Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Q: How do fast-casual restaurants assure you’ll have a seat after you’ve ordered your food? —Tim H., St. Louis
A: A good question and a timely one, as more and more restaurants are adopting the “order at the counter, get your soda, grab a seat, and we’ll bring it all to you” model better known as “fast casual.”
And the question’s relevant: I daresay at one time or other, all of us have thrown down a coat, or a soda and some sunnies, effectively reserving a table (known in the trade as “poaching”), fearing no seats would be available after the ordering process. But that strategy can do more harm than good…
Fast casual seating is a function of four factors: the total number of seats available, the average time a table takes to turn, the number of cashiers, and the speed of the line.
If any are out of balance, there is either excess seating or no seating. If you’ve ever wondered why a place like Pappy’s doesn’t have more cashiers, it’s because they can’t. If you’ve ever wondered why Pappy’s (and their fast-casual brethren) don’t allow guests to reserve a seat ahead of time, it’s because they can’t—the formula only works when the above factors are balanced.
Pappys’ owner Mike Emerson makes the often long-queue more palatable by schmoozing those in line--armed with a smile, a joke, a story, and gratis baby backs. It’s become part of the Pappy's experience, as memorable as the ‘cue itself.
Charlie Downs, co-owner of lines-often-out-door-even-in-the-dead-of-winter Sugarfire Smoke House in Olivette, says that in summertime, when patio seats are available, more cooks and/or cashiers can be used. In winter, Sugarfire features easier-to-make sandwiches and specials, just to keep the line moving.
Chris LaRocca, co-owner of two fast casual concepts--Crushed Red and the newly opened WildSmoke in Creve Coeur—uses belt-and-post stanchions to better control lines, adding that the cashier is an effective throttle as well, “either spending more time with the customer, or less, whatever is needed to control what's going on in the dining room." During busy periods, Larocca also employs a greeter who not only explains the ordering process (effectively speeding it up) but also encourages take-out orders (and using a different line) as an alternative to waiting to dine-in.
Fast-casual is here to stay, and as long as there’s attention paid on both sides, everybody wins.
