Want to understand the waitstaff to guest ratio to help you to calculate the number of staff required to service different meal types?
The waitstaff involved will depend upon the staffing structure, size and facilities of the business.
The staff requirements for any meal type will be based on:
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- number of customers
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- type of service
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- time schedule (eg customers may have less time for lunch than dinner).
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- ability and skill of staff employed (eg unskilled or semi-skilled casual staff).
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- Cost factor. (This must be considered with the standard of service required).
Below is some guideline to help you to calculate the number of staff required to service different meal types:
Waiter – 1
- Meal Type – Dinner/Lunch Plated
- Covers Serviced – 25
Waiter – 1
- Meal Type – Dinner/Lunch Buffet
- Covers Serviced – 30
Waiter – 1
- Meal Type – Dinner/Lunch Silver Service
- Covers Serviced – 20
Waiter – 1
- Meal Type – Stand-up Buffet
- Covers Serviced – 50
Waiter – 1
- Meal Type – Dinner/Dance (Semi-Formal)
- Covers Serviced – 30
Waiter – 1
- Meal Type – Cocktail Party
- Covers Serviced – 60
What is the waitstaff to guest ratio?
No matter how carefully the food and wine have been chosen, ultimately the success of the occasion lies in the hands of the staff. Good waitstaff can turn an unremarkable function into a success and bad staff can completely ruin an otherwise memorable occasion.
Want to know more about how to manage waitstaff?
For a very low investment why not purchase a copy of:
‘How to Train Impressive Waitstaff’ eGuide and bring back the WOW factor.
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