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Ring for service restaurant | |||||||||||||||||
A variant on the ring for service at a restaurant I've seen is a small 6 inch high flagpole with a flag attached to the rack that holds sugar packets. The flag has a small pulley and rope allowing customers to raise/lower the flag. If you need the waitress, you just raise the flag. You can then go on talking to your guest instead of wasting time looking for your waitress and trying to get her attention. Saw it in a restuarant in Hawaii -- very efficient.
sleeper3, Jul 22 2004
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They used to do something similar at Branns, here in Michigan.
OTOH, there are a few somewhat common things you can do to passivley signal your waiter/waitress. The best one I know of is to put whatever it is you want them to notice at the end of your table. That could be an empty glass, an empty plate, an undercooked entree, etc.
That helps, epsecially if the plate is partially hanging off the table.
The other thing that works is putting a fork on the floor in the middle of the walkway next to your table. Someone will usually pick it up soon, and when they stop, you can ask for what you need.
Of course, I always thought that hoisting the flag or using the beeper seeemed classier than the edge of the table routine.
It sounds lovely, but then most things Hawaiian do. I can see it being dangerous. I don't want a plate hanging over my table. The one thing worse than waiting for a server, is to have an employee hovering over your table. Busboys are aggravating enough when they're trying to take your glasses. Its awful to have to stop conversing while you wait for a 'clean up' in front of your table.
I also favor a beeper idea. I've only seen them used ONE WAY- to inform a patron their table is ready. Why not use them to inform the server that the table needs service?
good point, mpwizard. some sort of signal, be it a light or flag would be helpful in keeping annoying busboys away. they have to wait for the signal before they are permitted to interrupt you conversation and try to clean the table or take your food away in the middle of dinner.
Yes, I've seen this idea in operation... long ago. I'd like to see it return to all restaurants. Once I devised such a flag raiser and took it with me and stationed it at the outer edge of my booth at a local restaurant. I don't think it would have had any effect had it not been for the words "SERVICE, PLEASE" I stenciled on the stiff metal flag.
Try it... it works like a charm!
Many years ago Johnny Carson owned a restaurant in Costa Mesa where you could order your food by lifting a telephone at your table that communicated directly with the kitchen. I have seen variations on the flag idea at a couple of other places. I agree there needs to be a better way to communicate a need for service.