Final answer:
Servers are suggested to check back with tables a few bites or minutes after delivering food to ensure guest satisfaction. In a campus restaurant scenario with low customer arrival frequency, specific timing would require further data analysis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to the hospitality industry, specifically the best practice for servers in checking back with guests after serving food.
While there is no specific formula stated in the scenario, the industry standard often suggested is that servers should check back with the table either a few bites or a few minutes after delivering food to ensure customer satisfaction and to address any immediate needs or concerns that may arise.
The situation described indicates a busy campus restaurant scenario during a non-peak hour, yet the importance of timely follow-up remains relevant.
In terms of estimating time for customer arrivals, if the account of the students' experience is representative of a typical customer flow pattern, and taking into consideration the narrative context that the friends took over five minutes to find a suitable table, it suggests a relatively low customer arrival frequency.
For a more precise determination of the average time between customer arrivals or the time taken for three customers to arrive when the store opens, additional data points such as exact customer counts over specific time intervals would be required.