Quote:
Originally Posted by John E
$400 tab for tying up a table for 2 hours seems legit to me. It's not like they were sitting drinking free water for the 2nd half of their dinner. If the waiter had 4 tables and they were all tied up for 2 hours and he "only" made $400 that night, it seems pretty good to me. But waiter likely had more tables, and after the 2 hours were up, he at least turned them all once. When I read this thread, some of the opinions make me think that the tip should be based on the time you spend there. That'd be fine with me, as I can ring up a big tab in a short time.
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On the flip side, the other night I booked a reservation at a local restaurant. We arrived in plenty of time and could see our table. The party was finished eating but stayed to talk for quite a while (until the hostess said something to them) which caused us to wait for an extra 30 minutes. I was fine with it - but clearly the party that was lingering did not realize that others were waiting (or if the did, weren't concerned) . In my case I don't think the restaurant was cutting it too close on the time between reservations.
Some restaurants clearly state they are not looking to turn tables; "your" table is yours for the night. Others are looking to turn tables through reservations and/or walk-ins. Knowing the expectations of the establishment and stating yours if the plan is to linger makes good sense.
Still, though, no server should be rude.