Served: Welcome to the Restaurant World
I blog by day and wait tables by night. I'm excited to bring you Served, dispatches from the front of the house. Enjoy!
A Prayer
P.'s left hand is swinging a bottle of wine; her right, setting down a big handful of glasses.
"Guys, stop for a second," P. orders, gesturing with her wine bottle as if it were a weapon. It is after midnight, and we are still running around in full-fledged frantic mode. "Let's hold a moment of silence."
J., P., and I grasp hands and summon a focused, deliberate prayer: "Please, please, no crazy restaurant rush."
It's not that we don't love our restaurant guests. We do love them, inordinately. Some of them are good friends; all of them are ideal customers. They always have a great time, appreciate what we do, and spend lots of money. They tip really well—they work in the business, they get it.
But Tonight Was One of Those Nights
Seven hours earlier, I walked in to work to find my station already full. I barely slid my coat off my shoulders before a dude was barking for more bread, a woman wanting to taste a list of wines to see if her friend would like them (um, OK?), and a man berating me for refusing to sit his incomplete party. The exchange:
"You mean to tell me that we can't sit down at that table now?" he points to his table of choice.
"When everyone gets here," I tell him, "you are more than welcome to sit at whatever table we have available. Until then, why don't you have a seat at the bar?"
"You're saying we can't have that table now?" he repeats, his face actually getting red, all cartoonlike.
"Exactly," I smile. Sometimes, it's easy to maintain niceness in the face of impertinence. It makes the attacker seem silly. But this guy's anger is ballooning.
"If I go get a homeless person off the street, we'll have four people. Then you'll seat us?"
I give him my best "are you serious" look? I think he is, after a second, appropriately embarrassed.
Good thing I didn't usher him to that table he was lusting after. Minutes later, every single chair was occupied. Half an hour later, there was a wait. And that's how we stayed all night—very busy and very full.
We close at 2 a.m. Or that's the official stance. A few minutes after 2, we stop letting people come in. Not too long after that, the kitchen gets packed up. But on a busy night, the place is still rocking as it approaches 3 o'clock.
The restaurant crowd—and what a boisterous crowd it is—usually comes in at about quarter till 2. They order many glasses and bottles of wine and give our cook and our fromager an end-of-night workout. They have just come from work themselves. They are hungry. And they need a drink.
I feel that. Waiting tables can be physically and emotionally draining. I'm usually more inclined to pass out early than stay up all night, but after a marathon night at work I am usually ready to sit down, have a drink, hang out, and unwind. Even if it's closer to the time my alarm usually goes off in the morning than it is to my typical bedtime.
The Restaurant World Has Its Own Clock
We're hard at work when the rest of the world is playing. Weekends, nights, and holidays are crunch time.
When we opened last year, our plan was to be a spot where people who worked at restaurants could come for some wine and cheese after they finished their night. Or for some mac and cheese and beer. Or a piece of chocolate cake.
And they do. At first, we had nights with not a single table after midnight. Hence Mad Libs, magazines, stories, drinks, and even movies to pass the time. Those days are ancient history, relegated to mythic status. Now midnight means, most likely, a rush is on our heels.
Tonight we had a big bunch from the front of the house where I had my first New York restaurant gig. They were there just as late. They made an impressive showing, knocking back wine and bresaola like nobody's business.
After I put in their ambitious order and poured them glasses of prosecco, I pulled up a chair and we chatted.
"Do you know those guys?" B., my boss, asked.
"No! But they work where I used to work. It's crazy; all of the people I knew there are gone. It's only been three years."
"Welcome to the restaurant world!" B. said, laughing.
Though we might occasionally complain to ourselves, of course it is our pleasure to serve guests no matter how late. At 2 a.m., pouring wine and laughing with people, I know I have the coolest job in the world.
Still Wide Awake
"I'm usually up for a drink after work," J. says, and I know she means it.
Some of my best nights of all time have been after work with J. and others—late into the very wee hours of night. J.'s bartender friends let us stay till after their place closes. When even they need to lock up and go home, we head to our favorite crappy and wonderful diner for gyros or milkshakes.
You know it's a late night when you're going home on a subway full of people making their morning commute, equipped with coffees and briefcases.
"But tonight I'm going straight home. And not to drink and watch movies either." It was straight to bed for J.
And for me, too. I was already fantasizing about horizontality.
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25 Comments:
I'm not at all understanding not seeting people until their entire party is there. It seems extremely arbitrary. I've never see a restaurant do that, and if doing so means I'm waiting longer to sit down (I'm not a real drinker so the bar makes no sense to me), I'll be off to somewhere else where the customer is treated less like a number.
LunaPierCook at 9:03AM on 10/28/08
I'm completely understanding about not seat a party until all members of the group have arrived. If it's a group that has reserved a private room and committed in advance to a price that's different.
But scheduling can be tight - especially on a busy night. If a partial group or several sit at a table(s) having cocktails for 30 - 45 minutes while waiting for their missing member(s) and I happen to be the guy who has a later reservation and arrives on time but is then informed that I have a lengthy wait for my table - I'd be pissed.
phaelon56 at 9:09AM on 10/28/08
I agree. This concept of not seating a table when one person may be running late, outside on the phone, or maybe even not coming, is nuts. If I make a reservation for four, and three show up, do we not get to eat at the restaurant? I don't get it. Sure, if I make a reservation for eight and only two show up, it's understandable. But let's face it, there are restaurants on every corner, and while my heart may have been set on your truffled mac n' cheese, I'm out the door if I give the majority of my party give YOU the courtesy of a prompt arrival and you won't seat ME because one of my friends can't find a parking space.
pcullie at 9:14AM on 10/28/08
"If a partial group or several sit at a table(s) having cocktails for 30 - 45 minutes ..."
@phaelon56, I'm not so sure this happens as often as this sentence implies. Maybe it does, but I'm used to what happens in the midwest where this apparently isn't an issue.
LunaPierCook at 9:15AM on 10/28/08
You've never heard of the no seating until full party is arrived rule? Even *The Cheesecake Factory* abides by this rule here. I think it's fair. You aren't going to order until your final friend arrives thereby taking up more time at the table. Just because you made reservations doesn't mean you should get to bump me who didn't farther and farther back because you all can't get your acts together. Punctuality. Use it.
feriorrenna at 9:22AM on 10/28/08
I actually prefer not to be seated if I am the first to arrive, I feel more comfortable sitting by myself at the bar than sitting by myself at a table.
redfish at 9:25AM on 10/28/08
The Not Seating an incomplete Party rule is universal in the Northeast in mid to upscale restaurants. Why?
Well, a couple of reasons. The first is table turning, which is how a restaurant makes a lot of money. If one person is running late, you're going to wait for them to order. Having you sit there for 20 minutes or a half-hour in a table that could otherwise be occupied by eating people cuts into waiter tips and restaurant sales.
Second, there's the issue of the size of table you've reserved. It's nice to hear that you've been seated a 6 or 8-top, but if four out of the six show up, everybody is losing money. If it's just a question of somebody parking the car, most places won't split hairs, but come on. Look at it from the restaurant's point of view.
schwartz at 9:29AM on 10/28/08
@feriorrenna, nope, never heard of it, never saw a need for it. And yes, I have my act together and enjoy punctuality. My saying I don't understand it and have never seen it before is no need for an abrupt lecture. I hope your day gets better, and that you get your table for lunch!
LunaPierCook at 9:30AM on 10/28/08
@schwartz, thanks for the explanation. It does appear now to vary depending on where you live. Having not spent a lot of time out that way, it sure sounds like an alien concept, but if it's universally accepted in that area, I'll have to remember that for whenever I visit. Thank again.
LunaPierCook at 9:32AM on 10/28/08
As regards the seating only a complete party question:
in this post, at least, there wasn't any mention of a reservation. Many restaurants will seat a party with a reservation if someone isn't there yet but not for walk ins as they have less assurance that the whole party will show up.
Its also worth noting that its a pretty frequent occurrence for someone to show up at a restaurant fairly early in order to get a table for their group (be it 4 or 6 or whatever) with the full knowledge that the whole group won't get there for quite a while yet. The first person will sit and have a drink, check email on their blackberry or whatever and the table sits mostly empty while everyone else gets there.
Restaurants don't like to make things more difficult for themselves than they need to. Rules or policies like seating a whole party only are developed in response to situations that went badly.
ccbweb at 9:40AM on 10/28/08
The rule is very common in restaurants that have a high demand for tables here in St. Louis, both budget-priced and upscale.
I'm pretty compulsive about punctuality myself, but part of that is umpteen years as a nurse, decades of which were on evening shift, 3-11:30 p.m. (No, that is not nights. Nights is 11-7.) And I can tell you, the idea of heading out after a rough one for a drink and - if we were lucky - some decent food was generally greeted with enthusiasm, although we couldn't afford prosecco and bresaola, not that anyone served them at that hour. The idea of a convivial place to relax at that hour has never lost its appeal to me, and I'm grateful to the folks both in the front and the back of the house who served us.
And then there's the idea of breakfast after we got off night shift. Greasy spoons were easy, but there was one spot that offered freshly squeezed orange juice, decent coffee, real croissants (the only ones in town at that time) and an unhurried atmosphere. I recall seeing Mitch Miller (yes, the A&R guy who did the sing-alongs) and Jonathan Miller, the British actor and director, at various times chowing down there.
lemons at 9:42AM on 10/28/08
I worked for a upscale restaurant in the Midwest, and we followed the comlpete party seating rule. This was in place to provide a smoother dining experience for everyone. If the table is a 6 top, and the first two people are seated, then the next couple, then the last couple, the server has to greet the table 3 times, possibly go over the same information multiple times too. Also, if the reservation is for a 6 top, and the first two are seated, what happens when 15 minutes later they get a call that the other four can't make it...a larger than necessary table is used and the server and restaurant are losing money. I appreciate people questioning policies, but until you have worked a shift in a server's shoes, please do not judge. Remember: Patience is a virtue.
Leo1881 at 10:43AM on 10/28/08
I agree with swartz. Plus, if you make a policy for those jackasses that just take up more space than they need to hold a table, you have to hold the policy to everyone. I've been to many a restaurants in New York that have this policy, and I respect it for that reason. Especially around here.. if the restaurant is popular enough, there are plenty of people to take your place.
Laurel E at 10:48AM on 10/28/08
Hmmm, I've lived in Ohio my whole life and have visited many different level restaurants and have never encountered this policy either. I don't know if it's just because I never noticed or if it's because I'm always annoyingly punctual but this is the first time I've heard it mentioned. I don't think I'd get that upset like the guy in story did, either, though.
earlybirdkate at 11:11AM on 10/28/08
It's pretty common Upstate, too. It can be a tad annoying, but totally understandable. And I'm more likely to be annoyed by my dining comanion(s) arriving late than the restaurant's policy.
Kerosena at 11:44AM on 10/28/08
It sounds like a difference in philosophy regardless of region or class -- does the restaurant place the customer first or the $$.
Yes, a restaurant IS a business, but I find that I'd personally rather be at a place that's not as uptight about policies. It's rather hypocritical, since I am somewhat rigid when it comes to how I rule my life in general.
I arrive early when meeting friends so I'm not one of "those people" who hold everyone up. My husband and I dump people regardless of how wonderful they are if they aren't punctual.
Cassaendra at 12:03PM on 10/28/08
At my place, a little wine bar where we do not take reservations, the reason for the seating policy is simple. If that guy was waiting for an hour for his late fourth person to show up, it means another table of four could not sit there. If the place was near empty, we would probably let the three of hem have a seat...we're not especially uptight about policies, but we do need to create some kind of order in the face of potential chaos.
Hannah Howard at 12:29PM on 10/28/08
I get the idea of this rule, and many times it makes sense. I get crazy, though when i have a group of 4 at the restaurant and we're waiting for one more and WON'T be seated until the late comer is there. Even if we offer to just pull up an extra chair to our 4-top when the latecomer comes, we get a NO. Now, in this situation, i'm actually helping the restaurant make money by getting 5 meals out of a 4 top.
Additionally, if i'm waiting for people, i dont' sit at the table for 45 minutes with a cocktail in hand. My group will probably order drinks and appetizers, becuase we are HUNGRY. Normally, i'm not an app kind of person, but if i'm waiting for friends, i will usually order more. Again, i'm raising the bill and helpign the restaurant.
I get that in some cases its not smart for a restuarant to seat an incomplete party, but i just gave 2 examples where they would be better off, but i feel like that's never an option.
mh330 at 12:34PM on 10/28/08
This is only a problem when the first three want to wait for the fourth the order. Usually if one out of four is late, we just start eating some appetizers right away. What's the harm?
foodinmouth at 12:41PM on 10/28/08
"If I go get a homeless person off the street, we'll have four people. Then you'll seat us?"
The correct answer to this is "If you're buying him dinner, sure."
Sky Full of Bacon at 1:39PM on 10/28/08
@LunaPierCook
Sensitive much? I wasn't even responding to you personally, just the topic in general. Hope your day gets better too :)
feriorrenna at 2:10PM on 10/28/08
@feriorrenna, nope, not sensitive at all, it came across as a personal attack though. still, these kinds of forums don't lend themselves well to conveying anyone's actual intentions, so I'll certainly let it go. Might have to know what kind of beer you like, eh?
LunaPierCook at 4:37PM on 10/28/08
It is not a matter of putting money above customers, it is a matter of having policies which benefit most of the customers most of the time. People who are on time get seated, and that's most people. Restaurants don't make exceptions to these policies (unless, sometimes, it's a slow night, and sometimes not even then) because making exceptions is bad business. You let this party do it, even if it might be beneficial, and the party behind them wants an exception that hurts both the restaurant and other customers.
Oh, and pulling up an extra chair at a 4-top can cause traffic flow problems, and many places forbid it for that reason. Some restaurants are laid out extremely carefully to maximize space.
Look, people can resent this policy all they want, but it's in place for good reasons, and exceptions are bad policy.
thepictsie at 4:44PM on 10/28/08
I hear you about working when no one else is. I'm a reporter, and it's the same: holidays, festivals, blackouts, bad weather - all the times when you'd rather be at home or relaxing, that's when we work.
Oh well, at least it's fun. :)
piccola at 10:15PM on 10/29/08
i love this thread .... i love the fact that it gets people jumpin' in.....
i used to have a restaurant in upstate ny -- we'd seat people and let them wait at the table for their guests if we could -- because we knew most of the customers..... but there were also cases when people would reserve large tables (when we had live music) and then only 3 or 4 would show up. man let me tell you --- that's a real problem when you've turned down other reservations. but for the most part,on a regular nite - if we could we would..... in a small town you have to -- in nyc, it's a little different.
pooch at 9:22PM on 10/30/08