4 ways to de-stress your holiday dining out experience
Over a million people work in restaurants across Canada and, like the rest of us, they are busier than ever as the holiday season rolls in.
Large parties, families and work colleagues will pack restaurants over the next few weeks, and while it can mean an important economic boost to both the restaurant and its front-of-house service staff, it can also mean some added stress on both sides of the dinner plate.
You can get the most of your holiday restaurant visit at the same time you contribute to the quality and the pocketbook of the people working in the restaurant industry.
Make a reservation and stand by it
Most restaurants welcome walk-in customers; however, if you are a group of six that casually pops into a restaurant at 7:30 p.m. on a busy night without a reservation, you may be out of luck if the restaurant is full.
Waiters and restaurants appreciate when you make a reservation any time of the year but especially during the holiday season, according to Jake Richards of Loloan Lobby Bar in Waterloo, Ont.
"Definitely make a reservation and keep us up to date on the status and number in your reservation, whether the numbers go up or down," Richards said.
Restaurants measure revenue per square foot or per seat: your reservation is a part of the calculation of that revenue – in an industry that, at three to five percent, is among the lowest in the economy for profitability.
Given that fact, if you just don't show up for your reservation and the restaurant has turned away other customers, the seats remain empty and the restaurant and wait-staff lose money.
Reservations are a courtesy that is universal in the industry, according to Richards. "If for some reason you can't make it, definitely call and let us know," he said. In some cities, some restaurants will charge your credit card for a no-show.
Tip
There's no doubt that holiday parties are a chance for the restaurant and wait-staff to make a bit more money – and it might be funds needed for leaner times from January to March and even relatively slower times in the summer. Many of those one million workers rely heavily on tips.
Tipping is a social contract. While there is a movement afoot to dismantle the convention, it's still at your discretion and I suggest tipping generously when you get good service, at 15 to 20 percent. Remember, too, that if you are using a gift certificate, you should calculate the tip on the total amount before you use the certificate.
"Holiday season is our time to make a little bit of extra money," said Chris Kim of Kitchener's Public Kitchen and Bar. "Whether your server has done an adequate or great job, show your appreciation."
Recognize that larger parties may have an automatic gratuity added to the bill, so you don't need to add another tip, unless you are so compelled.
"Not everywhere does that, but we don't want you tip if you've already gotten the auto-grat on there," said Paige Henderson at Swine and Vine in Kitchener, Ont.
Remember too that you tip on the service experience and not the food quality. Just because you didn't like the taste of the fennel in the pasta doesn't mean your waiter deserves a lesser tip.
Change your expectations for holiday dining
It is not that you should expect lesser service during busy time around the holidays, but you might get different service. To a degree, holiday parties and large parties in general take away from some of the care and personal aspect of table service; it might be more functional.
"You don't have a lot of time to be charismatic with your tables. It's just dropping off food, clearing plates and cutlery and re-setting the table. It's a matter of making sure everyone has drinks and everything is under control," according to Kim.
There can be a clash of purposes too when a table of two is looking for a quiet meal and next to them is a rowdy table of eight: a romantic mid-December meal might be better enjoyed at another time.
Be patient
More than anything, be patient at this time of the season. That's a refrain I heard as many times as I hear the refrain to Jingle Bells in the season when I talked to restaurant wait-staff.
Recognize that paying up and quickly exiting may take longer if the restaurant is very busy. "A lot of it is just to be mindful," Henderson said suggesting that patience is a dining virtue.
"Take all of those things that you generally try to do, like being courteous, and apply them during the holidays. Be patient because it is a very busy time for everyone."