(jayRaz)
If you’ve dined out enough in your life, you’ve likely been on both sides of the waiting game… You’re the one standing at the front of the restaurant, scanning the room for diners who seem to be wrapping things up. Or you’re the ones sitting at the table, finishing up dessert or sipping your third cup of coffee, even though people are waiting for a table.
Over at 29-95.com, they received a complaint from diners at a Houston restaurant who were told to “vacate the table” by the eatery’s owner because he felt that — what he claims was two hours and forty minutes but which the diners say was only 70 minutes — they had gotten their fill and their lingering was prohibiting him from serving other customers.
So we want to know your feelings on this bit of eating etiquette. How long should restaurants let you linger at your table after you’ve finished the meal you’re paying for? Is it okay for restaurants to ask you to leave if they feel you’re causing them to delay other diners?
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If you linger, buy some booze of coffee, otherwise, giddy-on!
I’ve had issues at lunch time with people lingering. There’s one place in particular, you go and order the food then they bring it to you.
Several times I’ve gone in and gotten in line and all the tables are full but there are enough five or 6 that are done eating. It’s easy to tell, they have empty dishes, or empty drinks and either people are socializing or having meetings.
the first time there ended up being about 10 people standing around unable to sit down and I finally went up to a staff member and asked if there was anythign they could do, maybe clear some dishes away and people would get the hint.
That seemed to work.
although another time I just went up to someone who had clearly been done and was lingering and said “excuse me, there’s no place to sit, could I have your table when you are done?” and that was enough to get them to realize they needed to move.
I remember one time in a large party (about 10 people) waiting for a table at a restaurant in Palo Alto, we were told 5-10 more minutes for 2 hours. It turns out they were waiting on a large group who were lingering over wine to leave. When we were finally seated, I understood why we had to wait, but I was annoyed that we were strung along being told that our table was almost ready when we could’ve gone to a different restaurant. For our pains, we were given a couple of free appetizers. I’m wondering if that was sufficient compensation.
I’d give it a max of 20-30 minutes of hanging out after the check is paid.
Manager:
I’m sorry for asking you to do this, but we’re a bit short on tables tonight. Would you mind moving your conversation to the bar? I’ll give you guys a drink on the house.
Patron then doesn’t really have a polite way of refusing– Even if they don’t drink, they’d be total assholes for refusing to move to the bar.
Of course, if there is no bar, then I guess there’s not that option.
Yes to this. This is the way to do it.
Servers don’t make money unless they turn tables. One of the restaurants I worked for in college used to keep the restaurant cold so people wouldn’t stay long. Works GREAT!
I know some people I refuse to go to dinner with. They’ll just keep talking for HOURS after everyone is done eating. We should go to the bar and sip on a drink or go outside and talk. Taking up a table for hours after everyone is done is ridiculous and frankly, embarrassing. I am surprised no one never told us to leave.
Totally depends on the culture, the restaurant, and the bill paid.
$25.00? Go home if you want to chat.
$125.00? You’ve rented that table for at least an hour after you are done with your meal.
McDonalds? Go home to chat.
Petite a la Minage? You’re having a romantic dinner, you are expected to stay after you are done with your meal.
Anywhere, USA? Get out of my chair, your meal is done.
France? You linger after the meal, it could be over an hour.
On the flip side, I have experienced far too many restaurants where I sit down for a quick lunch, with a limited time, I am served quickly, my meal is done, there is no front register, and it takes over 30 minutes for me to get a bill … and when I get it, it takes them another 30 minutes to process my change.
Ugh.
I mostly go to fast food restaurants or Asian cuisine restaurants so maybe it’s different, but if I’m done eating, I’m leaving. After I pay, obviously. If I’m eating with friends or family visiting, then maybe you can sit for a short while, but why not just go to someone’s house? To me, that would be much better than sitting there feeling like people are watching and waiting for you to leave.
Smart restaurants know how to handle campers easily enough and in a very polite way. If you ever get greeted by the manager and get an offer to have “dessert on the house…at the bar” you are being asked in a very nice way to vacate the table. Gordon Ramsey and I’m sure many other top restaurateurs will offer a lingering table “an exclusive tour of the kitchen and a special nosh”. Of course at that point you are out of the table and the problem is solved.
The Funkturm Restaurant in (then East-) Berlin rotates, at the rate of about one rev per hour. My dad & I visited there in 82. We had a nice meal, then asked for dessert. They said no, you’re only allowed to be up here for one revolution.
I believe for the in-and-out chains that have been mentioned, TGIFridays, Applebees, etc., you need to eat and leave because lets face it this is the style of dinning these chains are based upon. At a nicer place you should have a little more time to enjoy the dinner without the threat of being kicked out.
I just recently moved to Europe and dinner here is a more intimate affair. The bill is not slapped on the table after the entrée has been served while asking if you would like anything else. The wait staff does not rely on tips so the whole process of dinner is slow, relaxing, and enjoyable. At least to me it makes it stress free and really allows one to appreciate the ambiance. Here if you want fast you can always swing by a kebab place and have a meal.
If the place is only partially full, you’re doing the restaurant a favor by being there. Does anyone like to go into a restaurant and be the only ones there? How many times have you skipped over a restaurant because there were no cars in the parking lot?
If the place is packed and others are waiting, no more than 15 minutes (less is better).
If other diners aren’t waiting but you’re being loud and obnoxious, 0 minutes would be great. Otherwise, maybe 30 minutes. Usually the waitstaff will let you know when its time to go when they start giving you dirty looks. Conversely, if they don’t seem to care, stay for an hour and order coffee.
This type of situation happened to me yesterday at one of my favorite BBQ joints. The little shop only had a seating capacity of 45 on a night where there were 15-20 people in line ordering and an additional 15-20 people waiting on on seats to free up. That’s a total of 30-40 people waiting on seats in a capacity eatery.
One d-bag party of 6 finished their meal (no check here since everything’s paid for as you order) and chatting it up sipping on their beer. 20-30min later, not a single one has even made it 1/2 way through their bottles of beer and with the line and to-be seaters still piling up, these fools still didn’t have the sense to just finish up and take their conversation elsewhere.
Common sense with a bit of courtesy here people. If you’re done, get the hell out so others can enjoy their meal as well. The owner didn’t ask them to vacate but I’m sure at least a good 10 or so of us lining up against the wall would’ve been happy to do it. This goes the same for those that get into their cars in the parking lot and then decide to snack, redo makeup, and reorganize their glove boxes before pulling out of their spot.
As long as they discount the meals by at least 50% for rushing me out, I would go. Otherwise, I would just say “no” and never come back.
I think that it’s safe to say the 15 minute rule is fair. After all is finished, 15 minutes is when you should get up and let the next group sit and enjoy. Anything longer seems like a a-hole move. It really also depends on the establishment and what you’re paying for the meal. $50 a person, you should be able to sit around for 15-30 min after the meal. $100 a person, the staff is not rushing you out anyway because you will never come back if they do.
If the place is CROWDED…. then I could see giving someone the boot… as a server – I once had a group of teens order one slice of pie really late and night – they were there for over an hour just bsing… I was kind of annoyed but I still gave great service, checked up on them etc…. the pie? like… 2 bux…. the tip? $15.
I have a little bit more patience now… but I’m no longer in food service….
This is why I don’t eat at those Japanese places where they cook the food in front of you. The owners basically sit in a corner and as soon as you’re close to finishing the meal they ask you to pay and leave. Even if you’ve only been there for a little while.
It’s why I don’t eat at those places anymore. Bad service, mediocre food, extremely rude and pushy staff. It’s a wonder that any of them still exist. But I could say the same for Hollywood. People shell out tons of money to go see the latest pile of garbage that they’re spitting on the screen. Apparently millions of people just can’t wait for more Chipmunks or Marmaduke.
As a server, If there are many open tables, I don’t mind at all if people want to stay and talk for awhile. If it is busy however, or gets busy, I think it’s polite to move the conversation to a coffee shop. We do need those tables so that we can help other customers.
It’s the same thing I do at a coffee shop if I have my laptop. Many open tables, I’ll nurse my beverage if I’m not super thirsty. If there is only one open table, I’ll be either buying more drinks or giving my space to a paying customer who has just come in.
It’s not just about the restaurant making money, it’s about the wait staff turning tables and being polite to other people that would like to eat out that evening as well.
Just long enough to have a smoke. Of course, we can’t do that in Ohio anymore, so I’d say 10 minutes. 12, if you smoke longs.