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Covers
Ever heard a restaurant manager proudly announce, “We did 250 covers last night!” and wondered what they were talking about? Let’s demystify this common restaurant industry term.
What are covers in a restaurant?
“Covers” simply refers to the number of customers served during a specific time period. One customer equals one cover. If you serve 75 people during lunch and 125 during dinner, you’ve done 200 covers for the day.
Some restaurants might count differently based on their service style:
- Fine dining restaurants typically count each seated guest as one cover
- Quick-service restaurants might count each transaction as one cover, even if it includes food for multiple people
- Buffets often count each paying customer as one cover
Why tracking covers matters
Covers might seem like just a number, but this metric is actually packed with valuable insights:
Staffing decisions: Knowing your typical cover count helps determine how many servers, cooks, and support staff you need. If you typically do 200 covers on a Friday night, you’ll schedule very differently than for a 50-cover Tuesday lunch.
Inventory planning: Expected cover counts drive food ordering and prep. A forecast of 300 weekend covers means ordering ingredients accordingly to avoid running out (or over-ordering and creating waste).
Performance tracking: Comparing covers year-over-year or season-to-season reveals important trends. Are your Friday night covers consistently dropping? That might signal a problem requiring attention.
Marketing effectiveness: A spike in covers after launching a new promotion tells you it’s working!
Covers in action: A practical example
Let’s say you run a neighborhood bistro that’s open for dinner only. You track these metrics:
- Average covers: 120 per night
- Average check: $35 per person
- Revenue per night: $4,200 (120 covers × $35)
If you launch a new happy hour and covers increase to 145 per night while maintaining the same average check, your nightly revenue jumps to $5,075—a significant improvement!
Beyond basic cover counts
Many sophisticated restaurants track additional cover-related metrics:
- Covers per labor hour: How efficiently are you using staff?
- Covers per square foot: How well are you utilizing your space?
- Covers per server: Is the workload balanced among your team?
- Turn time: How quickly can you “turn” a table to seat new covers?
By understanding and optimizing your cover counts, you can make smarter decisions about every aspect of your restaurant operation—from menu design to marketing strategies to staffing levels.
