Table turnover measures how many times the same table is reused during a service. If a four-top seats three different parties in one evening, it has done three “turns”.
You calculate it by dividing the number of parties served by the number of available tables in a given window. It’s a core floor metric: for the same number of seats, the more turns you get in peak windows, the more covers — and revenue — you generate. But on its own it misleads, because it says nothing about how much each table spends: read it alongside the average check and, above all, RevPASH, which combines turns and value.
Speed, but no felt rush
Raising turnover doesn’t mean rushing guests. The healthy levers: cut idle time between parties with fast resets, communicate the time window in advance where you run two seatings, and optimise the floor plan.
Here’s the calculation and 5 strategies to increase covers.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you calculate table turnover?
- Divide the number of parties served by the number of available tables in a window. Example: 60 parties across 20 tables at dinner is 3 average turns.
- Is higher turnover always better?
- Not necessarily. What counts is revenue per seat over time (RevPASH): a slow table with a high check can earn as much as two fast ones. Turnover must be balanced against the guest experience.