When most people think about restaurant jobs, they think about all the s@#t servers have to deal with on a daily basis. Little do they know the people they have the least communication with can actually be the ones who go through the most during a shift. Here are just a few things your host wants you to know about etiquette with them:
1. No, asking how much longer your wait is will not decrease your wait time.
2. We can in fact hear, so there is no need to tell us how many people are in your party by holding up that number of fingers.
3. The table we take you to is the next table in our rotation, so kindly do not ask to be seated elsewhere.
4. If you want a booth, TELL US BEFORE WE SEAT YOU.
5. We are not your server, so please don’t give us your order the second you sit down.
6. If you ask to be seated at a dirty table, please give us a minute to clean it off for you. DO NOT follow us and make us clean up around you.
7. Please don’t say your party number the second you see us, let us ask how you are and THEN ask how many.
8. Please acknowledge us when we ask how you are or wish you a good day when you leave. Basic courtesy.
9. Pagers only have a certain range, so please stay close. We don’t want to have to hunt you down any more than you want to be hunted down.
10. Kindly don’t tell us how ridiculous our wait time is after we tell you. There’s literally nothing we can do about that.
11. Some restaurants have tip sharing, where the hosts get part of the tips the servers make at the end of the night. Please take that into consideration when deciding how much you’re going to tip your server.
12. If you have a favorite table, that’s great, but do not be rude to us when you come in and the table is occupied. Reserving specific tables is not a thing.
13. DO NOT under any circumstances come in five minutes before a restaurant closes. We will hate you.
14. If you have more than 10 people in your party, call ahead of time even if the restaurant doesn’t take reservations. A heads up is nice if we have to drag three tables together.
15. If you walk in and ask “where’s my husband/my friend ____?” we WILL look at you like an idiot because how the hell are we supposed to know where/who the hell your friend is???
These are just a few things that will make your hostess happier and will, as a result, make your stay more enjoyable. Enjoy!