Why it takes double the time to serve customers in restaurants ten years on

[nichola]

Interesting article on research by an old New York restaurant into why it takes double the time to serve it customers.

"Having been in business for many years we noticed that although the number of customer’s we serve on a daily basis is almost the same today as it was 10 years ago, the service just seems super slow even thou we added lot’s more staff and cut back on the menu items".

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2690490/Service-time-restaurants-doubled-past-ten-years-customers-cell-phones-blame-claims-busy-NYC-restaurant.html

[Old Tom]

Dining manners have changed. Years ago no one would have thought of having a chat with someone not at their table.It would have been considered rude. The introduction of mobile phones have created a scene that manners have not caught up with.
A few years ago I dined at a hotel in Jersey.There was a notice on the menu that said guests who chose to make or accept phone calls at table were expected to buy drinks for the neighbouring tables.

[Ian]

And god help your quiet romantic meal when the table next to you decides that their friends back home should enjoy the experience with them by connecting to Skype whilst still eating their meal - and shouting at the screen as people do!

Of course you could argue it is good to have a "live" independent review of your chosen restaurant from someone 2500 miles away :-)

[GordonA]

Could it not just be due to the fact that restaurant menus have a much greater choice of meals to pick from, ergo it  WILL take more time to make up ones mind ??

A different slant on this, but hearing of customers having to wait for up to 45 minutes for ones meal, after placing the order, is, to me anyway, totally unacceptable, and I would wait 15 minutes, then leave.

[nichola]

Did you read the article before posting Gordon?

[davybill]

So Gordon if you couldn't get your wi fi in15"minutes you would leave,LoL.

[Jacqui Harvey]

I would wait for a meal to be cook freshly for me.  We have a local restaurant that just opened in a Park near us, they do all their own baking, so all desserts including cakes and biscuits are made by them, they use locally grown vegetables and also use the local Butcher for their meat.  They tell you that you will wait at least 20 minutes for main course meal.  The place is always packed and you are lucky to get a walk in place.  I usually book at least 2 days in advance.  The foods is lovely and the place is right next to a big stretch of water with ducks and swans.  No traffic noise  Well worth waiting  IMHO.  I have also never seen anyone on the phone or ipad there.

[GordonA]

Did you read the article before posting Gordon?

Yes, of chorse !!  The people who wrote the original in New York must have crap staff !!

[GordonA]

So Gordon if you couldn't get your wi fi in15"minutes you would leave,LoL.

Bloody wifi, who the hell mentioned wifi ??

[GordonA]

I would wait for a meal to be cook freshly for me.  We have a local restaurant that just opened in a Park near us, they do all their own baking, so all desserts including cakes and biscuits are made by them, they use locally grown vegetables and also use the local Butcher for their meat.  They tell you that you will wait at least 20 minutes for main course meal.  The place is always packed and you are lucky to get a walk in place.  I usually book at least 2 days in advance.  The foods is lovely and the place is right next to a big stretch of water with ducks and swans.  No traffic noise  Well worth waiting  IMHO.  I have also never seen anyone on the phone or ipad there.

Jacqui., New York , where the post originated, is the "home of fast food ", so, even although it is probably the very last place in the world that I would EVER visit, why would I wait more than 15 minutes for "fast food " ?? I have just received a very nice (money wise ), voucher from an extremely large restaurant chain, because we, and 2 friends from Australia ,were served what turned out to be defrosted, then reheated, frozen food, and presented with a bill for an extortionate amount for what was presented on the menu as " freshly cooked ". The manageress was proud to refer to the people who work in her kitchen as ....................................".PING CHEFS ", only waking up when the micro-wave went Ping !!
Waiting for what does turn out to be freshly cooked is another "kettle of fish " !!