Seating and Wait times

Ok! So, this is a subject matter that I am convinced the average restaurant going person just does not pay attention too. 

First of all, let’s cover seating in a restaurant. 

What most of you may not understand or pay attention to, is the day of the week and how many servers a particular restaurant has working that evening.

In a typical restaurant, a server on a day shift is given a 5 table station and at night the station usually consists of 4 tables. 

When a host/hostess seats you, there IS a rhyme and a reason for where they put you. This is typically based  on the number of people in your party, the strength of the server AND the location of the particular section that that server is in, in the restaurant.

On any given day/night of the week, there are a certain number of servers working. You can be assured as a customer, that the only times that the ENTIRE restaurant is being utilized is Friday-Saturday. Any other day/night there are limited servers on the floor. This applies to both day to evening shifts as well. 

Typically, there will be fewer servers on during the day versus the night.

Now you might ask, What does all this mean?

Well, quite simply, if you want GOOD to GREAT service, you will sit where your host/hostess seats you. This will optimize your experience. When you ask to be sat ‘out of the way’ or ‘in a quiet corner’, you have honestly gone to the WRONG restaurant for your intended experience.

That is not meant to be harsh. We are a business that relies on all the same things that any other does. PROFIT. Let me be honest, servers want to make money, just like anyone else. We rely EXPRESSLY on the tips we receive, to pay our bills. SO WE WANT TO DO WELL FOR YOU!!

LET ME REPEAT

FROM A SERVERS POINT OF VIEW:

WE WANT TO GIVE YOU EXCELLENT SERVICE!!!!! 

The way to make this happen is to work within the confines of what that particular restaurant provides!!

Will this happen everywhere you go? Absolutely not. But here’s the thing….. YOU as the consumer, HAS to be willing to accept the pitfalls that goes with NOT adhering to that particular restaurants business model. 

NEWS FLASH!!! YOU will not get EVERY type of experience you’re looking for in EVERY restaurant you go to. Would you expect McDonald’s to provide you with the perfect ‘date’ experience? Probably not! Would you expect Olive Garden to provide you with a ‘kid friendly’ experience every time you go? I doubt it.

WOW, that was a LOT, just about where you can be sat in terms of location in the restaurant!!!

What happens when you have to wait? Well, lets start with WHY you have to wait! Refering back to what I’ve talked about earlier in this post; There are usually a limited number of servers on the floor. 

When you DO ask for ‘special seating’ if will likely take a bit longer to be waited on, based on just that alone. 

HERE IS THE BIGGEST PIECE OF THE PUZZLE!

A wait, in a restaurant, is NOT…… I repeat NOT an exact science. There are MANY factors that go into the time that is quoted you. The most significant of which is and ESTIMATION of what the current customers in the establishment are at. For example: How many tables still have menus on the table. How many tables are still eating their entrees. How many tables have finished or are close to finishing their entrees. How many tables are eating desserts. How many tables are just sitting and relaxing after breakfast/lunch/dinner. 

And THEN you get into the important questions. What shift is it? How many servers are on? Is it the start/middle/end of a shift? 

NONE of this is the same from day to day, from shift to shift, or from week to week!!! There is a certain amount of patience that is REQUIRED and I even dare say DEMANDED, in order for YOU to receive the service you want. 

So please, when you go out to eat…. be AWARE of what is going on around you. PLEASE plan certain types of visits to restaurants accordingly. If you have a date, plan it out. If its a lunch with co-workers, think about it. If you need to have a ‘power lunch’ with a client, understand where you are going! 

NOTHING is the restaurant industry is the same from day to day. And though you might not think that affects YOU, Joe Q. Comsumer, it does. At least if you are expecting a certain level of service. 

Dining Out With The Kids

Ok, so I have been wrestling with this one pretty hard. It would be very easy for me to turn this into a discussion on parenting Do’s and Don’ts. 
  

However, in the interest and spirit of what I’m trying to accomplish with these posts, I will do my best to keep it about awareness in a professional manner. Wish me luck! 

 1) Keep your child in their seat - Children that are allowed to get up and roam the restaurant freely can actually cause serious accidents. Younger children are not really in the line of sight for servers, or even other patrons. This could be potential danger when there is a possibility of collisions which involve hot food.  

2) Be aware of other guests - While many will understand that you can’t spend every night at home, a dining experience should be pleasant for EVERY guest who enters the restaurant. What does this mean? As a parent and a conscientious human being, you should be ready at a moments notice to ask for your check and retreat in the event that a child becomes unruly, loud or bothersome to others. I can ASSURE you that your server will attend to taking care of cashing you out, getting food to go, and in many cases even helping where needed to make this happen as smoothly as possible.  

3) Cleaning - I understand that kids are kids. And quite often, some of my funnest experiences as a server have involved tables with families and kids of all ages. Please be respectful of the area around you. YES, its our place to clean up, but let’s use some common sense. If you are not going to at least attempt to keep the mess in check, then you should be compensating those that you leave to deal with the ensuing disaster. TIP APPROPRIATELY.  

4) Your server is NOT your babysitter - While you will find that most servers will at least in some form attempt to entertain the kids, and even treat them as equals in some respects (age dependent usually), we DO have other tables and guests to take care of.  

Coupons

This one is a source of contention for many people because the main issue involves tipping.

Here’s how it SHOULD work. 

Regardless of your idea of what is appropriate in way of a tip, you should ALWAYS be tipping on the total of the bill BEFORE your coupon was deducted. After all, you DID order the food and drinks. You DID eat the food and drink the drinks. Therefore you should TIP based on the food and drinks you consume.

Its great to save a buck here and there. But you shouldn’t be punishing the server at the same time.

Dining Out With Groups

If you are going to go out for lunch with a large group in the middle of the week, keep these things in mind:

1) If this is a work group, please plan your time accordingly. This means…….. Do not show up all at different times. Come as a group. It helps the server AND YOU on time and organization. 

2) Usually, you have a certain amount of time to get in and out. That being the case…… When your server is speaking to you, PAY ATTENTION. Again, this helps with YOUR time constraints and the overall flow and organization for the server. 

3) If you are going to need separate checks for ANYONE at your table, AGAIN, please plan your time accordingly. It takes LOTS of time to separate, and then run numerous credit cards, or make change for many people. 

4) When a server asks you “Is there anything else you need or I can get you?" PLEASE for the love of Pete, take the 5 seconds to assess your situation and figure it out. When a server has to constantly run back and forth, it detracts from YOUR experience, and it affects others as well.

5) MOST IMPORTANTLY - PLEASE remember…… its ALL of you…… and ONE server. Though we have team members who can sometimes help us out. OFTEN, it is just your server, and ONLY your server who is helping you. And they likely have other tables that they are (or are TRYING) to take care of.