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Do you have your guests sit at one long table for breakfast if they are all dining at the same time?or do you have individual tables set up for 2 to 4 people.
In the cold months we have one long table. This weekend it was set for 10 - 12 people.We had a guest stay for 2 nights. This morning she came down and said she won't be staying for breakfast cause she doesn't feel comfortable sitting with strangers. Hum! Now isn't that why people go to a b & b? To meet other travellers.Now I am wondering if I should be setting out small individual tables.
What do you think works best?
lo
 
Only have room for one table. No individual tables here. We don't do one seating time, so people can have their privacy if they wish.
 
Tell her to take a leap.
OOPS, I mean, explain to her... Ahhhh never mind.
What do you have on your website? Is there a pic of one table or indiv tables?
PLEASE LET THIS BE WATER OFF A DUCKS BACK! We had a full table of laughter and a great time this morning. Do not let one sour grape ruin the whole bunch.
If I FEEL someone is iffy on this, ie a solo traveler or not well socialized, then I always tell them "Why don't ya just bring a plate up to your room?" or they can skip breakfast. Tomorrow we have two seatings, but guests will still be able to meet interesting guests from other parts of the USA tomorrow at the table. More power to em! That is a B&B.
 
There's one in every crowd.
We have 4 tables that are set for from 2-4 guests. We do get a fair number of 3's. The 2 tops get selected most often. Altho, a LOT of guests will take a 3-top even if they have only 1 or 2 in their party. Many will ask if it's ok to sit at a table set for 3 if they are only 2. Usually it all works out.
 
i disagree. that is just one type of b&b. sometimes it's dictated by space or furniture, or sometimes by innkeeper preference.
i don't think guests should have to sit with other guests if they don't want to. some people are not comfortable with this. if that was my setup and a guest said they weren't going to have breakfast here because of it, i'd likely have a little table for 2 off to the side for that guest.
i have tables for 2 and 4. not much space between the tables either, so there is plenty of talking amoung the guests. when there have been big groups, i push the tables together.
i've stayed at many b&b's over the past 6 years that had tables for 2, and 4, and sometimes more ... and only one that only had tables for 6 to 8 so that you had to sit with others. i would say i have stayed at about 40 b&b's.
i did not stay at b&b's to socialize with people i didn't know at breakfast, i stayed at them because i preferred them to hotels. yes, i liked the homelike atmosphere but it was the welcoming innkeeper and the 'smallness' and character of the place i wanted. there were other opportunities to socialize in the common areas if guests wanted more. oh - i also felt safer at smaller places, less anonymous i guess.
 
i disagree. that is just one type of b&b. sometimes it's dictated by space or furniture, or sometimes by innkeeper preference.
i don't think guests should have to sit with other guests if they don't want to. some people are not comfortable with this. if that was my setup and a guest said they weren't going to have breakfast here because of it, i'd likely have a little table for 2 off to the side for that guest.
i have tables for 2 and 4. not much space between the tables either, so there is plenty of talking amoung the guests. when there have been big groups, i push the tables together.
i've stayed at many b&b's over the past 6 years that had tables for 2, and 4, and sometimes more ... and only one that only had tables for 6 to 8 so that you had to sit with others. i would say i have stayed at about 40 b&b's.
i did not stay at b&b's to socialize with people i didn't know at breakfast, i stayed at them because i preferred them to hotels. yes, i liked the homelike atmosphere but it was the welcoming innkeeper and the 'smallness' and character of the place i wanted. there were other opportunities to socialize in the common areas if guests wanted more. oh - i also felt safer at smaller places, less anonymous i guess..
I stayed at a B&B where I was the only guest on the first morning. (THAT was an odd morning, I figured they could just have asked me into the kitchen and I would have been more comfortable than sitting alone in the very formal dining room at a table for 2.) The next morning there was another couple and they sat us together at the huge table for 10. Now, if I did not WANT to sit with them it would have been highly insulting to take myself off to another table as it was obvious they meant for us to sit together.
 
B&B's are going more toward what you mention SS, but a typical/traditional B&B atmosphere is one table. We don't have the space for more either, but offer brek delivery to two rooms, so if they want to avoid the strangers at the table they can.
Traditional B&B's are also 4 rooms or less. Bigger places of course offer more breakfast times and separate tables.
I have stayed at a couple B&B's only with more than one table, and one was recently and I was on my own, so I did sit with the other guests.
 
We're one table for 6 and one seating time. As long as you make it clear up front, I wouldn't sweat someone complaining....especially as long as the other guests weren't abusing or mistreating this person.
 
i disagree. that is just one type of b&b. sometimes it's dictated by space or furniture, or sometimes by innkeeper preference.
i don't think guests should have to sit with other guests if they don't want to. some people are not comfortable with this. if that was my setup and a guest said they weren't going to have breakfast here because of it, i'd likely have a little table for 2 off to the side for that guest.
i have tables for 2 and 4. not much space between the tables either, so there is plenty of talking amoung the guests. when there have been big groups, i push the tables together.
i've stayed at many b&b's over the past 6 years that had tables for 2, and 4, and sometimes more ... and only one that only had tables for 6 to 8 so that you had to sit with others. i would say i have stayed at about 40 b&b's.
i did not stay at b&b's to socialize with people i didn't know at breakfast, i stayed at them because i preferred them to hotels. yes, i liked the homelike atmosphere but it was the welcoming innkeeper and the 'smallness' and character of the place i wanted. there were other opportunities to socialize in the common areas if guests wanted more. oh - i also felt safer at smaller places, less anonymous i guess..
I agree that it is best to make your guests comfortable! We can offer breakfast en-suite if they just don't want to come down for breakfast or don't like the larger table. We also have a small table in the living room that can work for a single traveler if there are a bunch of people that would make it uncomfortable.
I think the key is to make sure that people know your set-up and then work to make them comfortable, within reason.
 
We have one table, comfortable for six, expands to eight. We usually end up with two seating times when we have a full house.
If the guest let me know in advance I'd offer them a tray in their room. But if they didn't let me know until breakfast time then it would be too late.
Like the others said, let it go. You can't please all of the people all of the time, and this was not his or her day.
=)
Kk.
 
curious ... is this a guest alone or part of a couple? it reads like just one ....
i travel alone a lot and sometimes get tired of being with couples. even when they are very sociable, it's still pairs and then me. just a thought.
 
Here's one that bothers me. Family of 4 is here as well as many couples. 1 table set for the family so they do not have to sit separate. Young daughter sits at tabel for 2. Mother sits with her. Maybe rest of family is not eating? I ask. Mother doesn't know. Father comes to breakfast and mother tells him, 'Sit over there.' Now they are expecting to use TWO tables? No. I tell father- Pull this cahir here and eat with family. Mother says- No we want peace at our breakfast.
What is this? Fahter sits where I tell him, mother leaves table.
No one stays seated at any table this AM. One gets up and goes to room, one goes out to car. Food on tables getting cold.
SIT DOWN! All morning, coming and going, no one sitting.
 
Here's one that bothers me. Family of 4 is here as well as many couples. 1 table set for the family so they do not have to sit separate. Young daughter sits at tabel for 2. Mother sits with her. Maybe rest of family is not eating? I ask. Mother doesn't know. Father comes to breakfast and mother tells him, 'Sit over there.' Now they are expecting to use TWO tables? No. I tell father- Pull this cahir here and eat with family. Mother says- No we want peace at our breakfast.
What is this? Fahter sits where I tell him, mother leaves table.
No one stays seated at any table this AM. One gets up and goes to room, one goes out to car. Food on tables getting cold.
SIT DOWN! All morning, coming and going, no one sitting..
seven sisters b-b said:
Here's one that bothers me. Family of 4 is here as well as many couples. 1 table set for the family so they do not have to sit separate. Young daughter sits at tabel for 2. Mother sits with her. Maybe rest of family is not eating? I ask. Mother doesn't know. Father comes to breakfast and mother tells him, 'Sit over there.' Now they are expecting to use TWO tables? No. I tell father- Pull this cahir here and eat with family. Mother says- No we want peace at our breakfast.
What is this? Fahter sits where I tell him, mother leaves table.
No one stays seated at any table this AM. One gets up and goes to room, one goes out to car. Food on tables getting cold.
SIT DOWN! All morning, coming and going, no one sitting.
We sit at diff tables in hotel breakfast areas - kids think it is really cool, they can get what they want and be by themselves. (If they acted out they would feel it, so they don't).
 
curious ... is this a guest alone or part of a couple? it reads like just one ....
i travel alone a lot and sometimes get tired of being with couples. even when they are very sociable, it's still pairs and then me. just a thought..
seashanty said:
curious ... is this a guest alone or part of a couple? it reads like just one ....
i travel alone a lot and sometimes get tired of being with couples. even when they are very sociable, it's still pairs and then me. just a thought.
That is totally understandable. Our solo traveler last weekend was given the option for her brekkie. But she wanted to sit with the other guests. I think she aprpeciated the offers.
 
Here's one that bothers me. Family of 4 is here as well as many couples. 1 table set for the family so they do not have to sit separate. Young daughter sits at tabel for 2. Mother sits with her. Maybe rest of family is not eating? I ask. Mother doesn't know. Father comes to breakfast and mother tells him, 'Sit over there.' Now they are expecting to use TWO tables? No. I tell father- Pull this cahir here and eat with family. Mother says- No we want peace at our breakfast.
What is this? Fahter sits where I tell him, mother leaves table.
No one stays seated at any table this AM. One gets up and goes to room, one goes out to car. Food on tables getting cold.
SIT DOWN! All morning, coming and going, no one sitting..
seven sisters b-b said:
Here's one that bothers me. Family of 4 is here as well as many couples. 1 table set for the family so they do not have to sit separate. Young daughter sits at tabel for 2. Mother sits with her. Maybe rest of family is not eating? I ask. Mother doesn't know. Father comes to breakfast and mother tells him, 'Sit over there.' Now they are expecting to use TWO tables? No. I tell father- Pull this cahir here and eat with family. Mother says- No we want peace at our breakfast.
What is this? Fahter sits where I tell him, mother leaves table.
No one stays seated at any table this AM. One gets up and goes to room, one goes out to car. Food on tables getting cold.
SIT DOWN! All morning, coming and going, no one sitting.
We sit at diff tables in hotel breakfast areas - kids think it is really cool, they can get what they want and be by themselves. (If they acted out they would feel it, so they don't).
.
JunieBJones (JBJ) said:
seven sisters b-b said:
Here's one that bothers me. Family of 4 is here as well as many couples. 1 table set for the family so they do not have to sit separate. Young daughter sits at tabel for 2. Mother sits with her. Maybe rest of family is not eating? I ask. Mother doesn't know. Father comes to breakfast and mother tells him, 'Sit over there.' Now they are expecting to use TWO tables? No. I tell father- Pull this cahir here and eat with family. Mother says- No we want peace at our breakfast.
What is this? Fahter sits where I tell him, mother leaves table.
No one stays seated at any table this AM. One gets up and goes to room, one goes out to car. Food on tables getting cold.
SIT DOWN! All morning, coming and going, no one sitting.
We sit at diff tables in hotel breakfast areas - kids think it is really cool, they can get what they want and be by themselves. (If they acted out they would feel it, so they don't).
But if SS B-B has a small dining area and one family refuses to sit together I can imagine that would be hard on the other guests who now have to wait until one family vacates two tables. If they had too many in their party to sit at one table, that's one thing. Totally different to 'hog' 2 tables because you're mad at each other, or just grumpy in the morning or whatever the situation was.
 
Here's one that bothers me. Family of 4 is here as well as many couples. 1 table set for the family so they do not have to sit separate. Young daughter sits at tabel for 2. Mother sits with her. Maybe rest of family is not eating? I ask. Mother doesn't know. Father comes to breakfast and mother tells him, 'Sit over there.' Now they are expecting to use TWO tables? No. I tell father- Pull this cahir here and eat with family. Mother says- No we want peace at our breakfast.
What is this? Fahter sits where I tell him, mother leaves table.
No one stays seated at any table this AM. One gets up and goes to room, one goes out to car. Food on tables getting cold.
SIT DOWN! All morning, coming and going, no one sitting..
seven sisters b-b said:
Here's one that bothers me. Family of 4 is here as well as many couples. 1 table set for the family so they do not have to sit separate. Young daughter sits at tabel for 2. Mother sits with her. Maybe rest of family is not eating? I ask. Mother doesn't know. Father comes to breakfast and mother tells him, 'Sit over there.' Now they are expecting to use TWO tables? No. I tell father- Pull this cahir here and eat with family. Mother says- No we want peace at our breakfast.
What is this? Fahter sits where I tell him, mother leaves table.
No one stays seated at any table this AM. One gets up and goes to room, one goes out to car. Food on tables getting cold.
SIT DOWN! All morning, coming and going, no one sitting.
We sit at diff tables in hotel breakfast areas - kids think it is really cool, they can get what they want and be by themselves. (If they acted out they would feel it, so they don't).
.
JunieBJones (JBJ) said:
seven sisters b-b said:
Here's one that bothers me. Family of 4 is here as well as many couples. 1 table set for the family so they do not have to sit separate. Young daughter sits at tabel for 2. Mother sits with her. Maybe rest of family is not eating? I ask. Mother doesn't know. Father comes to breakfast and mother tells him, 'Sit over there.' Now they are expecting to use TWO tables? No. I tell father- Pull this cahir here and eat with family. Mother says- No we want peace at our breakfast.
What is this? Fahter sits where I tell him, mother leaves table.
No one stays seated at any table this AM. One gets up and goes to room, one goes out to car. Food on tables getting cold.
SIT DOWN! All morning, coming and going, no one sitting.
We sit at diff tables in hotel breakfast areas - kids think it is really cool, they can get what they want and be by themselves. (If they acted out they would feel it, so they don't).
But if SS B-B has a small dining area and one family refuses to sit together I can imagine that would be hard on the other guests who now have to wait until one family vacates two tables. If they had too many in their party to sit at one table, that's one thing. Totally different to 'hog' 2 tables because you're mad at each other, or just grumpy in the morning or whatever the situation was.
.
If you want to manage where guests sit, put out signs, "Reserved for the Smith Party", "This table for the Browns". Call it personalized service! Move on.
Sometimes rarely, I will come down to eat before my dh unless there is a set breakfast time. I will pick a table or seat based on location as I'm sure many people do. I try to be aware of the size of the table, but....
 
I have one table that seats 6 comfortably but can squeeze 8.
I set the table for the number in-house. If 2 couples, it is set with 1 empty place on each side of the table so the center (where food os placed) is reachable for all. Since my breakfast times vary and are chosen by the guests, it is not unusual for me to set it twice for a twosome and then I set it with the food on both sides of the table and the place settings in the middle seats. (3 chairs each side of table)
 
In the Sun Room in the summer we have two tables that seat 4 & 5 respectively. If I have two couples I will seat them at separate tables. Somestimes they move their settings to the one table. In the colder weather we are in the dining room and it is just one long table that can seat 8 to 10. Never had a complaint.
 
In the Sun Room in the summer we have two tables that seat 4 & 5 respectively. If I have two couples I will seat them at separate tables. Somestimes they move their settings to the one table. In the colder weather we are in the dining room and it is just one long table that can seat 8 to 10. Never had a complaint..
JeannineIrish said:
In the Sun Room in the summer we have two tables that seat 4 & 5 respectively. If I have two couples I will seat them at separate tables. Somestimes they move their settings to the one table. In the colder weather we are in the dining room and it is just one long table that can seat 8 to 10. Never had a complaint.
So, do you actually 'seat' the guests? ie- point them to a table and say, 'Sit here.'
I tell guests to 'have a seat' and let them sort it out. It does leave a LOT to chance as many will sit themselves where it is almost obvious they don't belong. 1 person will sit at a table for 4 instead of a table for 2 or 3 guests will sit at a table for 2 and pull a chair from a table set for 2 which now can't seat 2. That sort of thing.
Some guests will decide to sit as a group and pull the tables around. That doesn't work because the floor is crooked so all the tables are sited 'perfectly' for ONE location. They move the tables and then gasp when the table wobbles all over and coffee sloshes everywhere.
I've had guests pull up a chair so it is literally back to back with another chair and not a single one of them considers that no one can move now. I cannot deliver food, other guests cannot leave their tables. And there they sit, oblivious or rude, take your pick.
 
In the Sun Room in the summer we have two tables that seat 4 & 5 respectively. If I have two couples I will seat them at separate tables. Somestimes they move their settings to the one table. In the colder weather we are in the dining room and it is just one long table that can seat 8 to 10. Never had a complaint..
JeannineIrish said:
In the Sun Room in the summer we have two tables that seat 4 & 5 respectively. If I have two couples I will seat them at separate tables. Somestimes they move their settings to the one table. In the colder weather we are in the dining room and it is just one long table that can seat 8 to 10. Never had a complaint.
So, do you actually 'seat' the guests? ie- point them to a table and say, 'Sit here.'
I tell guests to 'have a seat' and let them sort it out. It does leave a LOT to chance as many will sit themselves where it is almost obvious they don't belong. 1 person will sit at a table for 4 instead of a table for 2 or 3 guests will sit at a table for 2 and pull a chair from a table set for 2 which now can't seat 2. That sort of thing.
Some guests will decide to sit as a group and pull the tables around. That doesn't work because the floor is crooked so all the tables are sited 'perfectly' for ONE location. They move the tables and then gasp when the table wobbles all over and coffee sloshes everywhere.
I've had guests pull up a chair so it is literally back to back with another chair and not a single one of them considers that no one can move now. I cannot deliver food, other guests cannot leave their tables. And there they sit, oblivious or rude, take your pick.
.
Bree said:
oblivious or rude, take your pick.
Oblivious.
When we traveled on Labor Day the first day we sat at one table and the other party (large) sat at two other ones. The next day our same table was set for four, and the other two were set for ten. The other party headed for "our" table, then realized there weren't enough napkins. How many in your group I asked? Ten. Well, this table is set for seven and that one for three... Oh yeah, that would work great!
Duh.
=)
Kk.
 
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