As someone who works in a restaurant I would like to share my opinion on restaurant etiquette. As a hostess at Livingston’s restaurant Campione, I encounter many different types of people.
We are a very small restaurant only having six tables and seven bar seats used for walk-ins. The bar is full service just as the tables are. Being a small place, we have to have a very timely schedule. Obviously things happen and you can’t always be there on time, but part of etiquette is doing so. I have had several people show up late or without a reservation and still expect me to seat them. Getting them a meal and great service is something I would love to do but it’s not always easy. When people come in with this situation and an angry demeanor it can end badly. Sometimes it ends in stomping around and yelling from customers. This is the last way a hostess wants you to feel, so it helps to be on time.
We don’t want you to be disappointed, resulting in fewer tips. In some other states servers are fully reliant on their tips. When people don’t tip well even when they have been given exquisite service, it can cause a lot of financial stress for them. They don’t have an hourly wage to use as a safety net. This falls into the realm of etiquette. If you’re not sure what to tip, a good ballpark is 20% of your bill. So for example, if you had a $30.00 bill you would tip $6.00, Two dollars for every ten dollars you spend.
Another issue we can run into is allergies. It is important that allergies and dietary restrictions are very transparent to staff. If we are not informed then we cannot help you navigate the menu to keep you safe. We don’t want to see you have an allergic reaction because we weren’t aware of something happening. Please keep staff aware of any restrictions that we need to know about so everyone leaves the situation happy and healthy. You are our number one priority!
Restaurant etiquette is very important and prevents a lot of accidents and situations where people become unhappy. These guidelines help us out a lot in the hospitality industry. Keep in mind our jobs are to serve you! Help us help you by being aware of good restaurant etiquette.