In a kitchen with hiarchy, the chef will usually expedite. I run the expo side on the busy nights/ weekends at the country club. We give an Amuse to each table, have a soup/salad course, an appetizer and an entree course. It is up to the expo to time things properly.
If it's slow, and the guys are going quick, you'll hold back on firing the entrees. If it's busy, you will slow down the amuse, and the salads, while sometimes even firing the entrees simultaneously with the salads, as it should take 3-5 minutes for salads, and 15 to 20 for entrees.
Running expo flawlessly in a busy coursed fine dining setting is an art. You never want to leave your table waiting...
Now, all of this is even more exasperated in a country club setting because everyone knows one another. So, if you have 70 reservations spread out from 7-8:30, it doesn't seem like a big deal right? But, when the Smiths come in and see the Johnsons and join them for a drink at the bar, and so on, and so on; all of the sudden at 8:30 you are seating a virtual 70 top....makes for a nightmare every weekend!