Console table in the restaurant: service station at the edge of the dining room
In the dining room, service staff need short routes to cutlery, glasses, napkins and menus. A built-in service station is not always possible or desired, especially in rooms with classic furnishings. A console table at the edge of the dining room can take on this task without looking like a piece of work furniture. This applies to the restaurant just as much as to the hotel breakfast room or a café, where every additional trip to the kitchen costs time at peak hours.For it to function in daily operation, location, dimensions, surface and organisation should be clarified in advance.
Location at the edge of the dining room
The console table should be positioned so that staff can reach it from several tables in a few steps without disturbing guests. Suitable places are wall areas between windows, alcoves or the area near the passage to the kitchen. As a rule, an aisle of about 90 to 120 centimetres remains free in front of the piece so that two people can pass each other. Escape routes and doors must not be narrowed. In larger rooms, two smaller stations are often more useful than one large one because the routes become shorter.
Dimensions and storage
A working height of about 85 to 95 centimetres has proved practical, and the depth of console tables is usually between 35 and 45 centimetres. That is enough for cutlery trays, glasses and a stack of menus, but not for large serving trays. Drawers hold cutlery and napkins, while a lower shelf offers room for baskets or spare tableware. In the Console tables section you will find models with and without drawers. Make sure the piece stands firmly or can be secured to the wall, as it is often loaded on one side during service.
Surface and load
Damp glasses, bottles and occasionally warm plates are placed on the top. Stone and marble tops are well suited to this but are sensitive to acids. Coasters for bottles prevent rings on the top.Lacquered or veneered wooden surfaces should be protected with a mat, a tray or a glass panel cut to size. Gilded and carved parts are better located outside the area that is handled, for example on the frame rather than on the edge. In this way, baroque furniture can also be used in daily service, provided the surfaces under stress are robust or covered.
Tidiness and the impression on guests
A service station within view is noticed by guests. Therefore, define what may be left on display and what disappears into drawers or baskets. Used tableware does not belong on the console table; the route to the dishwashing area is intended for that. A lamp or a mirror above it integrates the piece into the furnishings and makes working in subdued light easier. After a few weeks of operation, check whether the contents and the location are suitable, and adjust both if necessary.
Also of interest: Dining tables, Chairs, Mirrors. The full range: Baroque furniture.
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