Pizza Today - March 2018 - 32

four-top, you lose 50 percent of your
seating capacity."
Accommodating large groups is
often overlooked, says Shepherd. "If
a party of 20 walks in after Little
League, or a large family, and if you
can't seat them together, they'll walk
out. Everyone wants to see each other
and talk to each other." Shepherd's
general rule of thumb is one-third
booths, two-thirds tables.
Shops with a brisk slice business
should offer a more individual experience, says Danu Kennedy, design
director at Parts and Labor Design, a
Manhattan interior design firm. "Like
counter seating, or maybe high tops,"
proposes Jeremy Levitt, Parts and
Labor Design co-founder and
co-owner.

itself to a more cozy environment,"
says Kennedy. "It's really nice to open
up to guests, so they can interact with
the cooking and the kneading and the
preparation."
Customers will linger when they're
on padded, comfortable seats, benefitting the bottom line. "If it takes 15 to
20 minutes for a pizza to bake, and
you want customers to have a glass
of wine and drive check average, you
want them to be comfortable, so after
20 minutes they might consider that
second glass of wine," advises Small.
Hard, less comfortable seats promote
a speedy departure, which may not be
a liability at a quick-service by-theslice operation.

* VARIETY AND COMFORT ESTABLISH
ATTRACTIVE AMBIENCE. Seating arrange-

essential for easy traffic flow. Again,
know your customer mix. Table
service or counter service, by-the-slice
or whole pie, shared pies or individual
pizzas, fancy or casual -- these factors
all impact dining experience and
arrangements.
For takeout business, Shepherd
warns, "theNo. 1 mistake I see is forgetting that the people dining in don't
want foot traffic coming through their
meal. The kitchen has to be integrated
into the carryout, the carryout has to
be close to the front door, and you've
got to segregate the dining area."
Many restaurants strategically place a
barrier such as a banquette to separate
the queuing area from the seating area
so dine-in guests don't feel jostled. n

ments have a big impact on ambiance.
A uniform sea of tables and chairs
lacks visual and emotional appeal.
"I like restaurants that have a mix of
tables, chairs and booths," says Small.
"It's more interesting and inviting:
Think about how Starbucks offers a
choice of soft and hard seating,
appealing to all preferences."
Ambiance should reflect pizzeria's
unique appeal. "Pizza places should
be warm and fun and social," Levitt
says. "Booth seating really lends itself
to a good pizza eating experience. It's
a classic look, and you have a great
layout for four to six people to pick
from the pie from all angles."
An open kitchen can cultivate a
warm, engaging atmosphere. "The
open flame of a wood-fired oven lends

* THE UNIQUE TRAFFIC FLOW OF PIZZERIAS. Well-conceived seating is

ANNELISE KELLY is

a Portland, Oregonbased freelance writer.
Pizza Today - March 2018

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