# Counter or table service?



## bdt

Have been going over in my head the pros and cons of each option for my proposed coffee house and could do with some second and third opinions on each option.

The "USP" of my business will be the freshness and quality of ingredients used for any food and coffee. With that in mind, food such as paninis will be made to order opposed to throwing a prepacked sandwich in a panini grill, a la Starbucks, Caffe Nero, etc.

My problem is that there's some elements of the table service model that I don't particularly like such as:

*customers having to wait to be approached by waiting staff before ordering. sometimes the staff member will go over too soon and the customer feels rushed and other times they might be sitting getting frustrated (especially seeing someone come in after them and get served first due to staff error)

*customers needing to pay the bill before they leave. Again, they need to wait to ask for the bill there's of course the risk of customers leaving without paying

Having said that, if the food isn't pre-prepared where customers can just pick it up out of a fridge, then simply listing fillings and prices on a priceboard isn't positioning the products in the best way to the customer. Particularly when you're trying to emphasise the superior freshness and taste.

Would for instance, menus on the tables work for counter service or does that imply to customers that it's table service and cause confusion?









Any comments/thoughts appreciated.


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## chimpsinties

Why not have 2 buttons on each table and a screen on the wall. When a customer presses button A their table number appears on a list and the waiter goes to them in order. When they press button B the waiter knows they're ready to pay and can sort out money.

Simples and fair


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## bdt

Can't figure out if that's just a bad suggestion, or an even worse joke?

Cheers nonethless!


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## cjbailey1

May be a silly suggestion but how about Menus on the tables with a note at the top that says to pop to the counter when ready to order?


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## bdt

No, not a silly question at all. Exactly what I'd considered as it kind of gives the best of both worlds but, you know how fickle customers are and how easily confused they are too

In my opinion, this gives them time to sit down, read the menu, choose what they're wanting then order and pay when they're ready. Most places I go are either old fashioned table service or a starbucks/costa type set up which, despite being efficient and easier to organise, I don't think it lends itself as well to food that's not already out on display

Glad you asked that question as it tells me what I was thinking maybe isn't such a bad idea after all. Cheers


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## SlowRoast

I say a combination. Order at counter, delivered to your table. This gives customers freedom to choose where they'd like to sit, when they'd like to order and pay yet saves them standing around *too* long. I've been a few places like this.


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## fatboyslim

Having in mind my favourite cafe The Attic in York, it really seems like they cover both systems.

You can walk in and straight away you're at the counter where you can view menus and also see food being freshly prepared (if you can see over the 4 grinders). If you wait around too long deciding what to have or just look down right lost I think the waitress'/baristas say take a seat, presumably making a mental note to serve you in 5 minutes or so.

When I first went in there I didn't order at the counter, instead sat down and shortly after a waitress came with a menu and asked what I wanted.

I think this mixed system only works with small volumes or with a front of house manager (or similar) who can monitor tables who have ordered and who haven't.

I actually liked that a waitress came to ask as it lends to the whole experience, mostly because they were knowledgeable about the various coffees they stocked.

Just my experience of one fantastic establishment and how I thought they ran things.


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## chimpsinties

bdt said:


> Can't figure out if that's just a bad suggestion, or an even worse joke?
> 
> Cheers nonethless!


Thanks for nothing.

I'm obviously just ahead of my time... Haters gonna hate!


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## bdt

fatboyslim said:


> Having in mind my favourite cafe The Attic in York, it really seems like they cover both systems.
> 
> You can walk in and straight away you're at the counter where you can view menus and also see food being freshly prepared (if you can see over the 4 grinders). If you wait around too long deciding what to have or just look down right lost I think the waitress'/baristas say take a seat, presumably making a mental note to serve you in 5 minutes or so. .


The only worry I have with a mixed system like this is that it doesn't run smoothly and that service suffers as a result. A local place I visited doing a bit of research last week had a mixed system of sorts but the upshot was, I had to wait over 5 minutes for an Americano and watch a couple of customers who arrived after I ordered being served before me.

As much as I'm no huge fan of the chains, I've got to admit they normally have this part of the service down to a tee.

I hope to be down in York over the next few months so will need to visit The Attic to see for myself.

Cheers


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## bdt

SlowRoast said:


> I say a combination. Order at counter, delivered to your table. This gives customers freedom to choose where they'd like to sit, when they'd like to order and pay yet saves them standing around *too* long. I've been a few places like this.


I agree, food orders work well like this. Maybe even larger coffee orders too. Helps prevent a bottleneck at the counter and all the cash is in the till before the drinks are served too!


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## Earlepap

The trouble with an order at counter - food brought to table system is really at the staff end. It's basically like a Wetherpoons. The poor employees have to schlep food about and have all manner of nob making demands along the way, with absolutely no hope of a tip simply because the order was made at a counter.

There's a place in London that opened a few weeks ago called Norton and Folgate that kind of combines the two. It's a very long but shallow space but there's two entrances, one that leads to tables with menus on for table service, the other to a counter with blackboard for takeaway.

Important to think from the staff's perspective too, as if they're unhappy they won't give a shit, leading to poor customer service.


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## jimbow

I think Earlepap makes a great point. I have seen a number of establishments operate like this (order at counter, served at table) and I must admit when I first read the suggestion above that Weatherspoons popped into my head too! However there is also a chain of cafes in Sussex called The Real Eating Company which operate based upon this model too. Order at the bar and if they can serve you quickly enough, without holding up the rest of the queue behind you, then they will serve you synchronously there and then. However, if your order includes food, is a larger order or one that might take a while to process then they give you a number and then serve you at table asynchronously when the order is ready.

Thinking about the layout of these cafes though, the route from the counter to any of the tables is fairly direct. I imagine this model might start to break down if the serving staff have to pass lots of other tables whilst on their way to/from a table to serve an order.


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## bdt

That's what I'm thinking... if it's drinks only and not holding the queue up, just serve them there and then. If there's food though, ask them to take a seat and it'll be brought over in a few minutes.

Very importantly though I think is to ask the customer if they'd like the drinks brought over at the same time as the food or just take them now. I place I tried last weekend gave no option, brought the drinks over immediately then five minutes later had my panini served to less than half of a cup of now lukewarm coffee. Granted the food was ridiculously slow but I would like to have been asked if I'd like them together in the first place.

I suppose with this whole dilemma I'm considering the ordering process every bit as much as the serving. On reflection, I think menus on the tables that really sell the food but just making sure it's abundantly clear that you go to the counter to order and pay. If I start getting customers sitting looking bemused as to why no-one's going over to serve them, that'll be a fair indication that we're not doing it well enough.

A lot of good ideas though. Cheers for the feedback


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## MikeHag

Is 5 mins for a panini ridiculously slow?


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## bdt

Bearing in mind we were the only customers in being served by the 3 staff on duty and also bearing in mind the quality of what eventually arrived then yeah I do think it was ridiculously slow.

I say 5 mins but it was probably a bit longer.


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## vintagecigarman

As a customer I really don't mind whether it's counter or table service (unless I'm in a rush, when I'd obviously go for counter).

However, my pet hate is going to a place that's new to me and it not being absolutely and manifestly clear whether it's counter or table service. When I walk through the door I expect to be able to spot that in an instant - either from the layout or from the signage. I detest approaching the counter only to be told to take a seat and someone will come for my order. If I've got as far as the counter without realising it's table service, then there's something wrong!


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## bdt

vintagecigarman said:


> As a customer I really don't mind whether it's counter or table service (unless I'm in a rush, when I'd obviously go for counter).
> 
> However, my pet hate is going to a place that's new to me and it not being absolutely and manifestly clear whether it's counter or table service. When I walk through the door I expect to be able to spot that in an instant - either from the layout or from the signage. I detest approaching the counter only to be told to take a seat and someone will come for my order. If I've got as far as the counter without realising it's table service, then there's something wrong!


Absolutely spot on. Whatever option is used, it should be crystal clear. that was my main worry about putting menus on tables - that it "implies" table service. Ways I'm thinking this could be avoided is clear signage within the shop and even stating clearly on the menu itself. Everyone hates being to be made to feel foolish and, as trivial as it maybe seems to staff, it's a huge turn off for a customer.


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## vintagecigarman

How about something on the menus like: 'Once you have decided what you would like, please order at the counter'?

Not an original idea - but it seems to work in pubs around here.

Coupled with a big 'Order Here' sign over the counter there'd be no room for error.


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## bdt

Yup, that's exactly my thoughts. A big "Order here" sign hanging over the cash register along with notes on the menu should make it clear. Also, maybe some kind of sign that's right in the customer's eyeline as they enter the door.

Maybe I'm being naive but I just don't like the idea of table service then customers paying the bill before they leave.

Somebody made a good point earlier about it effecting tips though which obviously isn't the best for staff. A lot of factors to be taken into account for something so basic


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## Earlepap

For the staff issue you could just hire Antipodeans. They seem to have coffee knowledge bred into them and also an innate alacrity for customer service. Where as we Brits seem to suffer from some kind of imperialist hangover and loathe serving anybody.


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## jimbow

Consider the system you use to correlate orders with service. You will probably use numbers but will you use the table number (a la Weatherspoons) or will you give the customer some sort of numbered token at the counter, once you have accepted their order. The table number option will probably work better with menus on the table where the customer is expected to find a table and choose from the menu, before placing their order and paying at the counter. The numbered token tends to work best where the customer approaches the counter first upon entering and orders before finding a table.

Just some food for thought.


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## bdt

Good point. I quite like the idea of the numbered token. Could use something a little quirky as making it a bit fun (whilst being very functional) maybe makes it a little less Wetherspoonesque.

The thing I like about the ideas of menus on the tables combined with counter service is that it lets regular customers who know what they want just get straight in and make their order. New customers who are a little unfamiliar don't feel pressured by having to make a quick decision as they've got other customers waiting behind them.

I'm notoriously slow at deciding what to order so can empathise with customers who don't like the pressure of having to decide quickly when they're in unfamiliar surroundings.


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