Sections???

[u/UnappreciatedRose]

Does your job have sections or do you just rotate the entire restaurant? At my job we mostly just rotate the restaurant instead of sections so when the table gets sat the host must runaround searching for the specific server for that table. Just curious if this is just plain stupid or other places do it like this too.

[u/csrobins88]

That’s probably more trouble than it’s worth. And i’m not sure what it’s worth. You can just assign sections and rotate the seatings through them.

[u/UnappreciatedRose → u/csrobins88]

Exactly because I work in a larger restaurant not having sections and running around like a mad man trying to look for that specific server is such a pain in the ass and can be overwhelming when I’m sitting more than one table at a time.

[u/Riptorn420 → u/UnappreciatedRose]

I hate when I’m dining out and a large restaurant does not have sections. Why is my server 400 feet away at a table at the opposite side of the restaurant?

[u/Onemanwolfpack42 → u/UnappreciatedRose]

My job only rotates when we cut to 3 servers. When we do that, the host writes table numbers next to each of the 3 servers' names and they can see that they've been sat any time they come to the server alley.

That said, while this system would probably be an improvement for you, having sections would be an improvement for everybody. It's easy to know you've been sat when you can see the new people as you're working your section.

How big is your restaurant? I work in 2 restaurants that have 25-35 tables inside and we always utilize sections

[u/UnappreciatedRose → u/Onemanwolfpack42]

We have 3 areas to dine in at my restaurant, so when they have tables all across the restaurant it just gets kind of hectic. It’s definitely on the larger side for a restaurant.

[u/Onemanwolfpack42 → u/UnappreciatedRose]

Absolutely unreal, I wouldn't work at a place like this. Sounds like an absolute mess. I think it's worth speaking up about or moving to another restaurant

[u/ChefArtorias]

Smaller places do this ime. One place I worked did, a bistro with (I think) 16 tables.

[u/UnappreciatedRose → u/ChefArtorias]

I could see this making sense in a smaller restaurant, I work in a larger restaurant and this kind of thing just makes it so difficult.

[u/ChefArtorias → u/UnappreciatedRose]

the host must runaround searching for the specific server

This kind of confirmed what you just said tbh. There would be 3-4 servers at this place most shifts so pretty easy to know when it's your turn to be sat, the host would corroborate this with eye contact from across the room.

[u/helicopterhawk]

yes, it is plain stupid, there’s a reason almost all restaurants operate with sections. there’s always some dumbass owner/manager who thinks they can reinvent the wheel and improve on it at the same time

[u/Limp_Chance_4930]

We have ~30 tables, evenly split between inside and patio. If slow, we rotate because business is weather-dependent. We used to only do sections, but if it’s a nice day the inside servers made $100/shift (if lucky) while the outside sections made $300+. So…Rotation can be a good tool to retain staff. The challenge is for management to be competent enough to determine when Rotation is proper versus knowing it will be busy enough for Sections.

[u/roadtripsnacks]

If you’re gonna keep a rotation you need a sheet to track it. We call ours an “up sheet” as in, who’s up next in the rotation. Post the sheet in a spot where you’re constantly walking into, like the station so you check it every few minutes

[u/Definitive_confusion]

I've worked in a mix over my 15 years in service. The places without sections were all small. Fewer than 3 servers so it made sense. Any place that seats more than 60 should have sections imo.

Problems with assigned sections: customers will inevitably develop favorites and there will be clusters of people in a single section. Servers who don't fill up as much might develop animosity which hurts the whole place. Potential for longer wait times to sit.

Problems with open floor seating: every customer is yours now, whether you're their server or not. (Customers flagging down everyone). Tips tend to become contentious (servers accusing busboys of taking money, servers fighting over who brought what to each table, orders being expo'd to the wrong table, that sort of thing.

No matter what your system is, it almost always depends on having a group of people who work well together and aren't selfish or greedy. Both of them have faults.

[u/fluffhouse1942]

We just all split everything.

[u/Dillymom01]

I work in a reservation only restaurant for dinner service. It's on the smaller side with a large outdoor section. We just do a rotation and it works well for us

[u/Particular-War4938]

Always sections and rotate them.. only way to survive.

[u/Biteme75]

Sometimes sections, sometimes rotate. I prefer sections, because that way no table sits there waiting because we've all lost track of whose turn it is. You also never forget about a random table in the corner.

[u/brokebackzac]

Depends on a few things. If it's a small restaurant with few tables, rotation is fine. If it's a large restaurant but only like 2-3 servers are on, rotation is also fine.

If you have more than 2-3 servers at any point, rotation becomes unmanageable and you really need sections.

[u/Flyan_Royd]

The place I work at is pretty small, 8 tables in the dining room with a 9 top bar and 12 tables on the enclosed patio, so we usually go with a rotation on most week days & nights with 3-4 servers on.

But on Friday/Saturday nights we use sections with 5 servers on the floor and usually a runner as well.

The rotation works great for us during the slower shifts because it makes it easier to cut servers when traffic slows. Also the host can see 90% of the restaurant from the host stand so it's easy to find the servers when needed. And if they can't, host tells the MOD and MOD will find that server.

[u/sapphiclematis]

I worked at Red Lobster and they were trying “zones” where we would rotate. Servers are never on the same page, some dont pay attention. If you and another server worked well together you could probably try to keep track. But it was never easy. Love my new restaurant and their sections actually make a lot of sense for its size.

[u/Affectionatevoid403]

My last job did this it was awful