Sit Where You Like

I've noticed a strange thing recently.
In the breakfast room we have 3 tables, one for each couple. During the summer we always have all 3 tables made up ready. When we are full I always say good morning, chat a bit and tell them to sit where they like.
However if we don't have a full house only 1 or 2 tables will have milk, butter and a menu on, invariably people will sit at a table that's not ready and we have to move the perishables.
I've noticed recently that if I say "Sit where you like" and then gesture to one of the tables with milk/butter/menu people will always sit at the table I gesture to. Ha!

We have 4 tables. Depending on what set up we have for guests (number in party) The tables are set for a couple (2), group of 3 (1) or group of 4 (1). If I say, 'Sit where you like' I sometimes hear one guest shepherding the other, 'No, that's set for 3, sit here,' but most of the time I am moving the extraneous silverware.
Surprised that many guests will say, 'OH! I didn't see that.'
When we're not full, I always set one more table than we have guests so everyone gets to choose and isn't 'stuck' with the last table. (Altho, they will sit where they want.)
Sometimes I'll say, 'Sit where the table is set for 2 (or 3 or 4),' because they will seat a family of 4 at a table for 3 or 2 and then end up taking 2 tables when they could fit at 1.

It is as if they think that is for someone else. I hear ya! If they even think about it they are hesitant to sit there. Odd. It must be "By invitation only"
Last week I had a fairly full table (6 or 7 I think) and they all stood around and wouldn't sit. I went back in to ask them to please have a seat, and they did the same thing you are mentioning. As if they couldn't work out which was theirs.

We have tables enough pretty much for everyone - however I will say if there are one or two I havn't cleared yet - "please sit at one of the tables which is made up" and you can guarantee that they sit on a dirty one

I have one table and all too often when I have it set for 4 (there are 6 chairs) someone will sit WHERE THERE IS NO PLACE SETTING!!!

We currently have two tables - one for 6 and one for 4. I'm trying to talk DH into going with 5 2-seater tables. Any words...pro or con???

Aussie Innkeeper said:

We currently have two tables - one for 6 and one for 4. I'm trying to talk DH into going with 5 2-seater tables. Any words...pro or con???.

Click to expand...

Aussie Innkeeper said:

We currently have two tables - one for 6 and one for 4. I'm trying to talk DH into going with 5 2-seater tables. Any words...pro or con???

Click to expand...

The only time I've seen anyone use our table for 6 was a family of 5. Most people go straight for the 2s. For me, I'd prefer to sit with my hubby alone and not with strangers.

I would say it depends on how you serve breakfast.
Is it an open seating time frame or set time? Set time, obv you would be better off with a larger setting, than small indiv ones.
You would want to be able to accommodate people traveling together, so I would hate to get rid of a 4 seater. But what if you don't, then people have to sit together who don't know each other,...etc.
Admittedly if I had room I would like multiple tables, but then have multiple angles with people and their chairs sticking out all over the place...Your dining room is very elegant the way it is now.
Walkabout what I personally can suggest is to put an image of the innkeepers on your website! About us with just text is "not on" that's Oz for you need a photo there.

Aussie Innkeeper said:

We currently have two tables - one for 6 and one for 4. I'm trying to talk DH into going with 5 2-seater tables. Any words...pro or con???.

Click to expand...

We used to have a table for 6, but after a few comments from people saying they weren't keep on having breakfast with strangers we bought 3 tables for 2 each.
The day after they arrived and were sat in our garage waiting to be set up a lady from Texas said "ooh goody a single table, we can talk to people.". You can please everyone.
We've stayed at B&Bs with a single table and we've met some interesting people over breakfast, but I find having to make small-talk over a bit of a chore.

Suffice it to say, we have had some of the most amazing breakfast conversations and fun at one table.
We have also had some not so amazing, but it would have been the same if we had separate tables. Some people may arrive hung over and sit there like bumps on a log. We don't attract too many that, way, our avg demographics enjoys the interaction, the younger crowd have breakfast delivered (which we have two of this weekend)
I think separate tables gives it a restaurant feel, personally, and people tend to pick and choose their food vs "cooks choice" and all of that.

Aussie Innkeeper said:

We currently have two tables - one for 6 and one for 4. I'm trying to talk DH into going with 5 2-seater tables. Any words...pro or con???.

Click to expand...

Aussie Innkeeper said:

We currently have two tables - one for 6 and one for 4. I'm trying to talk DH into going with 5 2-seater tables. Any words...pro or con???

Click to expand...

We used to have 3 tables that sat 4 guests each. It was the rare guest who would sit at a table where someone else was without an introduction. I also found that the first guests to sit down would cover the other place settings with their stuff to fend off anyone else sitting there. It's rude but Americans do not like to share a table so that's the way it was.
We added a table (oddly, found out later on that there were 4 tables when the first owners were here!) and now seat couples or families at their own table. Yes, sometimes guests have to wait for a table, but that's life.
I like it better this way because it's easier for me. I'm not always trying to clear 2 place settings when another couple are seated at the same table. I think guests like it better as well. If they're yakking it up, they'll ask each other to join at the table for 4 so it works out.

Aussie Innkeeper said:

We currently have two tables - one for 6 and one for 4. I'm trying to talk DH into going with 5 2-seater tables. Any words...pro or con???.

Click to expand...

Aussie Innkeeper said:

We currently have two tables - one for 6 and one for 4. I'm trying to talk DH into going with 5 2-seater tables. Any words...pro or con???

Click to expand...

Get square tables and you can pull them all together when you have a group. If you have room to store a table topper that eliminates the 'sitting at the gap' that would work, too.
We pull 2 tables together for groups of 5 or more.

TheBeachHouse said:

Aussie Innkeeper said:

We currently have two tables - one for 6 and one for 4. I'm trying to talk DH into going with 5 2-seater tables. Any words...pro or con???.

Click to expand...

Aussie Innkeeper said:

We currently have two tables - one for 6 and one for 4. I'm trying to talk DH into going with 5 2-seater tables. Any words...pro or con???

Click to expand...

The only time I've seen anyone use our table for 6 was a family of 5. Most people go straight for the 2s. For me, I'd prefer to sit with my hubby alone and not with strangers.
.

Click to expand...

TheBeachHouse said:

Aussie Innkeeper said:

We currently have two tables - one for 6 and one for 4. I'm trying to talk DH into going with 5 2-seater tables. Any words...pro or con???

Click to expand...

The only time I've seen anyone use our table for 6 was a family of 5. Most people go straight for the 2s. For me, I'd prefer to sit with my hubby alone and not with strangers.

Click to expand...

Breakfast Nemo said:

TheBeachHouse said:

Aussie Innkeeper said:

We currently have two tables - one for 6 and one for 4. I'm trying to talk DH into going with 5 2-seater tables. Any words...pro or con???.

Click to expand...

Aussie Innkeeper said:

We currently have two tables - one for 6 and one for 4. I'm trying to talk DH into going with 5 2-seater tables. Any words...pro or con???

Click to expand...

The only time I've seen anyone use our table for 6 was a family of 5. Most people go straight for the 2s. For me, I'd prefer to sit with my hubby alone and not with strangers.
.

Click to expand...

TheBeachHouse said:

Aussie Innkeeper said:

We currently have two tables - one for 6 and one for 4. I'm trying to talk DH into going with 5 2-seater tables. Any words...pro or con???

Click to expand...

The only time I've seen anyone use our table for 6 was a family of 5. Most people go straight for the 2s. For me, I'd prefer to sit with my hubby alone and not with strangers.

Click to expand...

.

Click to expand...

Breakfast Nemo said:

TheBeachHouse said:

Aussie Innkeeper said:

We currently have two tables - one for 6 and one for 4. I'm trying to talk DH into going with 5 2-seater tables. Any words...pro or con???

Click to expand...

The only time I've seen anyone use our table for 6 was a family of 5. Most people go straight for the 2s. For me, I'd prefer to sit with my hubby alone and not with strangers.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Or even better have breakfast waiting outside our door!

Joey Bloggs said:

Breakfast Nemo said:

TheBeachHouse said:

Aussie Innkeeper said:

We currently have two tables - one for 6 and one for 4. I'm trying to talk DH into going with 5 2-seater tables. Any words...pro or con???.

Click to expand...

Aussie Innkeeper said:

We currently have two tables - one for 6 and one for 4. I'm trying to talk DH into going with 5 2-seater tables. Any words...pro or con???

Click to expand...

The only time I've seen anyone use our table for 6 was a family of 5. Most people go straight for the 2s. For me, I'd prefer to sit with my hubby alone and not with strangers.
.

Click to expand...

TheBeachHouse said:

Aussie Innkeeper said:

We currently have two tables - one for 6 and one for 4. I'm trying to talk DH into going with 5 2-seater tables. Any words...pro or con???

Click to expand...

The only time I've seen anyone use our table for 6 was a family of 5. Most people go straight for the 2s. For me, I'd prefer to sit with my hubby alone and not with strangers.

Click to expand...

.

Click to expand...

Breakfast Nemo said:

TheBeachHouse said:

Aussie Innkeeper said:

We currently have two tables - one for 6 and one for 4. I'm trying to talk DH into going with 5 2-seater tables. Any words...pro or con???

Click to expand...

The only time I've seen anyone use our table for 6 was a family of 5. Most people go straight for the 2s. For me, I'd prefer to sit with my hubby alone and not with strangers.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Or even better have breakfast waiting outside our door!
.

Click to expand...

Joey Bloggs said:

Breakfast Nemo said:

TheBeachHouse said:

Aussie Innkeeper said:

We currently have two tables - one for 6 and one for 4. I'm trying to talk DH into going with 5 2-seater tables. Any words...pro or con???

Click to expand...

The only time I've seen anyone use our table for 6 was a family of 5. Most people go straight for the 2s. For me, I'd prefer to sit with my hubby alone and not with strangers.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Or even better have breakfast waiting outside our door!

Click to expand...

What a great idea JB!

The only time I have ever resented not having a table for 2 was when we went to a Dinner Theater for out 1st Anniversary and found ourselves seated at a table for 4 - and with a couple we did not (and would not have cared to) know. That was a special extravagance - a night out with NO kids!

I was working at my moonlighting job this morning. I'm normally there in the evenings for events, but this morning the "event" was a breakfast. Anyway, I had a chuckle and thought of all of you and this thread. There was 4-top table, but it was only set for 3 (I can't remember now why only set for 3). There were 2 people already sitting there. The third fella comes along and, you guessed it, he sits at the spot without a place setting. I watched as his friends indicated the place setting at the other seat. He said, no, he was going to move the place settings. I swooped in and moved them for him. Maybe he had a reason for wanting to sit on that side of the table, who knows, but I just had to laugh.

SecondAct said:

I was working at my moonlighting job this morning. I'm normally there in the evenings for events, but this morning the "event" was a breakfast. Anyway, I had a chuckle and thought of all of you and this thread. There was 4-top table, but it was only set for 3 (I can't remember now why only set for 3). There were 2 people already sitting there. The third fella comes along and, you guessed it, he sits at the spot without a place setting. I watched as his friends indicated the place setting at the other seat. He said, no, he was going to move the place settings. I swooped in and moved them for him. Maybe he had a reason for wanting to sit on that side of the table, who knows, but I just had to laugh..

Click to expand...

We've had instances of 2 tables all beautifully set out with white china, sparkling glasses and napkins folded in Queen Anne's Fans, and the guests come down and sit at the one table that's already been used, most things cleared away, just a few bits someone else's breakfast debris.