Restaurant Etiquette: Leave When You’re Done Eating

I recently went to a restaurant where there were 4 ladies taking up a booth. They had already eaten their last bite and paid for their meal, yet they continued to sit there for over an hour chatting away and nursing their water. This would be acceptable most of the time. What made it unacceptable now was the 20 people waiting in the doorway for a table. Finally the waitress explained to the ladies that they have to leave. All 4 of them had an attitude about it, but promptly left. I wondered how these people could have an attitude about getting the boot. Paying for your $4.95 lunch special doesn’t give you the right to the table all day long?

This rule also goes for when restaurants are closing. The wait staff has a life outside of the restaurant. If it’s beyond closing time and the staff is cleaning, that’s a good signal that you should be getting ready to go.

Of course, when it’s happy hour and a place has a bar, feel free to stay as long as you want as long as you are buying drinks. If you’re nursing one 12 oz. beer for 2 hours though, it’s probably time for you to let somebody else have the table.