What is the best way to pace courses so a table eats together?

The goal is one shared moment

Guests remember eating together, not the kitchen's internal timing. When one plate lands five minutes before the rest, the table feels off balance.

Pacing courses means every station finishes its part of a course in the same window, so the food goes out as one drop.

Fire, hold, and release

Appetizers fire first, then entrees hold until the table is ready for the next course. A timer or an expo tap releases the hold.

Holding is not stalling, it is protecting the guest experience by keeping hot food from sitting under a heat lamp.

Adjust for party size

A two top and a party of twelve do not pace the same way. Larger parties need a longer window and tighter coordination across stations.

Setting pacing rules by party size lets the line handle a big table without dragging every other check in the room.

Read the room

Pacing is not purely mechanical, because a table that is deep in conversation wants a slower next course than one watching the door.

The expediter should be able to nudge the release, so the system serves the room instead of overriding it.