Stop the wait!

Ran across this on Slate and it posits another way to diffuse any issue with a wait, at least for places that can fairly well predict their crowded times. What do folks think of this? As customers, this is an option we would consider on a case by case basis. We certainly would not consider it out of line.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/201 ... _from.html

The idea of putting a price on reservations with the price being hired for desired times and days sounds ridiculous and only provides a way for those who think they elite to flash money proving it! A while ago there was a discussion about having food be higher-priced during the peak times, this makes more sense because it doesn't provide a means to buy in to a better time, you just have to be able to afford the higher prices. I didn't agree with this idea either for kind of the same reasons but it is more acceptable than the idea presented in the Slate article!

Next somebody will come up with the idea of auctioning off the desired times to the highest bidder! All any of these ideas do is provide a higher profit for the restaurant without providing any benefit to the average consumer. With the present system it's an equal playing field for everybody and that's how it should be.

good topic

I tend to agree that the places mentioned (typically not super high-end) will make more money without taking reservations. It seems to me that a fixed charge to place a reservation--maybe $10 or so--could be a possible solution. I'm not sure if any place in town would be ballsy enough to try this tactic. Even then, you'd need a strict time limit to respect the patrons waiting in the lobby.