Have you ever been asked to leave a restaurant?

[Cogswel_Cogs]

Just this one time when I pretended I tried to pass myself off as Abe Froman.

 

[Kellykins1218]

I'm getting the feeling that if your step MIL had asked for more coffee, she would have pleasantly been served, but since you were finished and had the bill, I don't see that the server was being rude. Sorry if that offends you, but it sounds like you are getting ready to abandon a really good place to eat over a polite request.

^^^^This

 

[sk!mom]

At about 12:10 the server asked if we needed anything else. We said no and she brought the check.

At 12:20, step-MIL finished up her coffee, the server asked if she wanted more, and MIL said no thank you.

At that point, the server said "I dont want to be rude, but we are really busy...if you are done, we would like to get the people who are waiting seated now"

We were startled, but apologetic, and very quickly left.

Now I'm kind of feeling like I don't want to go back there. I get being busy, and quicker turnover means more tips, revenue, etc, and although I try to be courteous and polite, I didn't think one hour and 15 minutes for a 6-top table, including two elderly people, is over-the-top ridiculous?

Maybe I'm wrong....is it now the responsibility of the patrons to monitor the wait-times of the venue and what...eat faster? Not talk to the people at your table so they can get you in and out quicker?

The two times that she asked if you needed anything else, were your hints that if you were finished, it was time to move on. You didn't take the hint so she politely asked. From the restaurants perspective, they need to turn over the tables. Especially during, the shorter than dinner, brunch window. It seems like they did their part by getting you served quickly. Since in my experience of longer meals, it's often a slow service at busy times that kept us there.

I will agree with another poster, that if you felt insulted and don't want to return, that's fine. There are certainly places I don't go because of a reason that might seem petty to others.

1 hour and 15 min total from the time we were seated....and 50 min from the time the food arrived, until we were asked to leave.

50 minutes seems like ample time for breakfast and apparently it was since you had all been finished for 10 minutes or so.

As far as being asked to leave, I have received the hints of them starting to clean around us at a long dinner but we've normally taken the hint and left before they asked.

 

[Christy702]

I totally get why that would upset you OP, that would rub me the wrong way too. An hour and 15 minutes total is a long time to take up a table, but not long enough for the server to ask you to leave. At the end of the night before closing is one thing, but in the middle of the day is another. I'm assuming your bill would have been a decent amount too.

I have never been asked to leave, but recently I was at a mexican restaurant for happy hour with a few friends. We started off with just drinks and some chips and salsa, the restaurant was pretty packed and the waiter seemed annoyed. After a couple rounds we finally ordered our meals, and then more drinks. We were there for over 2 hours and I swear that waiter hated us lol! But eventually we payed our HUGE bill, ordered some food to-go for our families at home, and ubered on our way home. And he still got a huge tip on top of that so not sure what the attitude was for!

 

[mnrose]

No never. But, when a restaurant is busy, and people are waiting, we do try to leave as soon as we are done eating. There are other places to have conversations.

 

[nkereina]

Never had it happened to me and I would be appalled if a server said that to me, especially if we had only been there a little over an hour which seems reasonable as a party of 6. Its bad customer service. I've had servers come by more than once to pick up plates, utensils, ask if we need anything, etc. to give the gentle hint that we should get moving, but to outright say that is rude IMO.

That being said, I do think its incumbent on the diners to be cognizant of how busy the restaurant is so as not to tie up a table from both the server looking to make money and paying hungry customers looking to sit down. Admittedly, when I'm waiting to be seated at a restaurant and I see other patrons lollygagging and unaware of their surroundings, it does grind my gears a little. I always try to be aware of this now too. Not saying this is what the OP is doing, but it happens all the time. People are always in their own world.

 

[Shanna-like-Banana]

As a matter of fact, yes, and not that long ago.

We went to try a new restaurant. Most of their tables are booths that seat 4, and they have some 4 top tables in the center of the rooms. We are a family of 5, 4 adult size and 1 child. This restaurant is not allowed to put chairs on the end of tables due to fire code.
There were no tables near each other in the middle of the room, to push together, so we were told we would have to wait for 2 booths, back to back. That was fine. me & DH at one, and the "kids" at the other. We waited, and waited, and waited for our table.

The food was great, we ordered apps, drinks, meals, etc. There was some sort of problem with DH's plate and it didn't come out of the kitchen until nearly 15 mins after all ours. We all started our meals, but DH was still waiting.
The waitress brought DH's plate, and on the way back to the kitchen, picked up the two boys empty plates, and said to them "since you're done, can you move over to your parents table, so I can have another table, since people are waiting". My daughter was still eating, DH had just gotten his meal, and my daughter replied " We'll be done soon enough" I couldn't directly here what the waitress said, but DD face was shocked, once the waitress walked off, DH turned around and asked what had happened.

There was no physically possible way our family of 5 could fit into 1 booth, hence why we had to wait extra to have 2 tables. I could not believe she had asked our kids to come over to squeeze into our booth, when the booth directly behind the kids, sat empty the entire time we were there !

When she stopped by a few mins later to check on DH's dinner, I confronted her and asked why did she ask our kids to move ? One was still eating & DH had just been served. She looked surprised that I had asked her, because I don't feel like she would have asked that of other adults, but felt it was fine to say to kids.

 

[Squirlz]

On my 40th birthday we found a nice Tex-Mex place in Flagstaff AZ. Got there early evening and they has $1 Coronas. We were seated in a booth and the waitress was fantastic. She kept the beers coming and gave me a hot fudge sundae. By then the place was full and people were standing around waiting. I was prepared to give the girl a big tip after we had one more beer, but she quit coming around.

I finally flagged her down and she told us if we wanted anything else we had to leave the table and go to the bar. I was dumbfounded. The bar was already two deep. I found a manager and told him what happened and he was not happy. He bought us a round and had words with the server. As we left I got the ultimate revenge; I gave our booth to four college girls!

 

[Micca]

I don't recall every being asked to leave a restaurant. I usually don't like to hang around a long time after a meal but there are occasions when I have. I have lunch with friends sometimes that runs well over 2 hours but we're aware if people are jammed up waiting to be seated. I think I have enough occasions of clearing out quickly that if I need to spend more time it might be important. I'd be somewhat put out for being asked to leave.

 

[pweyl36]

I think the restaurant was out of line and I wouldn't have good feelings toward them.

For my own incidents, when I was in Japan with my sister, and trying to find somewhere she would eat was so difficult. We found one palce that looked good, walked in, and there was nobody there. A guy then comes out of the back, kind waving his hands and basically pointing us to the door. I don't know what he said. I think they may have been closed for a private party, but I really have no clue. We went down the street to another place that turned out pretty good.

I heard that in japan there is Japanese only restaurants. That was probably one.

 

[RangerPooh]

If it was me I might not return. If I'm feeling rushed, asked if we were ready to settle the check, and the service is only ho-hum then why return? I had waitstaff ask similar questions regarding settling the bill and generally it signals to us that we don't need to return.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

Nope. I'm very mindful of taking up a table when there is a wait. DH and I will book a fancy steakhouse when we want a longer dining experience when we can catch up and linger over dessert--a place that we know where it's expected to be there for a couple hours.

I can't imagine taking 40+ minutes to eat an entree and it sounds like the wait staff went about it very politely.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

When I lived in FL, I spent a couple of years working at a small, very popular, family owned seafood restaurant. What your server did was on the list of completely unacceptable practices. Servers could be fired on the spot for a gaffe like that. Even a manager doing something like that would be reprimanded and risk their job. Polite or not, it was deemed rude by mgmt to suggest that a patron should leave.

 

[BrianL]

When I lived in FL, I spent a couple of years working at a small, very popular, family owned seafood restaurant. What your server did was on the list of completely unacceptable practices. Servers could be fired on the spot for a gaffe like that. Even a manager doing something like that would be reprimanded and risk their job. Polite or not, it was deemed rude by mgmt to suggest that a patron should leave.

I agree with this. For whatever reason, this is the restaurant etiquette that we as a society have created. Restaurants simply don't ask patrons to leave, and people can wait an indeterminate amount of time to be seated. Sure, I also like to be conscious of whether or not the restaurant needs to turn over the table, but that's my choice (though I think most people are). At any rate, that's the deal with table service restaurants.

Interesting note, McDonald's originally designed their dining areas to be just a bit uncomfortable, with the bolted-in plastic stools, garish colors, noisy atmosphere, etc., so that people wouldn't linger. They should eat their quick meal and move along, and it worked. The trend now though is the opposite direction, what with the free Wi-Fi and fancier seating and all. Now it's about having that coffee-house vibe. Stay as long as you like.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I do not recall ever being asked to leave like OP was, but we are also very cognizant of if people are waiting and do not linger once finished dining if they are---we do not rush through eating, but we also do not sit and chat after finishing if others are waiting to be seated.

It sounds to me like the staff was doing a good job of trying to balance the needs/wants of ALL their customers. You were seated with someone missing from your party no a busy weekend---that is a nice perk many places would not do. You were not rushed through eating your meal at all and were offered more drink refills after all food was finished, which you turned down. At that point, you were no longer dining. Not drinking anything, not eating, not waiting on food. Meanwhile, other customers were standing around waiting for a chance to get to order and dine---so you were asked to go ahead and free up the table for others since you seemed to not be noticing on your own that you ought to.

Personally, I would not be at all offended---I might be a bit embarrassed that I had failed to notice people were waiting and move one of my own accord.

Can I ask what the owner*S kids knowing your kid has to do with the situation?

 

[soccerdad72]

Not exactly the same set of circumstances, but on our recent cruise (Royal Caribbean), they periodically made announcements in the Windjammer (the buffet) during peak times that those who are finished with their meals should please leave their tables (they phrased it a little nicer than this) so others could sit down. There were many times when there wasn't a table to be had and while I don't know how many people were done and lingering, I'm sure there were more than a few.

 

[OneOftheB's]

Yes, many years ago my family and two other families (a total of 10 people) were out to dinner on New Years Eve. I want to say we had a 6 or 7o'clock reservation and it was an hour/ hour and a half later, we were wrapping up our food (bread, apps, salad, mains). The manager offered us an entire cheesecake to take home if we skipped dessert so he could turn the table. Um, yes! That was one of those things that was brought up for years afterward.

I can see encouraging a large party to move along if they have been there an hour + (even character dining at WDW expects about an hour per table) and there are many people waiting, especially another larger party.

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

I do not recall ever being asked to leave like OP was, but we are also very cognizant of if people are waiting and do not linger once finished dining if they are---we do not rush through eating, but we also do not sit and chat after finishing if others are waiting to be seated.

It sounds to me like the staff was doing a good job of trying to balance the needs/wants of ALL their customers. You were seated with someone missing from your party no a busy weekend---that is a nice perk many places would not do. You were not rushed through eating your meal at all and were offered more drink refills after all food was finished, which you turned down. At that point, you were no longer dining. Not drinking anything, not eating, not waiting on food. Meanwhile, other customers were standing around waiting for a chance to get to order and dine---so you were asked to go ahead and free up the table for others since you seemed to not be noticing on your own that you ought to.

Personally, I would not be at all offended---I might be a bit embarrassed that I had failed to notice people were waiting and move one of my own accord.

Can I ask what the owner*S kids knowing your kid has to do with the situation?

I agree.

It's common decency to leave once you are finished eating in a restaurant. It's a business not a pubic meeting place.

 

[msjprincess]

I think the more relevant period of time is the 10 minutes after you received your bill and told the waiter you didn't want anything else. It seems they even double-checked that more coffee or whatever wasn't desired. I agree with a pp that thought you'd likely have been very welcome to more coffee or dessert or something else. You were done though, right? If I may ask, how much longer did you want to stay?

I agree.

I was on the other end last weekend. We went to a local cafe for breakfast. It was full and there were a few parties waiting. While we were waiting we saw 2 tables who were done eating sit and chat for at least 15 minutes.

 

[Imzadi]

No not a restaraunt but a couple bars in college. Party on Wayne, party on Garth

Only in the sense of -- "you don't have to go home, but you can't stay here" at closing time.

Yes. <sigh!> Those were the good old [younger] days.

Bars here close at 4am. There were many times that we'd close a bar, but weren't ready to go home yet. That's what 24 hour diners are for. We'd go there and start on breakfast.

A bar/restaurant/disco and I swear it wasn't my fault.

Wait. . . that was your party over at the other table?