breakfast seating question

[gillumhouse]

Yellow Socks, sounds like you and I do it pretty much the same. I only have a small b&B with 2 rooms for now. So at the most we would have 4 guests at a time. I set up the buffet real fancy with candles and flowers, and everything is served in pretty, or fancy dishes with lids and all is garnished. I set up the table fancy too and if it's really nice out (by that I mean "cool under 90 with no humidity"), then I also set up tables outside in the courtyard in case anyone wants to eat out there. (my fam will also eat the leftovers).
Our table seats 12 so it feels pretty lonely if only two are eating there. My family all either leave very early every morning, before guests get up or sleep in past breakfast (ususallly on Saturdays). My dear hubby insits that we leave the table like it is as it adds to the 'grandness' of the home. No one has complained and I ususally ask the guests if they would like us to join them. Unless its a couple on honeymoon, or appears to be very cozy and looks liek they want to be left alone..

We had one, and then two, rooms for the past year. It's only recently that I've had four rooms and had more than four for breakfast! Even now, breakfast times are often staggered and not everyone sits down at once.
We never join them to eat, but I agree, if there's only one guest it's kind of lonely in there. After they are all served I might pull out a chair and drink some juice with a boy on my lap and have a nice chat. If there's two, and they're a getaway couple, I leave 'em alone. If there's two, not on a getaway, who truly want to talk with me, then I might stand behind a chair and talk, then sit when my feet start to hurt.
I stole an idea from Kathleen at Gillum House and give them a bell to ring if they need anything. It's a fun touch, even though so far no one's rung it... "Oh, my mother would kill me if I rang for you..." That, and I tend to pop in every five minutes or so to see how they're doing... I hate being at a restaurant and needing the waitress and she's no where to be found.
Sometimes the kids want to eat with the people... "No, you may not." Sometimes the people want to share with the children (some juice or bacon or whatever). If it's their idea, and they seem genuine (not just polite) then the kids may sit at the table and have a little fruit or juice or something (not a full meal!). That happens very infrequently, though. Usually the kids are eating cereal in the kitchen, or watching a video downstairs.
We have the table for six instead of eight because it can be turned sideways and leave the rest of the room as a sitting area. We don't do "buffet" because that's a lot of food... and even with "family style" I always serve plenty and if they eat it all then I worry that I didn't give them enough. Although I'm learning that if they eat all I give them then they're really big eaters, and very full afterward! I've also discovered that some people have this internal drive that insists they must . eat . it . all ... [Sidetrack... it's been educational watching how different people eat. Not to be a voyeur or anything, but the slender ladies who don't touch the bread, and the massive people who have to finish all of it, and the no red meat lady who snitches bites from her dh ... it's been educational!]
=)
Kk.
.

I stole an idea from Kathleen at Gillum House and give them a bell to ring if they need anything. It's a fun touch, even though so far no one's rung it... "Oh, my mother would kill me if I rang for you..." That, and I tend to pop in every five minutes or so to see how they're doing...
Easier for you is to get them to ring the bell. You do this by telling them, "I believe every woman at least once in her life should be able to ring a bell and someone else come running." This is how I do it for dinners - would work for breakfast too. I find the first ring is very tentative and afer that it is WHANG! WHANG!!!
.

I stole an idea from Kathleen at Gillum House and give them a bell to ring if they need anything. It's a fun touch, even though so far no one's rung it... "Oh, my mother would kill me if I rang for you..." That, and I tend to pop in every five minutes or so to see how they're doing...
Easier for you is to get them to ring the bell. You do this by telling them, "I believe every woman at least once in her life should be able to ring a bell and someone else come running." This is how I do it for dinners - would work for breakfast too. I find the first ring is very tentative and afer that it is WHANG! WHANG!!!

You are a saint. If someone rang a bell and expected me to come running I would dump the oj over their head.
.

If someone rang a bell and expected me to come running I would dump the oj over their head.
Wouldn't you enjoy being the bell ringer and having someone come for you? Actually it is a selfish answer to tending to the guests - but remember, I use it for dinner - because I do not have to wonder if they are ready for the next course or keep popping in to see if all is well. It serves 2 purposes. #1 - they have privacy over dinner and know they will not be interrupted #2 - I can relax in my Library until the bell reings for the next course.
If YS is going to leave the guests to their conversation, by telling the lady this is to make her feel as special as she is, YS gets to not have to pop in every so often to see if anything is needed.
See, the bell is purely sefish on my part!

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

Yellow Socks, sounds like you and I do it pretty much the same. I only have a small b&B with 2 rooms for now. So at the most we would have 4 guests at a time. I set up the buffet real fancy with candles and flowers, and everything is served in pretty, or fancy dishes with lids and all is garnished. I set up the table fancy too and if it's really nice out (by that I mean "cool under 90 with no humidity"), then I also set up tables outside in the courtyard in case anyone wants to eat out there. (my fam will also eat the leftovers).
Our table seats 12 so it feels pretty lonely if only two are eating there. My family all either leave very early every morning, before guests get up or sleep in past breakfast (ususallly on Saturdays). My dear hubby insits that we leave the table like it is as it adds to the 'grandness' of the home. No one has complained and I ususally ask the guests if they would like us to join them. Unless its a couple on honeymoon, or appears to be very cozy and looks liek they want to be left alone..

We had one, and then two, rooms for the past year. It's only recently that I've had four rooms and had more than four for breakfast! Even now, breakfast times are often staggered and not everyone sits down at once.
We never join them to eat, but I agree, if there's only one guest it's kind of lonely in there. After they are all served I might pull out a chair and drink some juice with a boy on my lap and have a nice chat. If there's two, and they're a getaway couple, I leave 'em alone. If there's two, not on a getaway, who truly want to talk with me, then I might stand behind a chair and talk, then sit when my feet start to hurt.
I stole an idea from Kathleen at Gillum House and give them a bell to ring if they need anything. It's a fun touch, even though so far no one's rung it... "Oh, my mother would kill me if I rang for you..." That, and I tend to pop in every five minutes or so to see how they're doing... I hate being at a restaurant and needing the waitress and she's no where to be found.
Sometimes the kids want to eat with the people... "No, you may not." Sometimes the people want to share with the children (some juice or bacon or whatever). If it's their idea, and they seem genuine (not just polite) then the kids may sit at the table and have a little fruit or juice or something (not a full meal!). That happens very infrequently, though. Usually the kids are eating cereal in the kitchen, or watching a video downstairs.
We have the table for six instead of eight because it can be turned sideways and leave the rest of the room as a sitting area. We don't do "buffet" because that's a lot of food... and even with "family style" I always serve plenty and if they eat it all then I worry that I didn't give them enough. Although I'm learning that if they eat all I give them then they're really big eaters, and very full afterward! I've also discovered that some people have this internal drive that insists they must . eat . it . all ... [Sidetrack... it's been educational watching how different people eat. Not to be a voyeur or anything, but the slender ladies who don't touch the bread, and the massive people who have to finish all of it, and the no red meat lady who snitches bites from her dh ... it's been educational!]
=)
Kk.
.

I stole an idea from Kathleen at Gillum House and give them a bell to ring if they need anything. It's a fun touch, even though so far no one's rung it... "Oh, my mother would kill me if I rang for you..." That, and I tend to pop in every five minutes or so to see how they're doing...
Easier for you is to get them to ring the bell. You do this by telling them, "I believe every woman at least once in her life should be able to ring a bell and someone else come running." This is how I do it for dinners - would work for breakfast too. I find the first ring is very tentative and afer that it is WHANG! WHANG!!!
.

I stole an idea from Kathleen at Gillum House and give them a bell to ring if they need anything. It's a fun touch, even though so far no one's rung it... "Oh, my mother would kill me if I rang for you..." That, and I tend to pop in every five minutes or so to see how they're doing...
Easier for you is to get them to ring the bell. You do this by telling them, "I believe every woman at least once in her life should be able to ring a bell and someone else come running." This is how I do it for dinners - would work for breakfast too. I find the first ring is very tentative and afer that it is WHANG! WHANG!!!

You are a saint. If someone rang a bell and expected me to come running I would dump the oj over their head.
.

If someone rang a bell and expected me to come running I would dump the oj over their head.
Wouldn't you enjoy being the bell ringer and having someone come for you? Actually it is a selfish answer to tending to the guests - but remember, I use it for dinner - because I do not have to wonder if they are ready for the next course or keep popping in to see if all is well. It serves 2 purposes. #1 - they have privacy over dinner and know they will not be interrupted #2 - I can relax in my Library until the bell reings for the next course.
If YS is going to leave the guests to their conversation, by telling the lady this is to make her feel as special as she is, YS gets to not have to pop in every so often to see if anything is needed.
See, the bell is purely sefish on my part!
.

If someone rang a bell and expected me to come running I would dump the oj over their head.
Wouldn't you enjoy being the bell ringer and having someone come for you? Actually it is a selfish answer to tending to the guests - but remember, I use it for dinner - because I do not have to wonder if they are ready for the next course or keep popping in to see if all is well. It serves 2 purposes. #1 - they have privacy over dinner and know they will not be interrupted #2 - I can relax in my Library until the bell reings for the next course.
If YS is going to leave the guests to their conversation, by telling the lady this is to make her feel as special as she is, YS gets to not have to pop in every so often to see if anything is needed.
See, the bell is purely sefish on my part!

I understand. It is the idea of the bell. I have never eaten in a fine dining restaurant where we rang a bell. It is up to the server to be attentive.
I would never ring it if someone gave it to me. To each his own.