War on booths in restaurants?

LVSteve · Jan 3, 2017

Anybody else noticed this?

Dining out is becoming less pleasurable due to the policy of removing booths and/or the dividers between booths. You have no privacy. I don't want to hear what's going on with Aunt Harriet according to the people at the next table.

A few years ago I commented on this to a waitress in a nearby place where they had removed the dividers between the booths. She coughed that it was on the advice of Las Vegas Metro. Is this a Homeland Security thing?

Arik · Jan 3, 2017

Haven't paid attention. My spot is at the bar....or if nice weather.... outside. Now that I think about it the places that I frequent don't have booths. They have big tables set all around. Not one next to another but not deviders

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

Tom S. · Jan 3, 2017

I thought it was to get more seating.

4barrel · Jan 3, 2017

You can tell how clean they are by bending over to see how much bubble gum is stuck to the bottom of the table.

klondike · Jan 3, 2017

As a former restaurant owner that used booths, I must say that it was amazing to see what was found under the seats.
My favorite was a wallet who's owner was recognized as a "walk out" by his server when he returned for it. But then there was a diamond tennis bracelet that was never claimed (still in my safe and mine now).
The maintenance on upholstered seating is a factor, I used to cringe when I would see a customer start to sit down with a screwdriver protruding from his back pocket.

Arik · Jan 3, 2017

Here's what I'm talking about

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

steamloco76 · Jan 3, 2017

Being a large person, I am glad the booth is going the way of the Dodo Bird, the same as the permanently mounted swivel seats at Mc Donalds and Arby's. I like to be able to position my seat a comfortable distance from the table!

NYlakesider · Jan 3, 2017

From what a buddy said that owned a restaurant it has two primary reasons. You can get more people seated with all the material the booths are made of is removed. Its also easier to keep track and monitor what is going on in the dinning room.

Tinhack · Jan 3, 2017

If you're dinning at a place that has booths, you're not exactly going for the ambiance. If you want privacy, eat at home.

LVSteve · Jan 3, 2017

Tinhack said:
If you're dinning at a place that has booths, you're not exactly going for the ambiance. If you want privacy, eat at home.

I just want to eat reasonable food prepared by someone else who also does the dishes while being able to carry on a conversation below screaming pitch because of the jerk at the next table bellowing into their phone.

If the average restaurant industry becomes universally hostile to my needs, then I will eat at home and spend my money elsewhere. Elsewhere will likely be out of state or even in another country.

If I want ambiance I'll eat at one of the flashy places in town and I still prefer some kind of booth arrangement. Oddly enough, they cater for it quite well, but be prepared to spend $150+ for dinner if there is any alcohol.

Absalom · Jan 3, 2017

I haven't really noticed a significant change away from booths, but restaurants, like any business, will respond to general customer preference, so I'm sure if enough people love booths, there'll be places that offer them.

My circle of friends includes a wheelchair rider (and with advancing age may include more), so we have no use for booths and only meet in places around town where we can get easily accessible tables.

Just our preference.

cmort666 · Jan 3, 2017

Most places I go have booths and tables. Some have partitions, some don't.

An obnoxious moron can be heard despite any partition.

What bothers me far more than anything else is people with small children whom they allow to run amok in expensive restaurants, either doing nothing or impotently mumbling "Now Johnny, don't do that."

LVSteve · Jan 3, 2017

cmort666 said:
What bothers me far more than anything else is people with small children whom they allow to run amok in expensive restaurants, either doing nothing or impotently mumbling "Now Damien, don't do that."

Fixed it for you.

gregintenn · Jan 3, 2017

Honestly, many Americans are now simply too fat to fit in a booth.

There's a mom and pop restaurant nearby that has both booths and tables. It looks like a block building with a doublewide trailer attached to it. The seats are repaired with duct tape. This place is PACKED every time you go there despite all this. They have the world's best catfish.

the ringo kid · Jan 3, 2017

LVSteve said:
Anybody else noticed this?

Dining out is becoming less pleasurable due to the policy of removing booths and/or the dividers between booths. You have no privacy. I don't want to hear what's going on with Aunt Harriet according to the people at the next table.

A few years ago I commented on this to a waitress in a nearby place where they had removed the dividers between the booths. She coughed that it was on the advice of Las Vegas Metro. Is this a Homeland Security thing?

They aint going anywhere--at least at Dennys, Cheddars, Whataburger and Walbangers.

Big Cholla · Jan 3, 2017

A Fond Memory

LVSteve said:
I just want to eat reasonable food prepared by someone else who also does the dishes while being able to carry on a conversation below screaming pitch because of the jerk at the next table bellowing into their phone.

If the average restaurant industry becomes universally hostile to my needs, then I will eat at home and spend my money elsewhere. Elsewhere will likely be out of state or even in another country.

If I want ambiance I'll eat at one of the flashy places in town and I still prefer some kind of booth arrangement. Oddly enough, they cater for it quite well, but be prepared to spend $150+ for dinner if there is any alcohol.

Steve: A few years before you came to LV there was just the restaurant you describe on Flamingo near Maryland Parkway. It had ALL horseshoe shaped booths plushly upholstered separated by heavy curtains ceiling to floor between every booth. The ceiling was of heavy sound attenuating surface tile, the floor was heavy carpet, the walls were also sound attenuating. Dining in that place was a pleasure for those of us that value a quiet subdued atmosphere. Of course the cost was higher than that of any subsidized Strip Casino restaurant. It was in existence from about 1965 thru 1970 then inevitably it went out of business. As a young construction engineer, my wife and I had to save to be able to eat there once a month. I can't remember the name of the place, but it has remained my idea of an 'ideal' of a top flight place to dine in complete enjoyment ever since. BTW, the food was excellent, the service subdued and prompt and a bottle of wine was not four times that of the liquor store's. ......

zzzippper · Jan 3, 2017

I always ask for a booth and 99% of the time I get one. Maybe the trend has reached St. Louis yet.

My favorite was in Kuwait where every table had a door with complete privacy. If you wanted the waiter you pushed a button and a light would come on outside your door. The worst memory there was when I took a Filipina date. She ordered corn chowder and asked them to take out the corn. First and only date!

klondike · Jan 3, 2017

NYlakesider said:
From what a buddy said that owned a restaurant it has two primary reasons. You can get more people seated with all the material the booths are made of is removed. Its also easier to keep track and monitor what is going on in the dinning room.

Good point! With tables, in the center of my dining room, I could accommodate almost any number of guests by sliding them together. Inevitably, I would have one customer tie up a horseshoe booth that could seat five. I tried to discourage that but not too hard.

Lee in Quartzsite · Jan 3, 2017

LVSteve said:
Dining out is becoming less pleasurable due to the policy of removing booths and/or the dividers between booths. You have no privacy.

In today's day's environment you can not expect any privacy while you are out in public. Just about everywhere you go you will be on camera, and many now have audio as well. I haven't noticed any change personally, but when my wife and I go out we prefer a booth away from the front door, preferably with wooden tables between us and the door. A heavy wooden table can be used as temporary cover. After we are seated we always look for a rear exit or other means of a quick exit.

My pet peeves in restaurants are noisy kids, people yacking on cell phones and rude wait staff. I am sure now that the minimum wage is going up service will greatly improve.........

shouldazagged · Jan 3, 2017

It has been at least a year since I ate in a restaurant. That one didn't have booths. Food--Thai red curry--was good, though.

War on booths in restaurants?

Member

Member

Moderator

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

SWCA Member, Absent Comrade

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Absent Comrade

Similar threads