Hollywood restaurant is replacing some of its standard tables with tal

Official Explanation

Difficulty Level: Easy

Argument Construction

Situation

Hollywood restaurant is replacing some of its tables with taller tables and stools, and the management expects this will increase revenue, despite the fact that the restaurant already fills all of its available seats and that this change will not increase seating capacity. Furthermore, there will not be any change in menu, prices, or operating hours.

Reasoning

What would strongly support the management’s expectation? Since the new seating will not increase the restaurant’s seating capacity, the management’s expectations must be based on a belief that the change to taller tables and stools will somehow change diners’ behavior, perhaps by leading them to order more food, or to stay at their tables for a shorter time, thereby allowing the restaurant to serve more diners during its operating hours without increasing seating capacity. If diners seated at tall tables and on tall stools spend less time lingering over their dinners, then they will leave sooner, opening up the tables for more diners. Because the restaurant, before the change, already fills every available seat during its operating hours, it is reasonable to think that it will be able to serve more diners than it currently does, thereby selling more food and thus increasing revenue.

A. This would be relevant if we could infer from it that seating capacity will increase. However, the passage indicates that the new seating arrangement will not result in greater capacity.

B. Correct. Because the restaurant will be able to serve more meals during its operating hours, the restaurant’s revenue can be expected to increase.

C. This may indicate that the restaurant is less likely to alienate customers who do not care for tall tables and stools, but that only supports the claim that the restaurant will not lose customers and therefore lose revenue; it does not indicate that the restaurant will see revenue increase.

D. Again, this merely indicates that there will not be a loss—or much loss—of revenue, not that there will be an increase in revenue.

E. Less expensive tables will decrease the restaurant’s costs, but it will notincrease the restaurant’s revenue.

The correct answer is B.