Ryan Stannard, who goes by @ryan_stannard4 on TikTok, is known for sharing restaurant-related content. As a longtime server, he regularly gives advice to other people in the industry about making more money and becoming more successful.
Knowing how difficult it can be to keep every table happy during a busy shift, Ryan shared a video explaining a technique he uses to manage multiple tables at once. The video received 31,800 likes and 207 comments at the time of writing, sparking a conversation among other restaurant workers.
@ryan_stannard4 Changes their whole perception
♬ original sound - Ryan Stannard
Ryan discussed something many restaurant workers have experienced: trying to keep a table happy while several other customers are waiting for service.
When a server has multiple tables in their section, it can be difficult to give every diner the one-on-one attention they may expect. Instead of leaving customers wondering when someone will get to them, Ryan recommended a simple technique.
He calls it “resetting their mental clock.” The idea is to check in with every table, even if you are on your way to serve someone else. A quick hello and a reminder that you’ll be with them shortly can reassure customers that they haven’t been forgotten.
According to Ryan, once a server acknowledges a table, the customer’s “mental clock” resets because they know someone will be back to help them soon.
Ryan believes restaurant workers should implement the technique when managing a busy section.
His advice sparked a conversation on TikTok, with restaurant workers sharing their own experiences and approaches to handling multiple tables.
Some people agreed with his advice. “Rule #1 of serving: COMMUNICATE,” one commenter wrote. Another added, “Just saying hello to your tables will buy you some time. As long as they know someone is coming to take care of them, they will calm people down.”
Not Everyone Agreed With His Advice for the Restaurant Industry
Other restaurant workers had different approaches to handling a busy section.
“Negative! You treat it all like one party. You greet table one, write all their drinks down ask them if they want appetizers. Then you got a table two you do the same thing, followed by table 3. Stop by POS station ringing all appetizers for every table plus any alcoholic beverages then you go to the kitchen and you make everybody’s drinks,” one commenter wrote.
Others said Ryan’s advice did not account for the specific demands and expectations of every restaurant.
“Truthfully, I understand what you mean, but the restaurant I work at has a 30 second greet, and 1 min non alc standard. I love to swing by and grab as many first rounds as possible but unfortunately if I'm getting shopped it'll look bad on my part,” one server wrote.
Another commenter described a situation where customers can make it difficult for a server to move on to another table.
“What happens if a table says they are ready, take what feels like 10 mins to order and won’t let you walk away. I’ll say ‘I can give yall some more time’ and they say no that they are ready right now and it feels like you can’t walk away, even though other tables are waiting on you. This happened to me on Saturday and ruined my whole flow,” they wrote.
The comments showed that restaurant workers have different ways of handling a busy shift, depending on their restaurant’s expectations, staffing, and the customers they are serving.
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the experiences described in Ryan’s TikTok video. The details in this article are based on @ryan_stannard4’s advice and the experiences and opinions shared by commenters on his video.
