YumSugar

Do You Eat at Restaurants That Don't Take Reservations?

partysugar — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:50:36 -0700

A couple of weeks ago, I went to grab dinner at Pizzeria Delfina, my favorite local pizza joint. The trendy restaurant is always packed, and although it doesn't take reservations, I normally don't mind going early to put my name on the chalkboard. However, the wait ended up being two hours on a Wednesday night! I couldn't help but think of a friend who refuses to eat at restaurants that don't take reservations - no matter how good the food is. As my stomach growled, I wished I was more like her. Where do you side on the matter?

Do You Call to Cancel Reservations?

YumSugar — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 09:00:07 -0700

I dine out with friends and family all the time, and inevitably there are always scheduling changes. When I need to cancel a reservation, add or subtract a party member in a way that would affect table count, push dinner back, or am running late, I always make sure to call the restaurant - and more often than not, they thank me for calling. Do you do the same?

How Long Will You Wait For a Table?

partysugar — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:30:52 -0700

Yesterday on his blog, San Francisco Chronicle restaurant critic Michael Bauer discussed the no-reservation restaurant trend. While he doesn't enjoy it, Bauer will sometimes wait up to an hour for a table.

When I have no place to be, I'm willing to wait an hour, especially if the eatery has a bar. How about you?

Source

How Do You Make Reservations?

YumSugar — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 11:45:43 -0700

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal that reviewed online dining reservation applications prompted a discussion I had with PartySugar about the preferred method for booking reservations. If possible, I'll score a reservation online; it's convenient and sites such as OpenTable offer incentive points for doing so. Party, however, always prefers to book over the phone; she believes it's easier to get a reservation that way. I'm curious to know: how do you book your dinner reservations?

Source

Are You Willing to Hold Tables With Your Credit Card?

YumSugar — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:00:11 -0800

The other day, I was on OpenTable to book a reservation at Range, a popular restaurant in San Francisco, and the online service prompted me to enter in my credit card number. It may not be the norm, but some restaurants - like Agave and Momofuku Ko - stand by this policy. Although it could seem risky to reveal a credit card number before any sort of purchase has been made, the practice seems to make sense for those restaurants who would have lost significant business due to no-shows.

What is your opinion on this issue? Are you willing to, or have you, plunked down your credit card number to secure a reservation?

Source

What Would You Do?

partysugar — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:11:51 -0700

We've all been in crazy situations and I want to know how you handle entertaining blusters and bad restaurant behavior. Much like our What Would You Make feature, I'll present a situation and you tell me what you would do.

Here's the scenario: you're at a new, trendy restaurant. You don't have a reservation but, it's 8:15 and you figure they might be able to squeeze you in. When you arrive at the restaurant there are several open tables. However, the hostess tells you there is a 20-minute wait. You are in no hurry and decide to wait. The 20 minutes go by and there is still an empty table. All of a sudden you realize you've been waiting 50 minutes and the table is still empty. What would you do?

To see what I did in this situation - true story, it happened to me a couple of weeks ago! - read more.

I went to the hostess and told her we had been waiting for almost an hour when she said the wait was only 20 minutes. While, I understand that people with reservations get priority over those without them, I wondered why we stood there for 50 minutes when we could have been seated and eating. Luckily I noticed there was a spot clearing up at the bar. I told her we would like to sit there. The open spot was only for two people and we were three, but it was better than waiting outside in the cold night!

Source

Have You Ever Been Rushed Out of a Restaurant?

YumSugar — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 07:01:51 -0800

Last week food blogger Sam Breach recounted an incident where her late - as in less than an hour before closing time - reservation caused the staff to rush her through her meal. I personally thought it was unacceptable, why take a reservation so close to closing time if you're only going to rush people out? Yet I must admit, I don't like making reservations so late, mostly because I'm worried of being rushed out. So tell me, have you ever been rushed through a meal?

Source

Did the Restaurant Do the Right Thing?

YumSugar — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 07:28:31 -0800

The other night my friends and I were out and about and decided to grab some dinner. At 7:35, we popped in to a small sushi place and asked if they had a table for four. Our chances didn't look good - there was only one table left and it had a reserved sign on it - but the hostess disappeared into the back and about five minutes later she returned, removed the reserved table and sat our party.

We proceeded to sit down, order drinks, and peruse the menu. A few minutes later - at least 7:45 - a lady entered the restaurant and was really upset to hear that she no longer had her 7:30 reservation. The hostess said she called twice, but that no one answered. Personally I wondered why - if the lady knew she was going to be late - she didn't call the restaurant herself.

So what do you think, was it okay for the restaurant to give the table away? Or should they have waited?

Source

Little Becky Makes Another Prank Call

GiggleSugar — Thu, 31 May 2007 08:00:00 -0700

Little Becky is up to no good again. This time, she tries to pass as Mariah Carey over the phone and attempts to make hotel reservations at a fancy French hotel. Without even attempting to disguise her little voice, she gets the hotel operators to stay on the line and indulge in her antics. That is, until she gets offensive.

The How-To Lounge: Getting a Reservation at a Booked Restaurant

DearSugar — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 06:00:00 -0800

There's a hot, trendy restaurant that you're just dying to get into, but they're booked solid for weeks. Or, you're trying to get a table for 4 at eight o'clock, and they've only got a five o'clock and a ten o'clock available. A popular, new spot books up fast, and by the time you can check it out, there's something newer and hotter already happening.

What do you do if you have your heart set on that one specific spot, if you have a celebration or a client next week? For some helpful tips on getting through the door, read more.

Ask to be placed on their cancellation list. Many people double and triple book their reservations, especially if they're visiting from out of town, so the likelihood of getting a canceled spot is higher than you think

Ask if they keep tables open for walk-ins only. Some restaurants save a few tables for walk-ins, as those table tend to turn over faster than reserved tables.
If the restaurant has a lounge, ask if you can get full dinner service at the bar or in the lounge area. You never know, you might like the atmosphere more than the dining room; the bar area can be looser and more festive.
When you're ready to leave, introduce yourself to the host. Let them know how much you enjoyed your meal and your evening. Establish a relationship. The more you're seen eating or drinking at their establishment, the more likely it is they'll look out for you.
Make friends with your waiter and tip well. They have a say on the reservation books as well.
Most restaurants have a website where you can make reservations. Some sites like City Search and Open Table offer a certain number of tables that are open specifically for online reservations.

I hope you'll find these tips helpful the next time you have trouble getting a reservation. Good luck, and let me know if you've got a good tip or two!

Source