What Restaurants Get Right

So, what I want to address today are the things that restaurants get right in order to make my dining experience pleasant. These things show that they have their customers’ comfort in mind.

I truly appreciate it when the host or hostess immediately acknowledges my presence and cheerfully welcomes me to their establishment. That often sets a really nice tone for the remainder of my visit. One time, I entered a restaurant where the hostess had propped herself against the credenza, with a phone tucked between her chin and shoulder, an emery board in her hand. I kid you not. She kept me waiting for seven minutes while she filed down her fingernails and obviously carried on a private conversation.

Not cool.

Another thing some restaurants get right is providing spacious tables to accommodate all of a patron’s plates, bowls, glasses, silverware, food platters, etc., without requiring strategic reorganization of everything.

While I’m on the subject of tables, another thing I appreciate is sturdy, even tables. Shakiness just doesn’t cut it. Who wants their water glasses rocking to and fro and splattering everywhere?

When it comes to seating, I prefer to sit on wooden chairs or booth benches that are padded. Not only that, it’s great when booth benches are close enough to the tabletops, but not so close that there’s a tight squeeze. Table height also matters. I’m a vertically challenged kind of gal, and I don’t need that Formica hitting me right in the chin, thankyouverymuch.

Big smiles and gratitude go to those establishments that refrain from setting up their dining rooms with communal seating. Hey, Germany and other European countries might not blink an eyelid about being hip-to-hip and elbow-to-elbow with a stranger, but I personally get edgy if someone I don’t know invades my personal bubble.

Here’s a brief rundown on some other things that elevate my dining experience:

• Properly climate-controlled dining area. If it’s too cold and I’m shivering while trying to eat, the crankiness kicks in.

• Background music played at an I-can-still-carry-a-conversation-with-my-fellow-diners volume.

• Well-behaved children.

• Dishes that are offered in mild, spicy, and Burn-Your-Tongue-Off options. Not everyone can tolerate heat in their Mexican or Indian food, so giving diners a choice is really thoughtful.

• Waitstaff that actually bring plates to the table so those yummy morsels on the appetizer platters can be eaten without any awkwardness or fear of crumbs falling all over the place and littering the tabletop.

• Variety of food and beverages on the menu. Choices, people! It’s great to see mocktails and EANABs¹ (Equally Attractive Non-Alcoholic Beverages) listed for those who abstain from alcohol. Oh, and fountain drinks and diet sodas are sometimes absent: kind of a bummer when a place offers only canned or bottled drinks or lacks the forethought to provide diet drinks for diabetic patrons who’d like to sip on more than water only.

Admittedly, it’s nearly impossible to have a perfect dining experience, but there are things restaurant owners and managers can pay attention to so that their customers are comfortable and happy. Attention to detail is important in order to keep people coming back time and time again. After all, who doesn’t like repeat customers and word-of-mouth praises and recommendations?