Barstools are moving to center stage in many restaurants, and patrons are finding them tricky.
While Japanese noodle spots have long used bar seating, Italian, New American and other restaurants are also adopting the layout, in efforts to speed turnover and boost profit with more seats. OpenTable recently rolled out a feature allowing patrons to reserve bar seats, which have traditionally been first come, first served.
Some restaurants have found they can increase profits by more than 50% when using barstools versus regular chairs and tables, says Waldy Malouf, senior director at the Culinary Institute of America. In most cases, restaurants need only 3 square feet for barstools versus 6 square feet for traditional chairs. Tall seating areas also make it easier for diners to scoot in alongside strangers, Malouf says. “There’s less commitment than a [formal] meal and faster turnover.”
“You’re seeing more restaurants use high-tops or bars to optimize square footage—in most cases, you’re fighting for inches,” says Dean Small, founder of Synergy Restaurant Consultants, based in Newport Beach, Calif. What’s now called “stool seating” is used to increase profits in smaller restaurants, with stools facing front windows, at islands in the center of the restaurant and along narrow walkways, says Chris Tripoli, principal of A La Carte Foodservice Consulting Group in Houston.
But diners’ reactions to the new barstool setups don’t always go according to restaurants’ plans. In some cases, “they think they are casual-izing, but it’s just making people uncomfortable,” says New York restaurant consultant Clark Wolf.
An earlier version of this report appeared on WSJ.com.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/pull-up-a-stool-restaurants-squeeze-in-more-seats-1530711001
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