Table turn is the number of times a table or dining-room seat is occupied by a new party during a defined service period. It is an important restaurant performance measure because it relates seating capacity, guest volume, average cheque and revenue.
A common seat-turn calculation is:
Seat turns = Covers served ÷ Available seats
For example, if a 60-seat restaurant serves 150 guests during dinner, the dining room has achieved 2.5 seat turns for that service period.
Some operators calculate turns by individual table rather than total seats. Be clear about the method when comparing performance between restaurants.
Chef’s tip: Faster turns should come from good coordination, accurate mise en place and reliable service—not from rushing guests or compromising food quality.
Key distinction: Table turns measure seating utilization. Average cheque measures guest spending, while RevPASH measures revenue per available seat-hour.
This term is one of hundreds covered in depth across OCS courses, learning paths, and 1-on-1 coaching with Chef Eric.
