Limited Time Dining

[JJReyes]

While restaurants in the Philippines offering buffets might impose a time limit, this is now a new trend in the United States.  Reservations state the starting time and informs you when you must leave.  First seating could be 5:30 to 7:00, then 7:00 to 8:30 and finally 8:30 to 10:00 pm.  You better hurry with your order if arriving late.  There have been cases where the kitchen was slow in preparing the food and diners were told they had to vacate the table in the middle of a meal.  Prefer a more leisure dining experience?  For an additional $50, you can keep the table for another hour.  More efficient and profitable for restaurants.  Large, corporate owned establishments have realized that the trend during and after Covid is take out, whether pick-up or delivered.  Smaller retail space means lower expenses and more profits.  Furious customers?  Maybe at the beginning.  Remember free baggage became paid baggage for airlines?  Last year, US airlines generated $7 billion in revenues on baggage fees alone.

It is just a matter of time before the Philippines sees this new trend and copies.

[BrettGC]

There's a heap of restaurants including al la carte as well as buffet, that have been doing "dining time slots" for years and not just the chains.  This was happening in the US when I last lived there (Portland OR), the UK on my last visit (London specifically) and Australia.  At the opposite end of the scale there are many that don't take reservations resulting in hours of waiting in a queue that at times can run all the way down the street.  The latter tended to occur at "the next big thing" venues where a combination of word-of-mouth, Yelp and Groupon would create such a buzz, those that wanted to be seen at said venues would wait for hours in all weather.  My circle of friends didn't play that game. 

Whilst still not ideal for a relaxing and pleasant experience, I'd take the time slot option if I couldn't get dining at my own pace. 

Edited August 4, 2023 by BrettGC

[hk blues]

It's not necessarily the most financially lucrative strategy - I was under the impression the margins on desserts, coffees, drinks etc was greater than on mains so encouraging diners to indulge in dessert, drinks and coffee etc may make more business sense.  Saying that, this probably doesn't apply to low-end restaurants and definitely not buffets. 

[jimeve]

I wonder if they do unlimited rice?

[hk blues]

1 hour ago, jimeve said:

I wonder if they do unlimited rice?

This has reminded me about last Sunday.  We were eating in a Rib Shack restaurant and the folk at the table opposite had a couple of meals but they had 2 kids who were having Jollibee.  Now, I personally do not agree with folk eating other restaurant's food but ok, they were kids.  But, the mother had more than a couple of refills of rice (they do unlimited) and this was for the kids meals.  Not cool IMO. 

[Mike J]

The first time I was asked to leave would be the last time I ate at the restaurant.  And I would be vocal to friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. about the experience.

[Joey G]

2 hours ago, Mike J said:

The first time I was asked to leave would be the last time I ate at the restaurant.  And I would be vocal to friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. about the experience.

As would I.... I've seen time limits for tables in just a few places, mostly when there were restrictions on how many people could be in a restaurant during COVID... even then I've never seen it enforced.  Every place we go has gotten rid of it completely.... so I kinda wonder how stories like this get traction.... but it makes good clickbait on the internet news sites.