In case you aren’t paying attention, October 1 was yesterday.

In much of the country people are thinking about pumpkin spice, mums, jackets and leaves changing color.

In Maine, we aren’t thinking about it. It’s fucking here. Most of the plants in our yard are dying. Most of my friends here have already used their heat. For some, they won’t turn it off again until May.

It’s a long way of saying, summer is over. Fall is here. It’s cold outside.

Tonight was no exception.

We are a restaurant with a beautiful patio. A rough version was set up last year. It was pimped out this spring. Electric. A full bar. Restrooms. More tables. Fire pit. It’s truly stunning.

It’s been very popular all summer.

Some nights we seat over a 100 people out there in a shift.

It is not weather proof. It does not protect you from the elements. You will get wet if it rains. You will get cold if the temperature turns.

However, we are in Maine.

People expect this. Especially in the time of COVID. They’ll put up with anything to eat out and not sit inside.

Tonight was cold.

But we still had over 40 reservations outside to start the night.

Service begins.

Many people check in for their patio reservations and say great as they head to the patio. Some have blankets. Hats. Coats.

A few wimps come in and ask to dine inside. A four top gets seated after someone cancels. Someone else moves to the bar. Most suck it up.

And then 7:00 rolls around and the Smith party walks in. It’s an older couple. Early 60’s.

I greet them. Ask if they have a reservation.

They do. At 7:00. On the patio.

I inform them of this and say my usual speech.

You all are on the patio. I’ll mark you as arrived and if you head back out the front door and around the building they’ll be expecting you when you get to the patio.

And then it begins.

We didn’t book the patio.

Uhm. Yes you did.

No we did not.

Yes. You did.

We did not.

I spin the IPad around and show them the reservation history. When it was made. By who. The table. The time.

They insist this is not the case.

Did I mention it’s 7:00?

We are going to seat 80 people in 30 minutes.

People are backing up.

I ask them to step aside. Let me seat the people waiting and I’ll see what I can do.

This happens.

I get back to them.

I move things around.

Roll the dice.

Tell them I can offer the bar. Or a high top in the dining room.

The say neither is acceptable.

I again say. Bar. High top. Their regular table on the patio.

The gentleman says, I guess we are eating at a high top.

The other host takes them to their table.

She appears 45 seconds later, wanting to know if they can sit at table 12. It’s a great table. But it’s now 7:15. Table 12 has a reservation at 8:00. And I can’t put the Jones party who reserved 12 at the high top.

I say no. The high top is their only choice.

The evening continues.

At 7:45. Table 12 calls to say they’ll be late. No big deal. It’s the last turn.

I’m standing at the host stand at 8:10 when the Smith’s come into the lobby as they are leaving.

I ask how their meal was.

They say great.

They start to leave.

They come back.

He says: I can’t help but point out to you that we stared at the empty regular table (12) and wondered why we couldn’t sit there.

I take a breath.

It seems you didn’t seat us there to be difficult.

I take a breath.

I finally say, I’m sorry. At least it wasn’t outside.

At which point he doubles down.

I say, that table 12 is late. I had no idea you’d eat in under an hour. And let me remind you that I was able to move you inside when you reserved the patio.

He pushes back.

We did not reserve that patio.

And why are you seating out there with no heat?

I’m annoyed.

I breathe.

I say, it’s very expensive to use heaters. Plus it’s a Maine.

He kind of shouts that we should have closed the patio.

I say we’ve sat over 40 people out here tonight.

The wife gets involved.

We are not from here but this doesn’t seem right. We were in Acadia, Camden etc and everyone says they’ll be closed next week. You should close.

I say we are a year round restaurant. And remind them them that I got them a table inside.

They tell me we should close and leave.

Seriously.

I found you a table, when we had reservations rivaling August.

No appreciation. No thank you.

Just how we disappointed you.

A server appears to ask a question. She was listening to the back and forth. Just out of sight.

I ask if I was rude

She says, seriously they are from somewhere else telling you to close the restaurant because it’s cold.

She’s irate.

I’m just annoyed.