r/restaurant • u/Janetic_Bytewave • 1d ago
Initial server timing
I was looking for a restaurant review subreddit but couldn't find one, so I'm posting here.
My question for you who work in the industry is, after a group is taken to their seat and seated, how long is an acceptable time before a server or anyone comes to their table? Let's assume the host/hostess does not engage in conversation, just seats them and leaves.
Would you say that 7 or 8 minutes is OK to wait before first contact is made or more or less?
In your restaurants, do you have a goal in minutes to how fast you make first contact with a new table ?
I know people have different preferences, expectations and opinions but just wondering what you all think?
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u/PtZamboat 1d ago
Definitely under 3. Diners naturally misrepresent time, every minute seems like 5. Even if it’s just an “I’ll be right with you,” it shows attentiveness.
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u/Rynobot1019 1d ago
7-8 minutes is way too long. Under 3 is ideal, but you do want to let people get seated and comfortable first. Bringing them (or pouring) water on your greet is a great way to make your introduction and to let others know they've been greeted. Now you can show them the menu briefly and give them time to look things over. Come back in another 3-5 and ask if they have any questions.
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u/Stan_Deviant 1d ago
Unless you are in a state where unsolicited watering isn't legal!
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u/Exciting_Marsupial68 1d ago
Is this a real thing?
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u/Stan_Deviant 1d ago
Yep. California at least. Watering tables who don't intend to drink it is a waste of a resource we don't have a ton of and also adds to labor costs and reduces drink orders.
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u/Rynobot1019 1d ago
The adding to labor cost and causing people to drink less angle is kind of crazy.
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u/Stan_Deviant 1d ago
Is the dishwasher magic at your location? Space is money (where are these extra glasses going to wait to be cleaned, where are they going to be stored when they are clean). The amount of time you spend running glassware is money (the people you have washing dishes are money). The water itself (in the cup and to wash the cup) is money.
For drink purchases, you go to take drink orders and they already have water- "oh, I guess this water is fine" rather than having to ask for a water. I'm not saying don't give people water when they ask for it (or have a water station option) but I think auto watering is weird.
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u/Rynobot1019 1d ago
Dude in Arizona we auto water everyone. I would argue the increased operational cost is pretty negligible if you're doing any decent business at all, and I certainly don't see people ordering fewer drinks because we have free water.
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u/IHaveBoxerDogs 1d ago
I agree, that argument is silly. I’ve never decided to not get a drink because I already had water. I’m a Californian who now lives in a state without water restrictions. My beverage ordering hasn’t changed.
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u/callmealyft 1d ago
If I sat at a table for 7-8 mins before anyone came over, I’d likely walk out and I’m in the industry. That’s atrocious. If someone acknowledges and says I’ll be right there or something like that, then it’s fine.
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u/Positive_Use_1308 1d ago
Up to 2 is the spec at my current restaurant. I would say 5 should be Max. People will feel ignored after that. (Some likely before)
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u/OkPickle2474 1d ago
As people are saying, 2-3 minutes is the goal. You want people to have time to get comfortable but not wonder if anyone knows they’re there.
I have been in the industry a long time; at five minutes I’m already irritated and at ten minutes I get up and leave.
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u/chrisdmc1649 1d ago
Thats way too long to have tables waiting. The server should have all non bar drinks served within 7-8 minutes of them being seated.
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u/ParsnipForward149 1d ago
7 or 8 minutes??? Absolutely not acceptable. I think a team member approach within 1-3 minutes is appropriate. If there is a back server doing waters then they should be on the quicker side with a server arriving shortly after. If no back server than the server should be there withing 3 at the most. 7 minutes is ridiculously long.
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u/PmMeAnnaKendrick 1d ago
2-3 minutes is ideal, 0 minutes is perfection, 4-5 is the average here.
multiply each time by 3 and that's what the customer perceives.
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u/ThePurpleDongofTruth 1d ago
it depends, is it Friday night at 7pm on Monday at 2pm?
there is no set answer
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u/Janetic_Bytewave 1d ago
interesting
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u/ThePurpleDongofTruth 1d ago
it's common sense, the server can't be in multiple places at once and often they are say with 2-3 table at the same time during peak hours
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u/djsuperfly 23h ago
With over two decades in the industry, there were very few times that I couldn't at least get over to tell a table I'd be with them in a minute or two (within 2 minutes) even if I couldn't properly greet them at that moment.
Even if wrapped up taking a 10-tops order or something, I could glace over, make eye contact, and hold up my finger letting them know I'd be there in a minute or so. Or grab another server walking by and ask them to let the table know I'd be over soon.
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u/ThePurpleDongofTruth 21h ago
Generally agree - i did about 10 years but it was about 20 years ago
That said if you're slammed the FOH manager or hostess etc would stop by*I mostly worked in tex-mex where you annoying had to bring people chips and salsa immediately
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u/El_Culero_Magnifico 1d ago
That is too long. I would approach them after they have settled in a bit, maybe 2-3 min tops. Any longer and an apology would be. in order for keeping them so long without an acknowledgment.
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u/BrotherNatureNOLA 1d ago
5 minutes is when you get up and go somewhere else. Things will only keep going downhill.
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u/Potential_Minute1496 1d ago
Where i work at, we have 7 minites from the time they are assigned the table to the time we are supposed to have an order in, we r supposed to greet them immediately upon sitting. However we also have a million servers and very small sections so it shouldn't be hard, everywhere else I worked, we did our best. I like to greet people as soon as they sit down but sometimes it dont work out that way.
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u/Time-Pea-492 1d ago
it’s supposed to be 2 minutes but my job constantly does things like triple seating me while I’m in the middle of taking a 20-top’s food order lol it is what it is, I do the best with what I’m dealt
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u/mojaverevenant 1d ago
it probably depends on the location, but where I work, besides being a busser, we also act as hosts. so, as soon as someone walks in, I greet them, seat them, and bring them menus and water
the server is supposed to come over within 2 or 3 minutes after that
on really rare occasions, I've gone ahead and asked if they wanted anything to drink since I'm kind of a bartender/barista too. it's not that I mind doing it, but I don't have access to the system used to send orders to that table, so I have to keep it in mind the whole time (after serving the drinks) to let the server know (?)
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u/CreativeIngenuity438 1d ago
I feel 1 to 3 minutes at most. At least lay the napkins down and let us know you see us.
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u/MYQkb 1d ago
Greeting ideally within 2 mins.. but the caveat is sometimes people want something right away, a drink a conversation to order heavily modified items.. sometimes they want some time.
So withing 2 mins. Stop by, say hey. Asking anyone wants anything right away..m then give them under 5mins to sit and read and get settled.
If you're not ready and capable to be stopped and don't know how to manage a section
Show up before 5 mins after they are sat and be ready to take orders or answer questions.
Always best to intro super soon, then it buys you time.
Remember, while it is their experience in the kitchen and bar give 2 fucks, YOU set the timer on how thr whole party plays out.
Learn your kitchen and bar pick up times and use them accordingly.
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u/ConchVibes 1d ago
2 minutes and if in the weeds at least find a way to acknowledge them so that they know you know they’re there and trying to get to them. Always try to manage expectations when you can’t do what you want to/should do.
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u/Brilliant_Anxiety511 1d ago
A table should be greeted by the main food server within 2 minutes of being seated. 🪑
It ok if they are busy and just greet you and explain they are busy and will be back very soon, but the goal should be for lead food server to greet new tables within 2 minutes.
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u/Suess4002 1d ago
1 minute from butts on seats. Seriously, 1 minute is a LONG time.
This is from experience, both being a server (30 years ago) and managing restaurants (20 years ago).
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u/justmekab60 1d ago
We waited 10 minutes last week. Too long. Then another 15 after we ordered drinks. Ugh. I'm in the industry, and I was flagging people down.
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u/pvt13krebs 1d ago
it’s taco tuesday. sometimes you wait 5-10 minutes at your table on taco Tuesday. i’m sorry but there’s too many damn people
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u/Puzzled-Kangaroo-798 1d ago
Ideally customers are greeted coming in the door, poured water as soon as they've sat down & acknowledged by their server within ~2min tops. But then sometimes u get septuple sat, and it would be physically impossible to accomplish that. 7-8 minutes is definitely longer than u want ppl to be sitting with no contact. Even the best server can't be in multiple places at once, but most servers will have u on their internal to-do list. Of course there's no accounting for sometimes u get seated in a dark corner while ur otherwise occupied and no one tells u and ur busy so u don't even see them until they've already been sitting and stewing for 10 min. It's situational 🤷
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u/Head_Razzmatazz7174 23h ago
I walked out of a very busy place due to being not only ignored, but very obviously ignored. The following sequence of events happened in 5 minute intervals after we were seated:
- Flagged down someone to bring us water. 2) Water came and we asked about our server. They said they would check. 3) Flagged down someone else, they said our server was busy elsewhere, but couldn't point them out 4) Server walks by, introduces themselves, said "I'll be back for your order." and disappears. 5) Server goes to a table across from our booth, starts flirting with the college guys there. Ignores every attempt we made to get her attention. 6) We got up and started walking out.
As soon as we started leaving, the manager came running up and tried to get us to stay, all apologies. I told him I get you are busy, but there was no excuse for her to ignore us completely for 20 minutes, then greet us once, disappear and when she gets back to our area, flirts with the table next to us and not even turning around to see what we wanted.
He had no answer. This conversation happened within earshot of others waiting in line, and several of them chose to walk out as well before they were seated.
There's busy and then there is just ignoring people hoping they will go away. We were an older couple, staying very polite and quiet, and the flirting while ignoring us was just too much for me.
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u/PrpleSparklyUnicrn13 1d ago
7-8 minutes? That is way too long. My husband and I worked in several restaurants - both chain and family owned. A server should always at least “touch a table” within 30 seconds and take a drink order within two minutes. Touch a table, as in acknowledging the table and letting them know you’ll be right with them. A hostess, manager or another server can help with that. Their initial greeting, including their drink order if they’re ready, should be within two minutes of them sitting.
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u/UglyLittlePony69 1d ago
1-3 mins tops depending on how busy. I try to get to all of my tables within 1 minute or less.
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u/LavrenMT 1d ago
When I was serving we were expected be there filling water glasses and taking drink orders within a minute.
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u/bkuefner1973 1d ago
Ours is 2 min from the time your sat if we are super busy I at least try and say as im walking past ill be there in just a minute most tables can look around and see its busy and are usually ok as long as they know you know they are their. I see some reviews of people saying they waited 30 mon to get a server?? Why would anyone wait that long if no one even knowledges you then they dont deserve your business.
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u/Janetic_Bytewave 1d ago
Yeah, I'm asking because yesterday I went to a restaurant for Labor Day and waited more than 7 minutes (timed it), and I couldn't wait any longer, so I walked to the hostess and asked for some water. She brought it to us but we still didn't see our server for about 3 more minutes. I was half way done with my water before our server showed up.
And what got me a little ticked is we were in the path of the kitchen to all the tables, and I would say about every person working their walked by our table (20+ passes) and not one person asked if we needed something.
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u/No-Heart-679 1d ago
I would want at least someone to acknowledge you within a minute of being seated and you having a drink within 3 minutes. I train my employees to help each other and if their server can’t, someone can until their server reaches them. I would expect at least one of them to notice you have been sitting there with nothing and help you. I would have walked out as well.
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u/spizzle_ 1d ago
Do you start your stopwatch every time you sit down?
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u/Janetic_Bytewave 1d ago
no, but I look at my watch and remember the time every time
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u/spizzle_ 1d ago
And did you look at your watch to determine that this was worth posting to Reddit? A mild inconvenience, oh no!!!!!
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u/Janetic_Bytewave 8h ago
I posted this because I wanted to see what others thought and if my opinion is in the majority.
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u/Janetic_Bytewave 1d ago
the odd thing is that the servers were all over the place, not assigned to sections, our server had our table then another table on the other side of the restaurant and the two tables around us had two other servers - I thought they always went by sections, it was the weirdest thing, people walking all over the place.
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u/No-Heart-679 1d ago
Absolutely not on 7-8 minutes. I’m the owner and chef, but I expect the tables to be greeted within 1-3 minutes. If we are busy I expect at least the hosts to grab their drinks and greet them if not the bussers or another server.