Glossary

Large party

What counts as a large party in a restaurant?

A large party is any booking above the threshold where your normal floor plan and policies stop working, most rooms draw the line at 6 or 8 guests. Large parties get special handling because the downside is bigger: a no-show eight-top wrecks a Saturday plot, kitchens need pacing for one big fire, and tables must be physically joined. Standard practice: card on file or per-head deposit above the threshold, a tighter cancellation window, disclosed auto-gratuity where used, and phone-first booking above roughly ten covers so a human plans the details. Online booking pages typically cap party size and route bigger groups to the phone.