To set up your floor plan for bookings, list every table with its seats, group them into areas such as the window, the bar and the terrace, and decide which tables can be pushed together for larger parties. Then check that the booking system offers the same tables your best host would choose. A floor plan that matches the real room is what lets online bookings fill it without surprises.
Start with the room as it is
Walk the room on a quiet afternoon and write down:
- every table, with a number and how many it seats comfortably;
- which tables can be joined, and what that seats;
- areas that matter to guests: window, booth, bar, terrace, private room;
- tables you prefer not to book online, such as the one next to the kitchen door.
Seats: comfortable, not maximum
A table that squeezes six but seats four comfortably should be bookable for four. Put the maximum in as a note for the host, not as what online guests can book.
Combinations for larger parties
Most larger parties sit at joined tables. Decide in advance which combinations work, for example tables 4 and 5 for eight guests. That way a booking for eight doesn’t block the whole section.
Areas and preferences
Guests often ask for the window or a booth. Grouping tables into areas lets you note a preference on the booking and lets the host see it at a glance. Don’t promise a specific table online unless you can guarantee it.
Hold some tables back
You don’t have to put every table online. Many restaurants keep a few for walk-ins, regulars or phone bookings. See managing walk-ins and reservations together.
Test it before service
Make a few test bookings for different party sizes at your busiest time. Ask: is that the table my host would have given? If not, change the seats or combinations.
Revisit it each season
A terrace that opens in May, a Christmas layout or a new booth all change the floor plan. Update it before the change, not on the night.
How ForStars fits
ForStars runs the floor on a live floor plan that shows each table’s state during service, on desktop, tablet and phone. Website bookings, phone bookings and walk-ins all land on it. See features.
Questions owners ask
Should I number tables the same as in the room?
Yes. The numbers in the system should match what staff call the tables, so nobody has to translate mid-service.
How often should I change the floor plan?
Whenever the room changes: seasonal areas, refits or a new layout for events.