Loitering in a restaurant....

[Retiredguy2]

Spouse and I have been talking about this (not arguing) since Saturday pm. We met three other couples at a mid-priced seafood restaurant at 5 pm, we had a reservation and were seated promptly. We had finished our meal at about 6:45 pm (about $25-30 a plate with tax and tip) and bid the other three couples farewell, they wanted us to stay and chat but we declined. Upon exiting, we observed about 15 other patrons waiting to be seated. My wife got a phone call at about 7:30 pm and from what the caller said the other three couples were still seated at the table (!!!)

I am glad we left when we did...according to my beliefs, loitering at the table after finishing your meal and paying your check at a busy restaurant when patrons are waiting for seating is quite rude. Knowing the other couples as I do, they are cheapskates when it comes to tipping and I doubt if they gave our server anything more than 10% although she delivered exemplary service. My feeings are:

If you are finished with your meal and the check has been paid, you do not loiter for chit-chat, and if you do you want to chat go sit in the bar area if there is one and order something to provide revenue for the establishment. YOU DO NOT LOITER AT THE TABLE and deprive the business and server of income and tips, and most of all: During a busy evening, you do not keep other patrons waiting for seating.

Comments are quite welcome, thank you.

 

[davesl708]

I agree retiredguy2.

Considering the number of tables in a restaurant and the hours open you can see the earnings per table can be little. Turning the tables several times during the night is the difference from a profitable night and a losing night.

Keeping others waiting when the bar area is available is inconsiderate. I know people have choices and can go elsewhere but a little consideration for the business and others is in order.

 

[300UGUY]

I wouldn't do it, surprised the manager didn't run them off. Friend of mine owns a restaurant. He calls those folks "campers".

 

[fidowanttobe]

I agree also. When we have a family group and take up several tables, we go at 2:30-3:30 pm so that the place isn't busy. Then we also tip better also because we have coffee and BS afterwards. Learned this little etiquette thing from my 2 sisters who used to be servers when they were young. However, rudeness does seem to be the norm these days.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Agreed. Common courtesy, seldom practiced any more, what a shame...

 

[oldpilgrim]

If you are finished with your meal and the check has been paid, you do not loiter for chit-chat, and if you do you want to chat go sit in the bar area if there is one and order something to provide revenue for the establishment. YOU DO NOT LOITER AT THE TABLE and deprive the business and server of income and tips, and most of all: During a busy evening, you do not keep other patrons waiting for seating.

And I am unanimous in that.

 

[Bird]

Yep, I don't mind staying and visiting when business is slow for a restaurant, but no way I can sit there with other people waiting.

 

[Looking4new]

I agree with the rest of you guys.

 

[Trials]

Retiredguy2 you sound like one of the men who still opens a door for a lady or holds her chair as she is seated, then you probably assist her to put her coat on when you are leaving. You probably don't wear a ball cap at the dinner table and you likely say please and thank-you at the appropriate times. If you were traveling public transit and a lady was standing, you would probably offer her your seat too. We are old school, this is why we do these things, it's becoming such a rarity that it draws stares and comments, occasionally even compliments. :/ I recently had a waitress go out of her way to tell me she had Never seen a man hold a chair for a lady.

The best you can do is to set an example as you did and hope that some of your common sense and good manners rubs off on the dullards. The only thing you might have done differently was to communicate your concerns to the others before leaving, but you probably didn't notice the situation until you were leaving, so let's hope that was the reason your friends failed to oblidge.

Some people are aware of their surroundings, polite and considerate of others, then there are those who are simply oblivious to the world around them.

Stay sharp stay wise and keep up the good work, but don't let it bother you too much, depressing as it sounds it's simply not worth it. To the rest of the world we are the freaks of nature.

 

[Grateful11]

Agreed. Common courtesy, seldom practiced any more, what a shame...

You're right there isn't much of that these days. Far too many seem to be mad at the world or think they are owed something for whatever reason.

 

[jmc]

So, I was at the AT & T phone store looking at a wall display about 6 ft away. This kid about 6 year old comes along, and forced to pass between me and the wall display, sez:

"Excuse me."!

There's hope.

 

[QRTRHRS]

I agree that it is rude to linger when others are waiting. I used to go out with a group that lingered and also were stingy. I usually left early and paid the tip along with my bill at the register.

My three older sisters all waitressed and I washed dishes so I know the importance of a good tip for a good waitress/waiter. We usually frequent the same places and the servers always take good care of us as we do them.

 

[DuckSlayer1017]

I agree with you guys, if the place is crowded leave in a timely manner. I do want to say that this is an American cultural thing. When I was in France two years ago on business I had this same discussion with the guys from the company I was visiting. Both of them were French but also spent several years in the USA working at their Michigan office. They were commenting how in the US the servers take much better care of the patrons then they do in Europe. I asked if they thought it was because we tip in America and they don't. They thought that could be part of it. They then said that in France going to dinner was an all night affair. Restaurants expected people to stay for two to three hours, enjoying each others company, have before dinner drinks, the main course, desert and more after dinner drinks.

They were not really sure what country they liked better. On one hand you have the American way where everyone is in a hurry, you get fast service and are in and out in 45 minutes or less. In France you get slow service but a nice relaxed atmosphere but were there a minimum of two hours even if you were in a hurry. I guess I just wanted to explain how different cultures take a different approach to dining out.

 

[Jstpssng]

I can't imagine taking up a table to talk when I know there are people waiting for it. To me it's like taking money from the pockets of the owner and waitresses.

 

[MossRoad]

... Upon exiting, we observed about 15 other patrons waiting to be seated.

The key there is "Upon exiting, we observed"

If you didn't observe a crowd waiting until you exited, how would your "cheapskate" friends know there was a crowd waiting? If it bothered you so much, why didn't you go back in and tell them?
:confused3:

 

[jaotguy]

it's just old school VS new wave

old s were TAUGHT manners and how to behave / treat other people as you hope to be treated,
pull together as a group when times call for it / help neighbors in times of need

new wave = ME FIRST attitude and @#$%^&* everyone else ... ( not being taught manners )

just the sign of the changing times.

 

[KiotiKowboy]

Finished eating? Leave. The server needs to turn the tables.

 

[roadhunter]

There was a restaurant in Tulsa that the waiters wore a "no camping" sign on their shirts to prevent such behavior and turn tables over faster.

 

[MossRoad]

We frequently close down a local restaurant/bar with our friends. We tell the server to make sure they come to us if they need the table on crowded nights in the restaurant, or we'll eat in the bar. But they never have in 10 years asked us to give up a table. Why? Because we're ordering, tipping, and returning again in a few weeks. We also tell them to be sure to come to us if they hit end-of-shift so we can tip them before they go home.

When you go to a restaurant and they tell you the wait will be 10 minutes or an hour, its then up to you to decide if you want to wait or not. If you don't feel like waiting, go somewhere else. We've waited for long periods if we feel its worth it, and we've left if we feel its not.

Now if we notice there's a crowd waiting and we're done eating and drinking, that's different. We'll finish our meal in the restaurant and move to the bar or go to another bar or someone's house to continue the evening.

 

[Retiredguy2]

The key there is "Upon exiting, we observed"

If you didn't observe a crowd waiting until you exited, how would your "cheapskate" friends know there was a crowd waiting? If it bothered you so much, why didn't you go back in and tell them?
:confused3:

If you must know, the place was quite busy and every table was occupied during our stay there, had they paid attention they would have noticed that. Experience told me they would not care if I told them about the waiting customers, because they are just inconsiderate to begin with. Sad thing is, they are all my age (early to middle 60's) and you think they would know better.