Louisville-centric questions...

So, I've lived in Louisville for 20 years, since I was 10. I consider myself a native. I pronounce the "ville" as "vull." I am a massive Cards fan, and I love to see UK lose. If I meet you for the first time and you're from here I'm going to ask which high school you went to. However there are a couple of restaurant behaviors that seem louisville-centric that I just don't get...

1) Why does the entire city want to eat at exactly 7pm and seem genuinely suprised and mad if there's no room at that time? (In all fairness there is a large secondary group that would like to eat at 7:30 )

It's a fact. Louisville eats at 7. I can't tell you how many calls we get asking if we are going to be busy at 7pm. At this point, I just politely explain that while I can't actually predict the future Louisville is way into eating at seven and that we will most likely be full right then. This has been the case at every restaurant I've worked at here.

2) Why are Louisvillians so utterly (hostilely even) opposed to waiting for a table?

In any other city in the country, it's not uncommon to wait 40 minutes to 2 hours for a table. I've had reservations in Chicago at 9 and after checking in, waited 15-30 minutes for our reserved table to free up. Here, many people act offended and shocked if you are on any more than a 15 minute wait. I've had someone tell me that our place was poorly managed because we were on a long wait. The irony of course is- by the time they go back to their car, figure out where they're going and drive there if the other place isn't on a wait too, they probably could have been sitting down at a table in the first place.

This is certainly not meant to offend anyone, I'm just genuinely curious and wanted to provoke some conversation on the subject...sound off, folks!

I'll wait up to an hour maximum past a reservation. If my reserved table is not ready by then I feel I'm being milked for drinks and indeed the place is mismanaged. My thinking is for me to make a reservation in the first place it has to be a special occasion, hence worth a wait.

The wife and I never eat at 7, for the very reasons you have listed. We try to eat between 5:30 and 6:00 because I refuse to wait. Last weekend we went to Wild Eggs for breakfast and were told there was a 20 minute wait. Did we wait? Nope, we headed to North End and didn't wait at all. The drive to North End took close to the wait a Wild Eggs, but I hate just standing around. It is kind of like sitting in traffic. I'll drive 15 minutes out of the way to prevent from sitting in stand still traffic for 10 minutes. Sure in is a 5 minutes loss for me, but at least I was moving. There are enough great restaurants in this city that I never wait more then 10 minutes for a seat.

[Robin Garr]

1) Why does the entire city want to eat at exactly 7pm and seem genuinely suprised and mad if there's no room at that time? (In all fairness there is a large secondary group that would like to eat at 7:30 )

That's not universal. In general, along Frankfort Avenue at least, it seems to me that crowds at most of the usual suspects don't peak until 8 or later. I recall that when Jim Gehrhardt first left the Seelbach for Limestone, he was horrified to find the time shift between downtown diners and suburbanites, and ended up offering all sorts of incentives (discount prix fixe, reduced-price wine) to lure people in after 9 p.m.

2) Why are Louisvillians so utterly (hostilely even) opposed to waiting for a table?

Again, speaking only from my experience, places with a nice bar with plenty of room are much more likely to keep people happy while waiting. I'm thinking of the late, lamented Primo here in particular, where there was always a crowd in the bar and people didn't seem to mind at all sitting and sipping while they waited. Volare, too.

This is certainly not meant to offend anyone, I'm just genuinely curious and wanted to provoke some conversation on the subject...sound off, folks!

I feel your pain, Jeremy, but you're tweaking some of my own preconceptions. I would have said that the issues you describe go to eateries with less sophisticated clientele than I'd expect at the Blind Pig. I'll be interested to see what others have to say.

People probably like to eat at 7 pm because, not to be obvious, but that's when they get hungry and normally eat at that time in their homes. People like routines. I don't like eating later in the evenings but that is just because I'm a health nut and don't ever eat late if I can help it.

Not sure why people would be hostile other than some people get mean when they get hungry. I pretty much only dine in places I can make reservations though and I don't mind waiting 15-20 minutes or so past that time but more than that and I get a little irritated.

Why are Louisvillians so utterly (hostilely even) opposed to waiting for a table

A friend of mine from the Northeast says that Louisvillians don't have waiting "habits." He makes fun of my inability to wait patiently for a TARC bus. He tells me I just need to fold over the newspaper and do the crossword puzzle or enjoy the waiting time as a break from the rush of the day. I tell him I just want the bus to be there! Interestingly, I'm much better with waiting for the Metro in DC when I visit there. Waiting (and then rushing) seems to be more part of the culture there. Louisville's not "big enough" for people to expect that they will have to wait.

...places with a nice bar with plenty of room are much more likely to keep people happy while waiting. I'm thinking of the late, lamented Primo here in particular, where there was always a crowd in the bar and people didn't seem to mind at all sitting and sipping while they waited. Volare, too.

Jeremy, in complete honesty, you guys have one of the worst "waiting" arrangements in Louisville (along with Havana Rumba). Maybe it's changed, but the way I remember it, patrons could wait in the following locations: outside, in the doorway, in the walkways, or at the bar (which if you are not at a seat, you are basically standing in the walkway). Those are the options. I have no problem waiting, but I will not wait at places that 1) have inadequate waiting areas and 2) can't figure out who gets sat next.

You guys have an inadequate waiting area. Honestly, I think the waiting area should be something other than the bar or something else along with the bar. Go check out Cocos Lokos. They have a great waiting area. Granted, waiting areas are space dependent. But, you've got to figure out how to best use the space you have.

Why are Louisvillians so utterly (hostilely even) opposed to waiting for a table

Jeremy, in complete honesty, you guys have one of the worst "waiting" arrangements in Louisville (along with Havana Rumba). Maybe it's changed, but the way I remember it, patrons could wait in the following locations: outside, in the doorway, in the walkways, or at the bar (which if you are not at a seat, you are basically standing in the walkway). Those are the options. I have no problem waiting, but I will not wait at places that 1) have inadequate waiting areas and 2) can't figure out who gets sat next.

You guys have an inadequate waiting area. Honestly, I think the waiting area should be something other than the bar or something else along with the bar. Go check out Cocos Lokos. They have a great waiting area. Granted, waiting areas are space dependent. But, you've got to figure out how to best use the space you have.

I love the Pig, but I have to agree. The layout is just not friendly for waiting, especially since the bar is always packed too. Frankly, we don't go to the Pig as much as I would like, because I know that (a) there will be a lengthy wait for a table and (b) we're 90% unlikely to get a place a the bar to wait.

2) Why are Louisvillians so utterly (hostilely even) opposed to waiting for a table?

Again, speaking only from my experience, places with a nice bar with plenty of room are much more likely to keep people happy while waiting. I'm thinking of the late, lamented Primo here in particular, where there was always a crowd in the bar and people didn't seem to mind at all sitting and sipping while they waited. Volare, too.

[/quote]

There are obviously plenty of people who are willing to wait and have a drink at the bar, but you'd be surprised how many people just walk out or hang up when they're told there's a wait.

This is certainly not meant to offend anyone, I'm just genuinely curious and wanted to provoke some conversation on the subject...sound off, folks!

I feel your pain, Jeremy, but you're tweaking some of my own preconceptions. I would have said that the issues you describe go to eateries with less sophisticated clientele than I'd expect at the Blind Pig. I'll be interested to see what others have to say.[/quote]

These observations certainly aren't limited to the Blind Pig in my experience. This discussion wasn't meant to reflect my experience at the Pig, but rather my observations over the years in Louisville. Like I said- this isn't everyone in town, but a rather large number in the Louisville population. Are these issues common in all cities or just here? I'd bet that if you asked a bunch of other industry folks around town they would agree that these observations happen frequently...look at Justin's reply-- he "refuses to wait." It's kind of fascinating to me.

I find waiting to be stressful. It's especially stressful to me if I've made a reservation and then I'm asked to wait. If there's a nice bar, I might consider having a cocktail, but high tops or standing around doesn't do it for me.

Most times our dining decisions are made at the spur of the moment. Often we will call while enroute to see if there will be a table available. If not, we just work down our list of possbilities in the general area of interest that evening. Every resturant we visit will provide us delicious food, otherwise what's the point? So the deciding factor is usually whether there is a wait or not. Little things count folks!

From my perspective, if a restuarant has a significant wait, then they have more business than they can handle... at least to the level of service that I desire. So, what's wrong with me getting the service that I want?And in turn, giving my business to a resturant that is not doing as well?

It is kind of like sitting in traffic. I'll drive 15 minutes out of the way to prevent from sitting in stand still traffic for 10 minutes. Sure in is a 5 minutes loss for me, but at least I was moving. There are enough great restaurants in this city that I never wait more then 10 minutes for a seat.

I am of the same thought. And it has less to do with just being from Louisville; some people simply prefer not to wait. People may label it impatient, but I see it as better than just standing around and doing nothing; it's a personal characteristic. I am not going to split hairs on waiting 10 vs 15 minutes. That's an entire different question. How long are people willing to wait for a table? Me? It depends on the party I'm dining at the time; waiting area;and capacity of the restaurant. I'll,typically,not wait more than 30 minutes for an open table. One of the main reasons are because several restaurant have reservations or call-ahead seating to prevent such long wait. Plus , I'm hungry. I want to eat. Not 2 hours from the time walking in the door, but preferably within 30 minutes.

Verily, Louisvillians would not enjoy Spanish restaurants opening at 11:00 p.m., at least not at first. Once you get in the rhythm, it's mighty fine, and in my opinion, that's the point.

Just a hunch, but speaking personally, I think 25 years spent traveling in Europe, primarily in cities, and always by public transport, has cured me of much such impatience. You miss one bus? Wait for the next, or walk a block to the subway. Riding a bike helps, too. It just takes longer, and you get used to it.

My life is filled with all types of stress, and long, leisurely evenings out are the cure, not the cause. Some times we snack a bit before leaving home. Drinking is caloric, too. For us, dining out is an experience a bit beyond mere sustenance, which, of course, is why there are cookie-cutter chain restaurants.

I think they're trying to avoid families like mine. We eat earlier. Even when the kids are home with a sitter, we have to go early so that we can be back before total bedtime meltdowns begin.

Do people without kids really go at 7? That seems early.

I think they're trying to avoid families like mine.

....I just spit milk through my nose

I think they're trying to avoid families like mine.

....I just spit milk through my nose

Milk, after noon? Did you forget about all that Pappy?

I think they're trying to avoid families like mine.

....I just spit milk through my nose

Milk, after noon? Did you forget about all that Pappy?

Lunch time...What can I say