How to use the seat turnover and revpash calculator
- Enter the number of seats and the hours of service you are measuring.
- Enter the covers served and the revenue taken in that time.
- Enter the average number of minutes a guest occupies a seat.
- Read RevPASH, seat turns, the average check and the capacity covers, and use the table to see how a shorter or longer visit changes RevPASH.
Formula
RevPASH = revenue / (seats x hours of service)
seat turns = covers / seats
capacity covers = seats x hours x 60 / minutes per guest
RevPASH = share of seat time filled x average check / hours per guest
The last line is a second way to reach the same figure. Revenue per available seat hour depends on how much of the seat time is used, what each guest spends and how long each guest stays.
A hundred seats for a five hour dinner
A restaurant with 100 seats serves dinner for 5 hours and takes in $5,000 from 190 covers, with each guest staying 75 minutes. RevPASH is 5,000 / (100 x 5) = $10.00. Seat turns are 190 / 100 = 1.90 and the average check is $26.32.
At full seating the room could serve 100 x 5 x 60 / 75 = 400 covers, so 47.5% of the seat time was used. If visits were 65 minutes and the same share of seat time were filled at the same check, RevPASH would be 0.475 x 26.32 / (65 / 60) = $11.54.
What RevPASH tells you
Revenue per available seat hour combines three levers: filling more of the seat time, raising the average check, and shortening the time per guest. Looking at one lever alone can mislead, because a faster table turn may cut the average check if guests feel rushed.
To find which dishes earn the most per cover, use the Menu Engineering Matrix Calculator. If you take reservations, the Appointment Overbooking Calculator addresses no-shows, and the Break-Even Calculator shows how many covers pay your fixed costs.
Comparing services
Measure the same hours on the same weekday across weeks, and measure lunch and dinner on their own. A single number for the whole day hides slow hours that are worth a different plan.
Assumptions and limits
- Seats and hours are the ones available for service in the measured period.
- Covers are guests served, and revenue is for the same period.
- Minutes per guest is an average, and the what-if table keeps the same share of seat time filled and the same check.
- Real demand may not follow the table, and shorter visits can change what guests order.
- Food cost and labor are not part of RevPASH.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good RevPASH?
There is no single good number. Compare your own RevPASH across services and over time, and with places of a similar kind and price level.
What is the difference between RevPASH and revenue per seat?
Revenue per seat ignores time. RevPASH divides by seat hours, so a short service and a long one can be compared fairly.
How do I measure the minutes per guest?
Take the average time from seating to leaving for a sample of parties, and divide by party size if a table seats several guests.
Why does capacity covers use full seating?
It shows the most the room could serve at your visit length, which is the benchmark for the share of seat time you filled.