group of two guests at a table for two. 

This anticipatory approach is important, because you can never predict when demand might suddenly increase, such as the unexpected arrival of a group of four people requiring a larger table. By adopting this method, you're always ready to accommodate fluctuating customer numbers efficiently, ensuring that your business runs smoothly and dynamically.

👉 To find out more: How to lay out and design your restaurant

2. Using the technology

Many restaurants are already integrating digital menus and tabletop ordering and payment solutions such as Innovorder Click & Serve. This approach is proving fruitful, as these solutions play an essential role in table rotation, saving you time at every stage:

• before the service, as your customers access your card via the QR code,
• as they order directly from their smartphone,
• as they pay the bill on the same platform.

In short, your waiter only has to go to the kitchen to deliver the food: a real productivity booster! In fact, by synchronizing Click & Serve with a kitchen production screen or printers, all your orders arrive directly in the kitchen.

But that's not all: you can also increase your average basket by 19% compared to a simple menu, thanks to intelligent suggestions for extras (drinks, desserts, etc.).

👉 Going further: the 7 advantages of tabletop ordering

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3. Staff training

Staff training plays an essential role in improving table turnover. Well-trained staff are fast, efficient and able to handle customers in a professional manner. Here are a few key points:

• Effective communication: Train staff to communicate clearly and effectively with customers to speed up orders and services.
• Time management: Staff need to be trained to manage their time optimally, ensuring that tables are cleaned and prepared quickly for new customers.
• Anticipating customer needs: Learning to anticipate guests' needs can reduce waiting time and improve the overall experience.

👉 Going further: 9 tips for finding restaurant staff

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Discover Innovorder Click & Serve on video

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Put digital technology to work for your restaurant with Innovorder! Contact an expert and find out how to improve your productivity, boost your sales and increase your margins.