How To Successfully Manage Large Parties In Your Restaurant
QUESTION FROM: Mike in NE
“We keep getting super big walk-in parties of like 18 to 30 people without a reservation or any heads up at all usually after church on Sunday or on random days and nights with no reservation or warning. My manager’s told me that on more than one occasion, they’ll usually ask why it’s taking so long to be sat and then end up just leaving before we’re able to even figure out where we’re going to put them yet.
To be honest, we’re doing ok without the big parties and the last thing I want to do is stress out my staff more than they already are on the weekends or have to tell my regulars that they’re not going to be able to get a table because these big groups keep showing up.
Is there a way to satisfy both without a headache?
HH ANSWER:
Ok...you seem to have a few things going on here - the most concerning of which seems to be the “I’m happy doing decent business and have little interest in working harder or smarter to be better.” I apologize if I’m wrong but if I’m right – you can stop reading right now.
If I’m wrong then you must understand that being better (and making more money) is definitely going to involve more work, more thought, more training and a shift in mindset - because even just THINKING “we’re ok without the big parties”, sends a message to every single one of your employees that you’re not there to serve guests to the best of your ability - you’re there to serve guests when it’s convenient and when you feel like it. And that mindset is contagious - in fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if your manager isn’t even trying to figure out where to put these large parties and hoping that if they stall these people (who are clearly interrupting business as usual) long enough, they’ll just go away.
As far as knowing where to sit a large party, you or your host staff should always be looking / planning to omow where the next few tables are going BEFORE they get there. In the case of these large walk-ins with no warnings - It seems as though you’re more perturbed by the fact that they’re not making a reservation then you are about not being able to accommodate them… Since you’ve already indicated that one of the common arrival time is it is Sunday after church. If you’re aware of that fact, then you should see the floor accordingly. For example, try to seat tables that can be pushed together to accommodate approximately 20 people -last.
If you can’t accommodate them, you can’t accommodate them... and instead of appearing to be disorganized or indifferent, simply tell them that you’re very sorry but can’t accommodate them at the time they want. See if you can redirect them to the bar or somewhere on the street until the time that you can. Offer yo text them when their table is ready. Try to sell them the next daypart. See if they’d be interested in a large to-go order. I mean, this is hospitality AND these are customers who are willing to pay you. Do something...do anything to at least let them know you appreciate the fact that they’re trying to give you money.
This could also be the perfect opportunity to give them a menu to go as well as a business card along with the assurance that you will do everything you can to accommodate them if you have a little more notice next time... and ask them to please, please call ahead as you would love to accommodate them...and sure they would love being there.
Saying you don’t want to accommodate them if it means regulars may get turned away...well, that just sounds like a cop out. IMHO, you are either cooking for your friends at home, managing a social club or running a restaurant.
But there IS a middle ground. In fact, there almost always is.
If you want to accommodate both regulars and large parties without either one getting justifiably upset with you, simply begin by taking reservations.
It doesn’t matter what your policy is - as long as you clearly communicate it -or better yet, over-communicate it.
Failure to manage expectations is where most issues begin.
As you might suspect, there are some unavoidable headaches when it comes to large parties - but if you take steps to prevent the fires that are most likely to flare up, you may just find that you’ve got time to deal with the issues that are more difficult to predict.
When developing your large party / event policies, I’d recommend you adopt the following SOPs:
Call the big top in to the kitchen and to the bar as first members of the party are arriving. ( e.g., “just a quick heads up... 30 top walking-in, being sat, etc…”)
On large groups, NEVER build their order on one ticket. Keep each CHIT to 4 orders or less. (You can always split or combine later. Part of the challenge with large parties is that they usually result in big long tickets that are harder to read and thus easier to make mistakes on. So, if you always break the ticket down to 4 or so, you will limit the number of re-fires and/or having a station(s) getting backed-up.
Of course it depends on your concept but anything upscale casual + (where prep is more involved than fast casual), parties over 8-10 should have a limited menu. Having a preset / limited menu book (think 3 choices for appetizer, 5 choices for dinner, 3 choices for side and 3 choices for dessert) so that guests can pre-order, can be a real lifesaver in that it limits the time to order and causes less stress on the line.
Offering family style options is also a great way to speed-up and simplify service which is not only easier on line and on staffing / dropping entrees but it’s also easier for the guests not to mention more conducive to guests being able to try more of the menu and thus find something they like (sell it as a more economical and fun option that allows everyone to try your best / most popular dishes and be sure too list # of ppl served by each platter i.e., “serves 6-8”).
Front wait/backwait team for parties of 20 or more. If you are unfamiliar, then you will have one server great the table and say hi and start drink orders while the other server checks with all his or her tables to make sure they are ok for the next few mins. (e.g., For as party of 20, front wait takes 1-10 order and back wait takes 11-20 order at the same time so it goes fast. Then while one server types in the order, manager tells kitchen that order is coming in now in the event it’s necessary to backwait checks in any section.
Having the front wait fire apps on arrival helps get food on the table right away and positively impacts guest perception of timely service (ppl are less irritable as well if they have a drink in hand and ANY food at all).
Tickets should always be sent in groups of 5 max. Especially those being sent to the bar.
Back wait should be getting half the drink order or dropping drinks while someone makes them.
Front wait "spiels " the menu to the large group BEFORE food arrives so that explanations don’t prevent them from hustling back to expo.
Be sure to ask if anyone has any special dietary requirements or food allergies upon seating / while taking drink orders as the host/hostess can sometimes forget / let this important detail slip through the cracks.
Having people trained for banquets helps a lot. With big tops, you’ll need at least one veteran (manager? exec?) expo.
Running a sales history first (so you know what each seat is worth) can be a huge help when it comes to determining minimums / room charges…especially if it’s a private room or cordoned off section as you’ll want to make sure you’re making enough to cover what you would’ve made being open to the public. Once you kn ow the minimums based on time of year and day of week, you can then build packages for different days and times for parties of 9 or more. (NB* A “room fee” usually scares people off. Just require a minimum but put in the contract if they don’t meet it they will be required to pay the rest with a room fee.)
Consider pre-selling alcohol as well. It’s a lot easier for everyone to leave pre-purchased bottles of wine and/or pitchers of beer / mixed drinks on the table than it is to run for each and every one.
Make sure you’ve got staffing and gratuity / service charges all worked out IN ADVANCE to avoid any sticker shock or slighting of staff in the 11th hour. Speaking of sticker shock, if ANYTHING not on the Banquet Event Order (BEO) is ordered, be sure to IMMEDIATELY communicate the additional cost to the host/hostess.
If it’s a very large party (e.g., banquet or event with over 16ppl and/or requiring a dedicated space/room ), make a non-refundable 20% deposit mandatory at time of booking to hold the date…then another 30% non-refundable deposit one to three weeks prior to event or party / to cover additional expenses. Be sure to communicate that this deposit is non-refundable and have it in writing. The final payment (as well as the charge for any and all add-ons, per consumption alcohol and additional gratuity if applicable) should be handled at the conclusion of the event with the host’s signature (keep cc they want to use on file - and let them know that unless they present a different card, this is the one that will be charged the final amount remaining due). If the host does not plan on attending the event or plans on leaving early, you need to know and have them sign a good faith estimate of charges less any add-ons and consumption prior to the event taking place as well as a signed pre-authorization to charge their card in their absence.
Keep the contact information on hand for all large party requests. If you need to decline any guest / party for a particular date, you can call them if the party who previously booked / reserved the space cancels AND put them on your email / call list to announce special functions as well as a tickler file on your calendar in the event their celebration or meeting is a monthly or annually recurring one.
Happily split the check as much as they like but try to get that need addressed prior to the guests’ arrival and then once again upon seating the host/hostess.
Order & Fire in table sections for line so its not one giant skee-ball chit. (The auto grat should be split evenly when splitting the check. (remember to post your auto grab policy -if you have one- on every menu. Be sure host/ess staff knows the policy as well as all mgmnt and servers / FOH staff).
Create a link from your webpage and social media pages that have incredible photographs of your venue, menus, large parties enjoying themselves,…etc.
Try to have several other venues that can set up a referral program with you as well. If your venue is too large, too small too booked,…etc. you can cross promote another establishment. Connect with your local community event/conference centers, visitors’ bureau, churches, temples, mosques, etc…
Don’t be shy / hesitate to add a clause or line item that quotes a “Room Stewarding Charge" for excessive clean-up in the amount of $500 - $1,000
If open bar charge a set fee of $500 per bartender / barback, set-up & break down, a 20-30% gratuity (which shall be adjusted if anything is added / requested during event) and a per bottle charge in advance based on party size and % of drinkers (estimate 3drink/guest for the first hour and one per hour thereafter and let host(ess) know if / when running low with option to open more bottles or close down a little earlier).
Hope this helps,
Josh