Louisville-centric questions...

Such things include - inappropriate waiting area, a hostess that does not know how to properly work through a "waiting" list, being lied to about how long the wait is going to be (really, this helps business how?), bartenders who are so in to themselves that they can't tell that their self-attention is holding up drink orders, seeing people sat just to sit them all the while swamping a particular server, etc.

I agree with all of this...I think since we put in the theater chairs in the front of our restaurant that our waiting area is drastically improved, we have wait seating for 8, a bar, and a little bit of standing room now. And I could not agree more on the wait list lies...if anything we are over conservative here. I'd much rather seat you before you expected it than underestimate...that never ends well.

Glad to hear you have made some adjustments to the waiting area. I've been short on dough, so I haven't made it in over the last few months. I like your offerings more during the winter anyways, so I'll have to start saving up.

Then again, I hear that I'm a Communist.

Now, now Roger, you told us in your own words in beer class... you are not a Communist, just a "Pants Down Socialist."

Trust me when I say that none of us knew what that phrase meant, but were all to fearful to ask

-Pete

Such things include - inappropriate waiting area, a hostess that does not know how to properly work through a "waiting" list, being lied to about how long the wait is going to be (really, this helps business how?), bartenders who are so in to themselves that they can't tell that their self-attention is holding up drink orders, seeing people sat just to sit them all the while swamping a particular server, etc.

I agree with all of this...I think since we put in the theater chairs in the front of our restaurant that our waiting area is drastically improved, we have wait seating for 8, a bar, and a little bit of standing room now. And I could not agree more on the wait list lies...if anything we are over conservative here. I'd much rather seat you before you expected it than underestimate...that never ends well.

Jeremy,

We were there Friday night ( and loved everything!!) We arrived early as we had a show at Art Sanctuary/ Alley Theatre and expected that you would be slammed come 7:00- just from Louisville experience; didn't read this thread until now. The few people waiting for a table when we left at 7:15 seemed to really like the new theatre seats- what a great idea!

Love the Pig!
Deb

Not trying to change topics, I do agree having a good waiting area is critical, but making sure you take walk- ins in order is critical too. Bim taught me long ago to seat all tables, regardless of how small, in the order they walked through the door. It was law with us. Now, when I'm waiting I can't help but notice if & when walk-ins are seated out of order. And when that happens I have to make a decision whether it's worth it to stick around. CD

Not trying to change topics, I do agree having a good waiting area is critical, but making sure you take walk- ins in order is critical too. Bim taught me long ago to seat all tables, regardless of how small, in the order they walked through the door. It was law with us. Now, when I'm waiting I can't help but notice if & when walk-ins are seated out of order. And when that happens I have to make a decision whether it's worth it to stick around. CD

Do you mean that, say, Party A has a 7:30 reservation and arrives at 7:25. Party B has no reservations, and arrives at 7:20. It's a busy night and only one table is available. Do you seat Party B first?

Brad,
I think she means if a party if two shows up with no reservation, you seat them according to arrival time even if that means seating them at a 4-top. Folks with reservations are in a different "line".
Deb

Yep, Deb's got it. Since Deitrich's I've noticed two tops lingering on the top of the walk-in list while say a four top that came in after the twos is seated. I think you're safest committing to sitting walk-ins in the order they arrive.

Question WIll, Was it a round, rectangular or square table? Seriously, this guy was probably going to be a difficult customer anyway.

On recent Saturday night were busy but not totally slammed. Two couples walk in and I new from the first few seconds that they were going to be a bit challenging. I asked if they had a reservation- no. Okay no problem. give me a minuet to clean a table I say. I find the table for them and get a server to clean it and set it up. In the mean time I do about five things while the table is being cleaned. One of which is to seat a table that had a reservation. The two couples kept starring at me. I turn around and they are out the door. I have their menus in my hand. I walk out and say - Your table is ready. At which point one of the gentlemen says- You can take your table and shove it up your ass. Sir please do not use bad language in front of my customers. (There was a nice family with kids eating outside) This joker then says- I am taking my dollar someplace else. My reply- Please do and have a great day.
Not sure what the deal was with them but the other three folks looked a bit embarrassed. I know that time can get away from me but these guys were only waiting 10 min. while there table was being cleaned. I think it bothered them that I made three cocktails, sat another table and ran an appetizer while the watched. I am glad they left as I really am over that kind of attitude.

One of my food vendors was there and saw the scene. I asked him how long they waited and he said about 7 min.

Not trying to change topics, I do agree having a good waiting area is critical, but making sure you take walk- ins in order is critical too. Bim taught me long ago to seat all tables, regardless of how small, in the order they walked through the door. It was law with us. Now, when I'm waiting I can't help but notice if & when walk-ins are seated out of order. And when that happens I have to make a decision whether it's worth it to stick around. CD

Oh totally...that's the only way to do it. Im our case, we're a small enough restaurant that we can't accommodate reservations on Friday and Saturday nights. It's all about accommodating the walk ins!

This might go without saying (so why am I saying it?), but there's also the issue of figuring out how to strategically use tables as to seat people quickly. That might mean leaving a two-top open for a bit so as to join it with another two to make a four-top.

I was recently at a local place that kept sitting two-tops, without any consideration of how to work in a four top. The hostess told me that "they were waiting for a four top to open." I caught myself from saying, "There's waiting, and there's making it happen."

Granted, I'm not saying you can make this happen all the time. But, with the right tables, you can make alot happen in productive ways.

I hated being a server, but I was never ever ever envious of the hostesses. Might be why I caught myself in my example situation.

Hostesses get the worst of the worst from the customers, and they get paid the least. But I suppose it's a right of passage.

Matthew- I agree with you to a point...clearly if you're waiting to put together a large party and numerous tables need to be put together then you have to hold them, and additionally if you have numerous tables about to get up it makes sense to save 2 two tops for 2 different parties and seat 4 at a 4 top even if the the 2's may have been there first, but I don't think a table should sit empty for more than 5-10 minutes. At that point order of arrival rules, you should only mess with the order if it benefits the guests as much as yourself.

Question WIll, Was it a round, rectangular or square table? Seriously, this guy was probably going to be a difficult customer anyway.

On recent Saturday night were busy but not totally slammed. Two couples walk in and I new from the first few seconds that they were going to be a bit challenging. I asked if they had a reservation- no. Okay no problem. give me a minuet to clean a table I say. I find the table for them and get a server to clean it and set it up. In the mean time I do about five things while the table is being cleaned. One of which is to seat a table that had a reservation. The two couples kept starring at me. I turn around and they are out the door. I have their menus in my hand. I walk out and say - Your table is ready. At which point one of the gentlemen says- You can take your table and shove it up your ass. Sir please do not use bad language in front of my customers. (There was a nice family with kids eating outside) This joker then says- I am taking my dollar someplace else. My reply- Please do and have a great day.
Not sure what the deal was with them but the other three folks looked a bit embarrassed. I know that time can get away from me but these guys were only waiting 10 min. while there table was being cleaned. I think it bothered them that I made three cocktails, sat another table and ran an appetizer while the watched. I am glad they left as I really am over that kind of attitude.

One of my food vendors was there and saw the scene. I asked him how long they waited and he said about 7 min.

It was round and I did not attempt the feat of shoving it.
You are right. I was not disappointed when they left. I think they thought we were more of a Burger King type place.

Hostesses get the worst of the worst from the customers, and they get paid the least. But I suppose it's a right of passage.

Matthew- I agree with you to a point...clearly if you're waiting to put together a large party and numerous tables need to be put together then you have to hold them, and additionally if you have numerous tables about to get up it makes sense to save 2 two tops for 2 different parties and seat 4 at a 4 top even if the the 2's may have been there first, but I don't think a table should sit empty for more than 5-10 minutes. At that point order of arrival rules, you should only mess with the order if it benefits the guests as much as yourself.

I agree with you. And, having never been a host, I'm not going to act like I know how to actually make this stuff happen. I can expound "theory" all I want, but I defer to those who actually have to do the work of hosting for I lack both the patience and temperament to handle it.

Oh totally...that's the only way to do it. Im our case, we're a small enough restaurant that we can't accommodate reservations on Friday and Saturday nights. It's all about accommodating the walk ins!

Emphasis mine. I mean no offense, as it's owner/management right to choose whether to accept reservations, but I'm not buying that the Pig can't accomodate reservations. I think that won't is more appropriate. There are a lot of places smaller or of a similar overall size to the Pig that take reservations. Jack Fry's, Basa, Lou Lou Highlands, L&N, Palermo, and Lilly's come immediately to mind.

The only restaurants in town that could make that argument, IMHO, are Mayan Cafe and 732 Social. Mayan takes reservations, and Social takes limited reservations for specific times. Last we checked, it was something like a few reservations at 5:00, a few at 7:00, and a few at 9:00, while leaving open ample space for walk-ins.

Are more places using Call Ahead Seating than reservations in order to alleviate any type of seating problems these days? Or is there really that much of a difference in the discussion since a "reservation" for the time is already established?