How to Figure Out the Number of Seats That You Need in Your Restaurant Concept

The number of seats in a restaurant is directly related to its size.

Determining how many seats to include in your restaurant concept helps ensure that your idea is feasible in the real world. Restaurants have a set number of seats, depending on the space available in the main dining room. Cramming too many people into too small a space may be uncomfortable for your diners, while leaving too much free space may reduce your profits. States generally allow one person per 12 square feet of space, according to All Food Business.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Calculator

Instructions

1. Review your state’s specific codes and regulations regarding seating concentration within restaurants. According to All Food Business, states allow one person per 12 square feet as a general guideline. Use a free website such as Municode to search through your state’s municipal codes to find the specific statistic for your state. Choose your state from the Municode library and click on the specific city if applicable to open up the code. Click the links on the left of the page to jump to specific sections within each code.

2. Determine whether you're aiming for a certain number of seats or if you're willing to work with the space you have available. If you're still in the early stages of planning your restaurant, look for a property with enough space to handle the number of seats you desire. If you already have a space, work out how many people can fit in that space and still abide by the necessary code.

3. Multiply your desired number of seats by 12 — or other figure, depending on the state — if you have a number of seats in mind and need to find property accordingly. For example, if you want your restaurant to seat 100 people, you need a restaurant with at least 1,200 square feet of space in the main dining area.

4. Measure your dining room in feet if you've already retained a property. Work out how many square feet of space you have by multiplying the length of one wall by the length of another. If your restaurant is unusually shaped, split the space into squares and rectangles, which may then be measured separately and added together. Divide this number by 12 or other applicable state figure to determine how many people you're able to seat.

5. Install booths to save space if you can’t fit the desired amount of separate tables into your dining room. Booths take up less room and help ensure you're as close to your allotted maximum as possible. Recruit a designer to create a small-scale mock-up of your restaurant if you wish to experiment with the layout.

References

• All Food Business: How Much Seating Space Do I Need?
• All Food Business: Restaurant Layout

Resources

• Municode: Library