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Should Restaurants Have Table Time Limits?
By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Aug 24, 2011
Modified Aug 24, 2011
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By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Aug 24, 2011
Modified Aug 24, 2011
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Today, the Post takes a look at a recent Zagat poll about the issue of table time limits—specifically, whether or not restaurants should enforce them.
Tim Zagat's own "10 New Rules of Dining Etiquette" calls for diners to "Get Out," noting that "Nobody should ever feel rushed. But interestingly, 60% of Zagat surveyors nationally support restaurants setting time limits on tables during peak hours." Thing is, it's hard to find a restaurant willing to admit they're watching the clock while you dawdle over dessert—Gordon Ramsay got flack for it when he opened The London in 2006, and The Hourglass Tavern uses their namesake more for show than actual enforcement.
On one hand, time limits are good news for restaurants, who can get more customers, and customers, who have a better chance at snagging a table at whatever's so hot right now. But an openly disclosed table time limit seems to go against the very foundation of hospitality. What do you think?
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dining out
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Jamie Feldmar
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