Next Restaurant Swarm

Here's my two centavos worth. I used to have our dinner group get togethers once a month, then decided to do them twice a month. I think getting our group together twice a month was no big deal since a lot of them like to eat out.

When someone suggested that I go back to once a month, my answer was a flat no. I said those who didn't want to go twice a month could go once a month.

Parkers suggestion of once every 2 - 3 months would not help out a restaurant.

I think it's fine just the way it is. And I agree that if you say you're going to go then you should go! If you're not sure, don't commit and certainly another one or two place settings could be added for you if you do make it.

I guess my neighbor and I were on Mexican Time for the swarm at Mario's as we must have arrived a little late and the table was full with no way to add 2 more people. So they set up another table a ways away. We were not included in any conversations at the big table and truth be known, only half of the big table even acknowledged our presence in spite of having to walk right by us every time they passed by for a smoke etc. But that's ok, because the people who did come by are the ones I went to meet! yay

For me once a week is too often, especially since I belong to two other luncheon groups. Every other group would be great. I had some business I had to take care of for my house sale come up unexpectedly. But as I was driving to Telmex there was a pretty bad storm. If it hadn't been important I would have turned around and gone home. Wonder if that affected some who didn't show up.

Once per week too frequent for us but if we say we're coming, we'll be there.

One things I look forward to is meeting new people and putting screen names to faces. As fate would have it yesterday I happened to be seated next to Maincoons. Main and I have disagreed on most things and one of the last things I thought I would ever be doing was sitting down to lunch with him. Well so much for my preconceived notions. Main's a nice guy and his wife is an absolute peach! I doubt we'll ever agree on anything except her and that alone made the swarm. Everything else was a bonus.

BTW, If you can't read the baloon in Hock's new avatar, it reads "How am I going to check my E-mail now..?"

There was a very expensive restaurant in the Napa Valley that was talking about taking credit card numbers and charging for no shows. I do not know if they ever went through with the idea but no shows are a real problem in the restaurant business.

Lots of NOB expensive restaurants will NOT take reservations for Fridays/Saturdays because of no shows. These are the same sort of high-end restaurants that used to require reservations back in the 80s and 90s. Guess people were more trustworthy to honor a reservation back then.

Restaurants get burned badly when they turn away walk-ins because they are holding tables with reservations, that end up as no-shows.

binky wrote:Lots of NOB expensive restaurants will NOT take reservations for Fridays/Saturdays because of no shows. These are the same sort of high-end restaurants that used to require reservations back in the 80s and 90s. Guess people were more trustworthy to honor a reservation back then.

Restaurants get burned badly when they turn away walk-ins because they are holding tables with reservations, that end up as no-shows.

I believe “Aijijic Tango” does this during the high-season. They’ll put you on a waiting list for the evening and 15 minutes until you’re considered a no-show.

CanuckBob wrote:OK only about 10 of the 20 showed up. Nice lunch anyhow.

I CAN NOT FREEKIN BELIEVE I DID THAT!!! For some reason I had the lunch scheduled for NEXT week...Head up & locked I guess. I'm very sorry for the screw up. When I say I'm gonna be there, you can take it to the bank Lord willin', the creek don't rise & the Ruskies don't drop the bomb!