How to Start & Run a B&B BandBED2eBook-1 | Page 73

happy to serve a bottle of champagne (or a round of scotch & sodas, come to that!) at
breakfast, which would add to our revenue nicely.
Serving, Seating & Table Layouts
This is something which will be dictated as much by your dining-room space and
furniture as by your or your guests’ preferences.
The temptation is to be like a hotel and lay out separate tables for two and four, so
guests can breakfast separately. This is indeed the “safe” option in many ways, but of
course you have to have the room, and the separate tables.
At our own B&B, we only have three letting rooms, so there is a maximum of six guests.
Although our dining room has the space (under the previous owners, it was
Sherborne’s best restaurant), we have opted to lay six places around our dining table
(which easily seats 10-12). When laid with silver candlesticks etc. and a linen
tablecloth, it looks festive and attractive, and we have had many comments of
appreciation from guests of the conviviality of this idea.
In our case, guests can keep themselves to themselves because there is enough space
round the table, and they can opt to read a paper if they prefer not to speak to the other
guests, but most do at least share a few words, and some almost seem to be striking up
new friendships over the bacon and eggs. That’s when we feel that we have made the
most of things, and have maximized the advantages of a family B&B over any
impersonal hotel.
If you are concerned that you may lose out on guests wanting maximum privacy
(perhaps romantic young couples?), then even if you have a large shared table like us,
you could always offer a “breakfast in bed” option. People are prepared to pay extra
for this service, and you could adapt your menu to avoid time-critical items like
poached eggs. Options such as Buck’s Fizz (if you have a Licence) give you more
revenue-earning opportunities, and you may ease the pressure on your breakfast room
this way.
Breakfast in bed requires appropriate equipment: a trolley, perhaps, and bed “trays” –
and don’t stint on the napkins! Towelling robes are worth considering too if you are
offering breakfast in bed.
Of course, breakfast in bed also introduces the risk of spillage of coffee or orange juice
on bedding or carpets. The ideal layout is (if bedroom space permits) a table for two
with two chairs in the bedroom itself.
Meals and drinks
If you are worried about the stresses and strains of running a B&B, relax – they are
nothing compared with the stresses and strains of running a restaurant! It never