This document discusses approaches to managing duration in restaurants without compromising the guest experience. It suggests designing menus and processes to minimize decision making for guests and make ordering and preparation easier for staff. Specific strategies include clearly explaining menu items, limiting sauce and pasta choices, pre-prepping foods, smoothing table turnover processes, reducing time between customers, and managing reservations to reduce uncertainty. Environmental factors like music, seating placement, and table layouts can also impact duration.

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MANAGINGYOUR REVENUE:MODULE 2
DURATION MANAGEMENT

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THE CHALLENGE
Managing duration
without compromising the guest experience!

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BASIC APPROACHES TO MANAGING DURATION
• Menu design
• Process design
• Communication tools
• Facility design

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USING THE MENU TO HELP MANAGE DURATION
• Make it easier for the guest to order
– Print out or post specials
– Clearly explain menu items on the menu
(freeing up the server for other tasks)
– Minimize decision-making through good
menu design

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WHAT NOT TO DO!

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MINIMIZING DECISION MAKING
Good
Not so good
Rigatoni with traditional veal ragu – Just like Nonna’s!
Fettuccine Duso – a creamy garlic and cheese sauce with basil
Farfalle Primavera – “Butterflies” with fresh pea shoots, asparagus, morels,
and herbs
Pick any pasta and any sauce:
PASTA CHOICES SAUCE CHOICES
Rigatoni Tortellini Ragu Arrabbiata
Fettuccine Bucatini Duso Burro e Salvia
Farfalle Pici Primavera Vongole
Linguine Radiatore Amatriciana Pomodoro
+

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• Make it easier to the staff to prepare
the dish
– Degree of pre-prep
– Equipment throughput
– Complexity of preparation and/or plating
USING THE MENU TO HELP

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PROCESS DESIGN
GUEST
GREETED BY
HOST
TABLE
READY?
PROCEED TO
BAR
GUEST SEATED
AT TABLE
DRINK ORDER
TAKEN
DRINK ORDER
DELIVERED
APPETIZER
DELIVERED
MEAL ORDER
TAKEN
GUEST SEATED;
DRINKS
TRANFERRED
APPETIZER
CLEARED
ENTRÉE
DELIVERED
ENTRÉE
CLEARED
DESSERT MENU
PRESENTED
DESSERT/
COFFEE ORDER
TAKEN
COFFEE
DELIVERED
DESSERT
DELIVERED
CHECK
DELIVERED
PAYMENT
METHOD
PRESENTED
PAYMENT
PROCESSED
CHANGE/
RECEIPT
RETURNED
GUEST DEPARTS
TABLE BUSSED
AND RESET
NO
YES
PRE-PROCESS
POST-PROCESS
IN-PROCESS
• Make the menu available before guest is seated
• Take the food order before guest is seated
• Smoothly transfer the tab
• Drop the check with the coffee (if appropriate!)
• Process check tableside (if possible)
• Make it easy for the host to see status of the table

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AN ASIDE:THE ROLE OF HOST
• Greeting guests
• Managing reservations
• Assigning guests to tables
• Seating guests
• Keeping the stations balanced
The host is your primary
revenue manager!

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REDUCE TIME BETWEEN CUSTOMERS
• Communications:
– Between server and busser
– Between busser and host
• Service improvements:
– Rapid bussing and reset
– How complicated is the reset process? Can it be
simplified by design?
• Table management:
– Letting the host know the table is free
– Managing party size
© S. Kimes

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REDUCE ARRIVAL UNCERTAINTY
• Forecast arrivals
• Have well-documented
reservation policies
• Have the right mix of table
sizes to match your customer
party mix
• Take credit card deposits
• Apply cancellation penalties
• Call and remind customers of
reservations
© S. Kimes

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ENVIRONMENT AND DURATION
• Using music
Meal Duration by Type of Anchor
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Banquette Booth Window Half-Wall Interior Window
Type of Anchor
Minutes
• Using seat placement

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