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Old 06-16-2012, 04:40 AM
 
Location: West Los Angeles and Rancho Palos Verdes
13,563 posts, read 15,485,447 times
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This evening I went out to dinner with my mother and my aunt. We went to a restaurant with far fewer booths than tables with chairs. All the booths were occupied, which disappointed my aunt. All the booths could seat four people, yet in one case, a booth was occupied by only two people. I then remembered how twenty years ago, when I was a host at a restaurant, myself and other hosts would get a little annoyed when a party of just one or two people would request a booth that could seat four, since there were smaller tables intended to accommodate just one or two people.

Does anybody else these days get annoyed by people taking booths, when there are smaller tables that can accommodate them? I think people should take the smallest table available that suits their party size, as it's a more efficient use of the available resources.

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Old 06-16-2012, 05:45 AM
 
672 posts, read 2,105,107 times
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I prefer booths. I also make sure to tip really well because of the situation you mention. Booths and booth seats are more comfortable. I wish restaurants would realize this and build their resultants to reflect this. Some have and have built booths to fit parties of 2 or 1.
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Old 06-16-2012, 10:27 AM
 
Location: A Yankee in northeast TN
15,933 posts, read 20,899,784 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Exitus Acta Probat View Post
Does anybody else these days get annoyed by people taking booths, when there are smaller tables that can accommodate them? I think people should take the smallest table available that suits their party size, as it's a more efficient use of the available resources.

Nope.
We always take booths because I don't like being in the open, really don't like people brushing by me.
If more restaraunts had two seater booths I'd use them, but they don't so we usually end up in a larger booth and I don't feel bad about taking the only option I feel comfortable with.
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Old 06-16-2012, 10:55 AM
 
23,510 posts, read 69,890,838 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Exitus Acta Probat View Post
This evening I went out to dinner with my mother and my aunt. We went to a restaurant with far fewer booths than tables with chairs. All the booths were occupied, which disappointed my aunt. All the booths could seat four people, yet in one case, a booth was occupied by only two people. I then remembered how twenty years ago, when I was a host at a restaurant, myself and other hosts would get a little annoyed when a party of just one or two people would request a booth that could seat four, since there were smaller tables intended to accommodate just one or two people.

Does anybody else these days get annoyed by people taking booths, when there are smaller tables that can accommodate them? I think people should take the smallest table available that suits their party size, as it's a more efficient use of the available resources.

In a word, no. With open seating, first come first choice is more fair. If you want the expensive dining experience, where tables are reserved and assigned according to cash in hand and efficiency, that is still possible. In any event, your complaint would be with the restaurant and not the diners.

I have an odd story on how "efficiency" in public places can work. Back in the 1970s, multiplex movie theatres started becoming common. The owners would build a couple of big auditoriums, a couple of medium size ones, and a couple of "toilets" or small ones. When a new feature came out, it spent week one on the big screens, week two in the medium screens and then played out the run in the toilets. It was quite efficient until the incredible egos of the Hollywood set got involved.

Studios started DEMANDING that their films would always run in the largest auditorium - for the entire run - as part of negotiations. That might work if only one studio was involved, but ALL of them had the same bug up their *ss. I remember cramming people into small auditoriums while a big budget STINKER was hogging the large auditorium. Finally, the exhibitors got so frustrated that they made the new multiplexes with auditoriums all the same size (which due to financial considerations could never be large.)

Then... when a wildly popular film came out, with limited prints, we "interlocked" projectors that had the special selsyn motors and accumulators, and played the same film in more than one auditorium to accommodate the crowd. (At one time I interlocked FIVE auditoriums to run the same print. That was highly dangerous, because any damage to the print would create a major breakdown.)

By making all the auditoriums the same size, it turned off a lot of the audiences who wanted to experience the BIG screen, and turned them to video and big screen tvs, ultimately REDUCING the income to the studios from the theatres, and making many theatres go out of business.

My point is that always playing to efficiency, rather than the EXPERIENCE of the customer, is a fool's way of keeping and increasing a customer base. The two HAVE to be balanced for successful business.
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Old 06-16-2012, 12:30 PM
 
31 posts, read 44,568 times
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great point Harry and nice insight into the past
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Old 06-16-2012, 01:41 PM
 
Location: Northern Illinois
2,186 posts, read 4,544,809 times
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Default Gotta disagree....

Quote:
Originally Posted by Exitus Acta Probat View Post
This evening I went out to dinner with my mother and my aunt. We went to a restaurant with far fewer booths than tables with chairs. All the booths were occupied, which disappointed my aunt. All the booths could seat four people, yet in one case, a booth was occupied by only two people. I then remembered how twenty years ago, when I was a host at a restaurant, myself and other hosts would get a little annoyed when a party of just one or two people would request a booth that could seat four, since there were smaller tables intended to accommodate just one or two people.

Does anybody else these days get annoyed by people taking booths, when there are smaller tables that can accommodate them? I think people should take the smallest table available that suits their party size, as it's a more efficient use of the available resources.


When I go into a restaurant to eat, it is my choice to go to that particular restaurant, and my choice as to where I sit. Since I am/would be a paying customer (same as you), what I want at that particular time is for me to decide - not for you to decide where I sit because of how many people I am dining with that particular time. Also, it is definitely first come, first served. Besides, having been ushered to those dinky tables for two, by the time they stick all their restaurant "crap" on the table there is hardly room for your dinnerware when they serve the meal. It can be quite cramped and uncomfortable - and if I wanted to just generally have a bad meal experience - I would rather just stay home. Sorry - just my opinion....
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Old 06-16-2012, 01:52 PM
 
2,861 posts, read 3,823,586 times
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Sorry OP. We often dine in a "group" of two, and feel we have a right to a booth or a special seat too. This is especially true since we often arrive when things are not "packed". We also often will wait if we want a booth/special seat which is not available (after estimating and inquiring about the wait time).

Re the OP: In this case, you were a 'group' of three, not four. What would you have done if there were just two of you, especially if the place was not full when you were seated?

In cases where we dine at a busy place/time we are often more flexible with where we are seated if we choose it stay there.
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Old 06-16-2012, 02:11 PM
 
Location: southwestern PA
22,230 posts, read 47,150,952 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Exitus Acta Probat View Post

Does anybody else these days get annoyed by people taking booths, when there are smaller tables that can accommodate them?
Nope.
I am not at all annoyed.
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Old 06-16-2012, 02:50 PM
 
Location: Boca Raton, FL
6,869 posts, read 11,175,696 times
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Smile Well - just my opinion

I've gone to restaurants with the small booths (2 people) and they are fine.

My husband loves sitting in a booth. What he doesn't realize is that he is tall (6'3") and I have to sit on the inside - I feel so cramped. He does not like sitting on the inside.

I prefer a table but defer to whoever is with us or with me.

Today, we were at a new place for brunch and their booths are totally plush, extra cushions too - so very comfortable and they are not facing one another - booth goes around. Very nice; kind of high tech decor, very cool place.

Seating I can't stand at restaurants are the tables for two on down a row - I think it's very New York or something; can't stand that type of seating - one side is a booth and then they put all the small tables there.

To the OP - I do not get annoyed. I have enough in my life to worry about.
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Old 06-16-2012, 03:55 PM
 
Location: Philaburbia
41,699 posts, read 74,634,436 times
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Doesn't bother me in the least. First come, first served.
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