New York City restaurants often spend $100/sq foot, or, way more. This leads many with dreams of restaurant success to “go small”, limiting rent and seeking efficiency in filling chairs constantly, depending upon turnover vs a higher average check, to build the necessary sales. This philosophy leads to all kinds of strategy, that is hard to necessarily get away with, outside of town.
Like, offering no coffee or dessert on the menu. Coffee and dessert is a great way to add a few dollars to a dinner check, when there is no one waiting for the seat. But ANY where you go, there are some folks who will sit over a $2.00 cup of coffee, with free re fills, for a long (long) time, oblivious to the people stacked ass to ass in the lobby, hungrily waiting for a chair to clear. Solution? Have no dessert and coffee.
Another NYC strategy employed–as I witnessed in the noodle house on 14th street months ago (no dessert menu, btw)–is the owner approaching a table that has been done eating, but are chatting with no sign of leaving; “Thank you for coming folks, but I need this table now.” Simple, polite, reasonable. Find a coffee shop to chat in.
And, my favorite, full house strategy of all–the communal table. This past weekend, our GM at moonstones took one of the many ideas I share with staff–after years of studying the most successful, and put it to use in lil’ ol Chelmsford MA. With a packed restaurant, the only table open was the large “Chef’s Table”–a wooden farmhouse table that seats up to 8 people for large party reservations. It was empty, the lobby full. Peggy asked the couple who had been waiting the longest, if they would accept seats at “The communal table.” Hungry, and cool-like-that, they said yes. Soon thereafter, another couple joined them, and then, a 3rd. And here’s the happy ending! The three couples apparently enjoyed each other’s company, ended up sharing a bottle of wine, and, sat and conversed together for the rest of the evening!
“Excuse me folks…thank you for coming but…”
Love it.
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