| Don't hog your table |
|
Lucky you! You've snagged a great table! Now: How long is that table "yours"? That's a tricky question and one that requires much finessing on the part of the restaurant and not a little understanding from you. Unless you've reserved at the Herbfarm, the restaurant expects to turn your table at some point during service. Reservations are booked in slots: 2 to 2 ½ hours for parties of four or fewer is local industry standard in finer-dining places, with a swifter turnover expected in more casual venues.
So, what do you care? For those who say, "It's not my problem," you're right: It's not. Not until you're the one left standing in the entranceway of a small restaurant that doesn't have a bar, the clock ticking on your Starv-O-Meter. Not until your husband's crying in his beer in the lounge with the baby-sitter's hourly wage up-ticking in his wallet.
Why not ask yourself instead, "What Would A Nice Person Do?" How about this:
• If you have a 6 p.m. reservation and expect to make an evening of it, say so in advance. Better yet, make a later reservation.
• Recognize that there may be logistical reasons why they need your table (to combine it with another for a larger party, for example). So, if you're through with your meal and want to hang out, ask to be moved into the bar or to another available table. Or take the party elsewhere.
• Spend money. It softens the blow. There's a reason it's called the restaurant business. Patrons who camp out over coffee refills for an hour and a half can do serious damage to a restaurant's bottom line.
|
|
|
