Glossary

Deuce

What is a deuce in a restaurant?

A deuce is a table for two, or the two-person party sitting at it. Deuces are the workhorses of most dining rooms: they are the most common party size, they turn fastest, and a floor's supply of them decides how many couples you can seat at prime time. Hosts protect deuces the way they protect four-tops: seating a solo guest at a deuce is fine, but splitting a party of four across two deuces that could have been pushed together wastes the mix. Rooms with flexible furniture combine deuces into four- and six-tops on the fly, which is why seating charts mark which tables join.