Ask George: Why do restaurants seem to have such a hard time accommodating large-party tables? Ellen S, St. Louis
The short answer: Because they are rife with problems.
From the top to the bottom of a restaurant’s service ladder—from reservationist to host, MOD, bartender, server, busser, kitchen crew—the large party (i.e., 8 to 12 people) is the toughest challenge for a restaurant and the great delineator. For a new restaurant, especially, it’s looked upon as the final exam--you take on a large party or two and emerge relatively unscathed and you feel good, confident you’ve been dealt your most demanding assignment. And ask any restaurant employee their opinion of that size party and the answer is often: “oh damn, another 10-top.”
There are legit reasons for such a reaction. Large parties are at best a mixed blessing. Here's why:
The Positives:
Extra revenue - And this can be a large number, one that can make a server's--and often the restaurant's--night. Larger parties are often celebrating—something, anything—and that means wallets usually open.
Space efficiency – larger parties fill larger, often unused tables, “snugs," or rooms dedicated to such use. (Last year, I listed a few such rooms around town here, rooms that usually have dedicated servers--and often a bar--never a bad thing.)
New customers - In many cases, members of larger parties may not have set foot in the restaurant otherwise. The restaurateur (and the server, as well) gets a chance to win them over and possibly gain a new customer.
The Negatives:
Large parties run late - or someone in the party will arrive late--this never fails--which slows down the ordering process for everyone involved.
They're loud - one 12-top is louder than 3 - 4-tops. They just are. Decibels don't lie. Large tables are disruptive to other guests and there's no avoiding that.
They're lousy tippers - it's an odd phenomenon that when otherwise normal tippers find themselves in a group situation, they become stingy. Maybe it's intentional and maybe it's not, but it happens...ask any server. It was this widespread occurrence that prompted the auto-grat, which has its fans and detractors.
They don't show up, or change their number - when a party of ten all of the sudden becomes a twelve, it causes seating and service problems. When it mysteriously throttles down to six, it causes managerial gastritis. When the party doesn't show up at all, restaurant managers run outside and scream really loud. (It happens more than you think...hoping to cover all bases, parties make multiple reservations, then forget to cancel one, or two.)
They demand separate checks - the server's biggest peeve. Processing six deuce's worth of charges takes time, time that could be spent catering to your neglected little deuce.
Food quality suffers - I don't care what anyone says, someone at that large table will be getting a substandard meal--undercooked, overcooked, rushed, forgotten, but most often it ends up lukewarm and/or skinned over, from sitting too long in an undersized warming window.
Kitchen efficiency decreases - ask any cook or expeditor, a party of 12 bogs down the kitchen far worse than anything other than losing a cook mid-shift. Multiple large party orders that follow one another into the kitchen often bring all subsequent orders to a standstill. (If the entrees at your deuce are taking a ridiculously long time, there's a good chance your order was so affected.)
Social Media impact - Enter Murphy' law: the guy at the 12-top with the forgotten entree will inevitably be the first to bash the restaurant on social media...and will accomplish that task while waiting for his dinner.
Mandatory gratuities - In the past, servers could roll the dice and either apply the auto-grat or not, depending on how (s)he sized up the party. Nowadays, to avoid any discrimination issues, many servers are being required to apply the auto-grat universally, which could end up costing them money. "Well, if the dude thinks he's only worth 18%, then by golly, that's all we're gonna leave him."
Large parties are a fact of restaurant life. The dining experience at a large table can range from wonderful to problematic. If it's the latter, at least now you know some of the reasons why.
