• August 2015
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• Web Exclusive

Five Ways to Up Your Restaurant Etiquette

Get restaurant savvy with these behind-the-scenes etiquette tips.

Web Exclusive

It has been confirmed: More than 100 new restaurants are opening in the city of Austin in 2015. As an avid diner and a veteran of the food-service industry, I can attest to the fact that most everyone has a story about a poor dining experience. I can also attest that most restaurant workers have stories of difficult customer experiences as well. Sometimes all that’s missing is a little communication.

Here are five pieces of etiquette that I’ve picked up as a member of the food industry:

 

1. “We cannot seat your party until everyone has arrived.”

Restaurants don’t always clearly explain why their policies are in place, which can cause misunderstandings. However, these policies do have a place. It happens more often than you’d think: a person makes a reservation for four and only half of the party shows up. If the host seats the first two guests to arrive, and then the other two never arrive, the restaurant now has two empty seats for one or two-plus hours. By waiting to have all the guests present, they can seat you on an appropriately sized table for your party.

In addition, if you are waiting for more people to join you, you are taking up prime real estate in the restaurant by waiting to order until the full party arrives, when instead, you could have a drink and even an appetizer in the bar while you wait for the rest of your guests.

 

2. Ordering wine

In many restaurants, you order a bottle of wine and your server will bring it out and present it. He or she will iterate the vintage and producer, show you the label as the cork is removed and then present the cork and pour a taste for whoever ordered the bottle. Historically, the act of pouring a taste was to assure dinner guests the drink was not poisoned and to symbolically lift the taboo that prohibited drinking on ordinary occasions. Today, some people mistakenly think the taste is an opportunity for them to decide whether they like the wine. This is not true. It is actually to ensure the wine has not gone bad. Make sure to ask your server plenty of questions about the wines you are considering to avoid ordering a bottle you won’t enjoy.

 

3. “Camping”

“Camping” refers to staying at your table for an extensive period of time. Sometimes we go out to dinner with old friends, pay the check and then sit and chat for an extra hour or so. No problem. Just let your server know. Restaurants typically plan on each table staying for about two hours. If you think you’ll stay longer, communicate that to the host or server as early as possible. It is greatly appreciated and allows the hosts to move other reservations accordingly to ensure their service runs smoothly. This also applies if you are in a rush. Have a show to attend at 8 p.m.? Let the staff know. They’ll expedite your experience.

 

4. Seating in an empty restaurant

We’ve all walked into restaurants before, seen an empty dining room and been told by the host that it will be a wait. How frustrating! However, just because the restaurant is mostly empty now does not mean it will be a short while later, when the rush hits and reservations begin to arrive. Hosts are in charge of managing all tables and reservations. By properly spacing out the tables they seat, they ensure a quality dining experience through servers having enough time to spend at each table and the kitchen having enough time to prepare food, maximizing the dining experience for customers. 

 

5. Dietary restrictions

Dietary restrictions can be frustrating when attempting to dine out. When making a reservation, whether online or on the phone, make a note about your restrictions. They don’t take reservations? Call in advance and inquire. When you make the restaurant aware in advance, the hosts and manager communicate your restrictions to both the kitchen and the servers so they can be prepared with recommendations. It also allows the restaurant the chance to get hold of you if they are unable to accommodate your restrictions.

 

Chefs, managers, employees and owners of the almost innumerable restaurants in Austin aim to create superb dining experiences for their community. These tips from behind the scenes will elevate your restaurant savvy so you can help our city’s restaurants continue to be successful cultural emblems of Austin.

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