I’d like to speak to the manager!!!!

It was busy tonight.  

Crazy, crazy busy.

The last time we did more business than tonight, was October 1, 2022.  

I ended up running the door for the most part tonight, because one of my hosts called out.

Since I was the one who was going to get yelled at if we started to back up, I played loose and fast with seating all night. I didn’t tell a single person no all night. 

Not even the guy who walked in at 5:45 looking for a 6 top reservation, when I had already told his fiancée twice earlier in the day I couldn’t do it.  

Lucky for him a 4 top cancelled about 90 seconds before he came in, and I moved things around so I could accommodate them at a larger table.  

He was beside himself, because story had it, he was supposed to make this reservation 2 weeks ago. He gave me 40 bucks on his way out to say thanks you.  

EVERYONE who came in was told to stand over there and wait and let me see what I could do.

And I’d look at the I-pad and eventually say yes, even though it was truly gambling tonight.  

Truly.  

We did back up around 7:45 because tables stopped turning.

We were very backed up at 8:00.  

I had a 2-top with a reservation and I did not have a place for them.  

I needed a miracle.

And true to form, it worked out and things started to open up.

Now to the point of my story.

At 7:45, the phone rings.

I answer.  

A man tells me he has a reservation at 8:00 and is going to be late.  

I tell him to take his time, because god knows I need the time.  

The 8:00’s start to arrive.  

The phone rings.  

Same man telling me that he is going to be on time.

Ugh.  

I’ve already moved things around. I don’t have time to move them back.

Here’s the thing.

We have a section of our restaurant that is quite lovely, but it’s not part of the main dining room and we save the 2-tops in that area till day of. I you call me on a busy Saturday night in August, at 4:15 that’s where you are going to be sitting.  

I try, try, try never to seat people there who made their reservations two weeks ago. Sometimes I have to, but I try really hard not to.

It’s now 8:00.  

There are four couples waiting to be seated. 2 at the bar. 2 in the dining room.  

In walks my late table, who is now on time.  

I get them checked in.  

Tables are opening I start seating people.

The bar first. Always first.

They are easy to seat and it can clear the lobby of 7 or 8 people in a matter of seconds.

I have three couples waiting now.  

I seat 2 girls who’ve just come in.  

The woman who is part of my late/on time table comes ups and says, “excuse me. We have an 8:00 reservation. I’d appreciate it if you could seat us on time.”  

I say of course, unfortunately, you called to say that you were going to be late.

She interrupts and says, yes, but we called back to say we’d be on time.

I explain that I’d already moved things around to accommodate everyone and I’ll get them seated as soon as I can.

She gets mad now and says, I understand that, but the two girls who just got sat came in after us. I don’t appreciate being skipped over.  

I apologize and ask her to give me a couple of seconds.  

She is seated immediately.  

Back story.  

The two girls were seated in a row to 2 tops in the dining room. Think NYC restaurant, where there is banquette with 6 or 7 deuces very close together.  

The late/on time table, I had planned to sit at a nicer table, because as luck would have it Chef knew them. I was waiting for the 4-top they were going to be seated at, to be readied.  

But.  

Ask and you shall receive.

Instead, they were seated at G-6. The absolute worst table in the restaurant because it was the only table I had that was ready.  

It’s by the door to the gallery area, it slams and there is a wind tunnel every time the door opens.

As they leave the lobby to be seated, the couple remaining looks at me and says, excuse me, we demand to be seated right now as well.  

Then they laugh.  

Their reservation is for 8:30. They were going to go to G-6. They made their reservation about 6:00 tonight.  

I laugh and say that I’m glad that I had a witness to that. They ask if it happens a lot and I say more than I’d like.

I let them know that I’ll be seating them very soon.

And ask if they’d like to know a secret.

I swear them to not repeat it, 

And then I tell them that they were supposed to get the table that I sat the couple at. But since she insisted that I seat them immediately, they were now seated there. And fun fact, it’s the worst table in the restaurant.  

They laugh, and I send them on their way to a lovely 4 top table where they can spread out and be comfortable.  

90 minutes later, late/on time couple leaves. I head to the lobby in case there is any push back. The woman goes to the restroom and her boyfriend walks over and apologizes for the outburst when they arrived.  

I thank him and tell him I was glad he enjoyed his meal.  

As they say, be careful what you wish for.