Please never have actual people for dinner. This type of seating is barely good for kids and horrible for adults if one person wants out everyone has to move not to mention getting into the seats. Post a floor plan of the DR I am sure there are better ways to seat people.

^ I agree. No one wants to scoot all the way around a table to sit and then be trapped.

Thank you for your comments. I have a small cramped dining room as it is and pushing the banquette further by the window would create more open space. My family total if we are all together is 11. I’ll put my folks in chairs on the other side. The 20 something year olds can easily move out if need be. I like the coziness of it and a gathering space when we have friends over looking to sit and chat. But I’ll keep your advice in my head as I look to see if this will happen! Thanks so much!

May I suggest that you share a floor plan with some dimensions for the room and your table? From your description I’m seeing an L shaped banquette with chairs on the other two sides of the table- is that right? I have a long church pew that serves a similar need and can seat 4 or 5. But the adults do tend to avoid it because of the access issue. The near end is pretty easy to exit, but people on the far side have to get past whomever is on the end and then squeeze between the chairs and wall as they go around the corner. It’s great to be able to put 12 people at one table though!

You might also consider using a regular table/chairs up against the wall, with extensions to expand when you have more guests. Even on a bench you need more than 24" per person for a small adult so they can move their arms.