Restaurant Mechanics

I would assume that most of the people that would be even half interested in reading what I have to say about restaurants, already check out what John Lethlean says about restaurants every week in Epicure, The Age on Tuesdays.
It then disappoints and frustrates me to read a review by one of his colleagues that seems uninformed about some restaurant basics, in the spot a Lethlean review usually appears (Johns reviews in contrast show a high level of knowledge). If your not following what I’m getting at, and if you are, I’m sure you are as annoyed as I am, have a look at the Left Bank review from Tuesdays Epicure.
Leanne Tolra introduces her review with a blurb on why diners should revolt, perhaps she is trying to be political and interesting, but to an informed diner she just appears silly.

Let’s talk about some restaurant mechanics; I know about this, as I did it for over ten years and most of my friends are still immersed in this world of restaurant theatre (no-no; not ‘theatre restaurants’ (!!!), I’m talking about the part of a restaurant that the diners of the world don’t need to know about).
Interested?? Read on.

Rule 1 -Restaurant reservations
Telephone conversation
Diner: Hi, could I book a table on Saturday night at 7.30 please?
Waiter: Sorry, we don’t have anything at 7.30, but we could do you a table either early or late, say at 6.30 or 8.30?
Diner: Oh, I really need to come at 7.30 because (…insert anything you can think of, we have heard them all!...), I’ll have to call you back.

Reason behind the rule:
The restaurant is either
1. already fully booked and they are taking a punt that if you accept the 6.30 reservation you will probably be finished before the people who have booked late turn up, or if you take the 8.30 reservation they may have had a ‘no show’ table that is sitting free or that an earlier table finished quickly.
2. already very busy and most of the reservations are at 7.30, which means to offer consistent service, the restaurant limits the number of bookings they accept at any time period and hence can give better service.

One thing to keep in mind is that though many restaurants may have two sittings on a busy night, they would be crazy to strictly take bookings at 6.30 or 8.30 and make guests leave for the second sitting. It is too hard to manage the whole diningroom arriving, eating and then leaving at once (and impossible to get your guests to be happy to book this way). It is much more convenient to allocate a certain number of tables or guests that can be booked at each half hour bracket, which also loosely allows two sittings as there are few people who will sit at a table for longer than 2-3 hours and some that want to be in and out in 1 hour.

How to get around the rule and get a 7.30 reservation:
Book ahead. Perhaps weeks/months and get a table in the 7.30 bracket.
Be smart. Ask to be waitlisted for that time, just in case something comes up, believe it or not, most people that work at a professional level in a respectable diningroom really do want to help you.
Be nice. If you are waitlisted or have an early/late booking, try some charm, often people are annoyed and a bit gruff when they can’t get a booking when they want, so if you’re nice and reasonable, perhaps you will be remembered and get the wait listed booking ahead of the rude person. Human nature.
Therefore, ‘Rule 1 -Restaurant reservations’, explains how restaurateurs are not trying to “dictate patronage to their patrons”, but actually be equipped to offer more consistent service during the busy service.

The rash and righteous comments expressed by Leanne Tolra, only confuse the diner as to what hospitality professionals are all about, trust me, when I say that most of the people working in these dining rooms really do want to help you, they generally enjoy people and want to invite them into their dining rooms.

I think there is an opening here for a few more rules, keep an eye out for more restaurant mechanics to come.

Jack