Hospitality glossary

Dwell time

The amount of time a guest or party occupies a table, seat, bed or bookable area.

Why it matters

How dwell time affects a service

Accurate dwell time supports realistic availability and table turns. It varies by party size, menu, service type and occasion, so operators should use observed patterns rather than one universal duration.

Example

In practice

Lunch parties may average 75 minutes while weekend tasting-menu reservations average two hours and 30 minutes.

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Related terms

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