Service Period
A service period is one defined block of operation, such as lunch, brunch, or dinner, planned, staffed, and measured as a single unit from first seating to last table. Restaurants think in services rather than days, so Saturday dinner is its own event with its own book, prep list, and roster.
A restaurant that reports by calendar day is averaging several different businesses together. Lunch runs two-tops on 55 minutes, Saturday dinner runs four-tops on two hours, and brunch has its own guests and its own staffing. Covers, turns, and average check only compare cleanly inside the same service.
Systems draw the boundary in different places, which matters when the numbers get pulled. A point of sale closes its business day at a fixed hour, often in the early morning, so a late check can land on the next day’s report while the reservation book still counts that party in Saturday dinner.
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