Survey of hospitality owners shows Kiwis are losing their table manners.
Restaurants and cafés may be more informal than they once were, but certain rules still apply when it comes to dining out. A new survey by the Restaurant Association of New Zealand has revealed the dos and don’ts of dining.
The Restaurant Association, an industry body that represents more than 2300 hospitality businesses nationwide, asked its members to comment on the etiquette of dining and what restaurant behaviour most irritates other diners.
No shows for reservations, late cancellations and significantly late arrivals was the most common gripe by restaurant owners, largely due to the loss of earnings caused when people fail to keep their booking without prior notice.
Though a problem for restaurants everywhere, no shows are particularly troublesome in fine dining and establishments such as Pasture in Auckland, where food is prepared to the exact number of people expected to prevent wastage.
80 per cent of respondents had experienced no show diners and 78 per cent late cancellations.
Difficulties managing younger diners was also mentioned, with almost one quarter of respondents citing disruptive children as an issue.
Ponsonby Road’s Prego restaurant introduced a list of guidelines for young diners who are expected to remain in their seats during their meal and refrain from ‘hitting, screaming and throwing’.
According to the survey, 24 percent of respondents had experienced similar behaviour in kids dining out and 65 percent received complaints from other diners as a result.
More than a third of restaurant owners surveyed confessed they had been forced to ask diners, both adult and children, to leave the restaurant for inappropriate behaviour.
Other complaints included diners who request lots of changes to a dish, not giving advance notification of dietary requirements, laptop workers spending too much time – and too little money – taking up tables and diners bringing their own food and drink.
Some of the more unusual comments from respondents included stolen chopsticks and having a single pot of tea refreshed with hot water five times in three hours to make use of free wifi.
Interestingly, it seems the very same behaviour that irritates restaurant and café owners is the same as that which fellow diners complain about.
71 percent of respondents said other diners had complained about disruptive diners to wait staff.
We think the survey provides an interesting insight into the etiquette of dining in restaurants and cafés, and how important it is to the overall dining experience.
“Of course, the atmosphere needs to be conducive to that and with the onslaught of fast, casual dining, it seems many of us may have forgotten our table manners.”
Dining out is a much-loved part of the social fabric in New Zealand. Restaurants and cafés are places we love to visit to unwind, socialise with friends and enjoy a delicious meal in good company.
Hospo people are hard-working folk who want you to have a great time so engaging with them and behaving politely will only enhance your dining experience.
The survey asked members to suggest their ten top tips for diners on how to behave:
- If you can’t make your booking, please cancel at least 12 hours ahead. This includes reducing the number of people attending.
- Let the restaurant know in advance if you have dietary requirements.
- Don’t request too many changes to the dish.
- If there is a problem, let the staff know during service rather than posting negative reviews.
- Help with cleaning up excessive mess. Even if you don’t leave it spotless,
the staff will appreciate the gesture. - Keep children’s behaviour in check.
- If you do want to use the table for long periods, ensure you order accordingly.
- Don’t bring your own food.
- Treat the wait staff as you would want to be treated.
- Be considerate of your fellow diners.