WHY RESTAURANTS DON'T LOVE LARGE PARTIES!!!!!(More than 4 guests) Easter Continued

Let's say we have two tables that can seat 4 people each.  We can put them together for a party of 8, maybe even 10.  This is called "a build".   The party of 10 wants to come in at 7:30 pm.  We open at 5:30, but often are not busy until after 6:00pm.  We only have two particular tables that we can put together in such a manner.  We have to seat those two 4 tops at 5:30 for them to "turn" in time for 7:30.  Very unlikely.  The tables sit empty until 7:30.  A party of 10 will stay 2 1/2 - 3 hours.  So that is the only sitting on the two tables for the evening.  If I could use the 2 tables for 4 tops, I could seat one of them at 6:00 and turn it at 8:00 and the other at 6:30 for a turn at 8:30.  This equals 16 people.  More money to pay bills.  More money in the server's pockets.  More consistent servers and service, because they have more money in their pockets.  A restaurant that can pay its bills is a very good thing.

But it's also flexibility.  One of those tables may want to spend 2 1/2 hours eating their dinner, not caring about the industry standard of 2 hours.  One table may have theater tickets and spend only 1 1/2 hours with us.  If I have to put those two tables together for a later party and they finish up at such different times, I'm screwed.  Multiply that times 30 requests for "builds" and I might as well not even open, which was considered seriously after one terrible Mother's Day.

OK, so we do some large parties.  We ask that the guests come at 6:00 or 8:30 on the weekend.  This allows us to seat a later group or an earlier group.  At least we get to "turn" the tables.  During the week, we can set aside a couple of tables that will not turn, so we play with the times a little.  Not a problem.  But Easter!, Mother's Day!, come on....