Table time management – no more guests getting up in the middle of a bite!

Table time management (two hours in most places) is up to us, the service staff, and is not the responsibility of the guests.

So how do you finish a meal in two hours?

First of all, it is important that we recognize three important timing points:

1. Take an order within 10-15 minutes from the moment a table arrives.

2. One hour before the end of the table time, the table should be at last light. This means that the main courses (or the last round of courses) are on their way to the table or have arrived at the table.

3. Half an hour after the meal ends - desserts. This means that they have already printed desserts for them or the desserts are on their way or are already on the table.

These time points ensure that approximately 10 minutes before the end time, the table is clean after desserts and ready for the bill.

Our Flor team (waiters/bartenders) must be familiar with these schedules, strive to work according to them, and most importantly, inform us, the managers, if they do not meet them.

If about an hour before a table is supposed to finish, we realize there's a scheduling problem, we use the toolbox at our disposal. For example, trying to speed up their checkout in the kitchen, going to the hospitality desk and seeing if we can "play" with the sketch and give the table more time, or preparing an alternative table to which we can move the guests.

Except in very exceptional cases where guests are more than 15-20 minutes late (we are supposed to know how to deal with lateness in this time frame since we are in Israel, people are late, and we need to know how to accommodate that) or guests go on particularly long cigarette breaks, table time management is our responsibility and we must ensure that guests complete the entire experience before we have to gently ask them to vacate the table for the next order.

If ten minutes before the end of the time reserved for guests, we managed to bring the table to a state where it is clean and after desserts, we can approach gently and explain that the table needs to be cleared for the next guests.

You should approach with great sensitivity (for example, do not approach the guests but the person inviting the table, speak to the person inviting the table in Hebrew if their guests speak English so as not to embarrass them, etc.). Apologize, gently explain that other guests are waiting for a table (and not "you're out of time") and that you tried your best to allow them more time. It is worth offering alternatives if possible. For example: "You can go to the balcony to finish your coffee/wine/digestive" or "There is another table you can sit at for about fifteen minutes." Apologize again and thank them.

Important to remember! We will only send the table attendant with a bill after the interaction has ended positively.

If we do not meet the timings we have set for ourselves, we will approach the table before ordering desserts and gently explain that guests are supposed to arrive at the table in about ten minutes and it is important to us that they can finish the experience in full, so we will be happy to move them to another location so that they can eat desserts.

There's nothing worse than approaching guests in the middle of dessert and handing them a bill! Receiving a bill in the middle of dessert spoils the guest's experience and leaves them with a bad taste.