Stand up dining?

What does everybody think about this idea? http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2012/09/no-seat-restaurants.html?mid=twitter_grubst

I once ate at a standing-bar McDonald's in Penn Station. I'm sure it does encourage high turnover, but it wouldn't be something I would choose to go for. The only reason we ate at that McDonald's was because we were starving and it was close and not very busy.

[Robin Garr]

Lots of NYC street-corner pizzerias have standing tables only ... no real surprise there!

I love it. It's very progressive dining. I would say I currently eat at least 75% of my meals standing up.
But I guess it really depends on what kind of food and dining experience you're looking for. It's very rare that I have the time or desire to have a leisurely meal. Yes I enjoy my food, but I have to get back to life as well.

I remember when it was considered declasse to eat in your car when in a hurry. You know. Slow down. Be civilized and enjoy your meal... just like the French! Now, it's supposed to be cutting edge to eat in a hurry while standing up?

[Robin Garr]

Now, it's supposed to be cutting edge to eat in a hurry while standing up?

Not for me! Standup dining at NYC corner pizzerias (most of them named after some variation of "The Original Ray's" and featuring mob-monopoly cheez) is all about frenzied city life, eat and run back to work, not about "civilized" dining.

Eataly- the enormously popular Italian mega-store in NYC has one of it's main dining areas as stand-up seating. http://eatalyny.com/eat/la-piazza Nice European-type marble counters to be shared by strangers, with table service and wine. They even have bag hooks under each place to hold your purse/purchases while eating. Personally, I wasn't thrilled to see the set-up as I wanted a more relaxing experience, but the buzz and the great food turned it into a great experience.

Deb

Deb we ate at Eataly Turin last weekend and were sorely disappointed. Food didn't live up to the hype.... not even close. Was cheap though.

Deb we ate at Eataly Turin last weekend and were sorely disappointed. Food didn't live up to the hype.... not even close. Was cheap though.

I didn't get the Turin thing at all. There's fantastic Italian food there- why would people go to Eataly, started by Americans to get Italian food....? The food in NYC was very good- as were the products; I came back with my suitcase full of treats I can't get here.

Deb

This has been fairly common in places like Rome for years, largely catering to people taking a midday meal quickly, cheaply and getting on to other things. In Rome, anyway, patrons typically have the option to pay extra to sit in a dining area with chairs. This seems a logical business response in primarily lunch places with outrageous sq.ft. rents. You can service a lot more customers standing at tables that don't require space to push chairs out. Dining with strangers there is not too dissimilar to eating at a lunch counter. My wife and I had the best paninis we've ever had in just such a "bar" as they was called. Of course, standing people turn the tables more rapidly. Prices were lower. Worked for everyone. It really didn't seem as big with tourists, at least when we were there, as it was with office workers grabbing a bite. We never tried a bar for supper. Standing for the evening meal just violates all natural laws.

Deb the GF was buying sunglasses across the street and there was a huge line of Italians trying to get in.. so we googled it and it had big reviews. Not expensive... but definitely not good. Even Italians can fall for hype I suppose. We made up for it in Langhe though.

I love it. It's very progressive dining. I would say I currently eat at least 75% of my meals standing up ll.

You forgot to add standing over the trash can!