Why it matters
How cover affects a service
Covers are a more useful capacity measure than reservation count because one booking can represent very different demand on tables, kitchen pacing and staff. Operators use covers to compare services, plan arrival pacing and understand occupancy.
Example
In practice
If a restaurant has 18 reservations for dinner but those bookings contain 52 guests, the service has 52 booked covers, not 18.
Related terms
Browse the full glossary