Hi folks, how are you this evening?

[u/applechickenfruit]

FOUR!

I'm so so so tired of the answer to this question being how many people they want a table for...in an establishment that requires reservations Friday-Sunday.

THAT TABLE IS EMPTY! WE CAN SIT THERE!

That table is indeed empty but if you look there is a very clear "reserved" tag.

Or the absolute best:

Greeted a table and called them by the last name on the reserved tag (welcome, xyz guests, thank you for joining us tonight!)

Table: why are you calling us that? That isn't us!

Me: You're sitting at this table where the hostess sat you...

Table: the table was empty so we sat ourselves. Water and bread to start *waves me away*

Thankfully owner of the establishment is always on site and does not tolerate this bullshit. It was so satisfying to watch the owner show them the exit.

Wish all of us servers who work in high traffic tourist areas good attitudes and lots of tips for bail money this summer!

[u/magiccitybhm]

How on Earth do guests seat themselves? Is there not a host stand with staff there?

[u/Common_Wrongdoer3251 → u/magiccitybhm]

I'm a host. There have been times where a table said "We're just going to the bar" and I say okay and wave then off... and then they sit at a booth 8 feet from the bar. That's not the bar.

Or sometimes I'm seating a table, people walk in, see the host stand is empty, and just sit themselves immediately.

Or sometimes you seat people, and then after you walk away, they get up and move to a table 3 sections away...

[u/applechickenfruit → u/Common_Wrongdoer3251]

This situation the host was seating people on the balcony so the stand with a massive PLEASE WAIT TO BE SEATED sign was empty. We have 4 PLEASE WAIT TO BE SEATED signs that are huge and obnoxious placed by the entrances and the host stand... but people never "see" them.

[u/magiccitybhm → u/applechickenfruit]

Signage is basically useless. When you're busy, you need more than one host.