Please explain why some restaurants refuse to seat incomplete parties. — Peter P, St. Louis
From the diner’s standpoint and on the surface, the rule appears to make little sense. The argument basically is this: Part of the party is present (thereby guaranteeing the table will be used), so why not let them sit comfortably and order a drink while waiting for the rest of their guests?
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The situation is sticky and complicated, and nuances come into play if the restaurant in question is empty or packed, if it’s lunch or dinner, and if the place takes reservations: restaurants that accept reservations usually seat incomplete parties, whereas places that don’t accept them (and therefore run waiting lists) usually do not.
Over the years, front of the house staffers have learned that tardy guests, even when “just parking the car,” usually aren’t, and so it could be some time before the table becomes officially active (i.e., begins ordering the meal). Restaurants base wait lists on an average time per table turn, so if tables are sat incomplete, the wait time increases, sometimes measurably, causing a chain reaction down the line and for the rest of the evening, resulting in management buying drinks/apps and hoping the night will end without incident. For the restaurant, then, there is less damage control on the front end (not seating incomplete parties) than on the back (explaining to a wait sheet full of customers why they were not seated on time). In other words, one situation is controllable, the latter is not.
Should the punctual guests have any kind of gripe, I contend it should be directed to the tardy guests, not to the restaurant who is trying to enforce a rule. But honest communication is the key…the party who calls the restaurant/their host and says “we’re running 15 minutes behind” puts the restaurant in a better and more reactive position than had they simply shown up late without notice. Remember that working the front desk is a juggling game and any party/guest who makes it less so is usually cut some slack. “Give us some advance notice and we’ll find a way to accommodate,” says Brant Baldanza of OG Hospitality Group. “Just show up late, and you’ve made that more difficult.”
