Covers
Covers is a restaurant industry term that refers to the number of customers served during a specific time period. When someone in the restaurant business talks about covers, they mean how many people they've served or can serve. For example, if a restaurant did "200 covers" on a Saturday night, it means they served 200 customers. This term is important for staffing, inventory planning, and measuring a restaurant's performance. Restaurant managers and owners use this information to make decisions about scheduling, food ordering, and overall business strategy.
Examples in Resumes
Managed busy dinner service averaging 300 covers per night
Increased cover count by 25% through improved table turnover strategies
Supervised front-of-house staff handling up to 500 covers during peak weekend hours
Typical job title: "Restaurant Managers"
Also try searching for:
Where to Find Restaurant Managers
Professional Networks
Job Boards
Industry Resources
Example Interview Questions
Senior Level Questions
Q: How do you plan staffing levels based on expected covers?
Expected Answer: A senior manager should explain their process for analyzing historical data, considering special events, weather, and seasonal patterns to predict customer volume and schedule appropriate staff levels while maintaining labor costs.
Q: How have you improved cover counts while maintaining service quality?
Expected Answer: Should discuss strategies like improving table turnover, optimizing floor plans, training staff on efficiency, and implementing reservation systems while ensuring customer satisfaction stays high.
Mid Level Questions
Q: How do you handle unexpected spikes in cover volume?
Expected Answer: Should describe methods for managing sudden increases in customer volume, such as flexible staff scheduling, cross-training employees, and having emergency procedures in place.
Q: What systems do you use to track covers and why are they important?
Expected Answer: Should explain experience with POS systems or other tracking methods, and how this data helps with scheduling, inventory management, and business planning.
Junior Level Questions
Q: What is a cover and why is it important to track them?
Expected Answer: Should demonstrate basic understanding that covers represent number of customers served and why tracking this metric matters for restaurant operations and planning.
Q: How do you prepare for different cover volumes between lunch and dinner service?
Expected Answer: Should show understanding of basic service period differences and how to adjust staffing and preparation accordingly.
Experience Level Indicators
Junior (0-2 years)
- Basic understanding of cover counting and tracking
- Managing small service teams
- Basic scheduling and staffing
- Understanding peak vs. off-peak service
Mid (2-5 years)
- Forecasting cover volumes
- Staff scheduling optimization
- Service flow management
- Analysis of cover patterns
Senior (5+ years)
- Strategic planning based on cover trends
- Multi-outlet management
- Revenue optimization
- Training and system development
Red Flags to Watch For
- Unable to explain basic cover counting methods
- No experience with busy service periods
- Lack of understanding about staffing based on cover volume
- Poor knowledge of industry standard tracking systems
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