Why don't we have parking meters in restaurants?

Question

Restaurants could attach them to tables and people would need to feed them if they wanted to sit longer. The restaurants wouldn't lose money that way with people sitting around too long.

Answer 1

~Are you kidding. You are just weird, hateful, and greedy. Let people sit and visit for crying out loud!

Answer 2

Part of going to the restaurant is being able to sit there as long as it takes. They would lose business that way because perosnally I don't want to go somewhere where I have to feed the meters. And also if they did that , they run the risk of people becoming cheaper on givin tips, b/c the restaurants are making money from the meters. That just makes our meal more expensive then they use to be. Isn't the gas prices and other stuff going up enough?? Its a good effort to think of that but I don't want to pay and I am sure others don't either.

Answer 3

I have always considered this idea just never the parking meter. I think it's a great idea. I work in a very busy restaurant that is on a wait most hours we are open. If a table stays an additional 2 hours after paying, I am missing out on approximately 2 tables from which I would have earned tips.

I want to explain to people that don't work in the restaurant industry that servers are essentially self employed. Just let me explain. My 2 week paychecks often say "This is not a check." In fact restaurants contract us out to the other employees in the restaurant. I pay more to the restaurant in tip share than the restaurant pays me in wages. What am I saying then? I pay to work at my restaurant! I am in business for myself, and I treat it like a business.

Now that we have established that servers are essentially in business for themselves, is it greedy to say we should set up parking meters? Businesses are in business to make money. I'm not saying you can't "camp out" at a table. Just recognize that you are costing us money and compensate us for it.

Answer 4

In USA most people tend to eat too quickly as it is. Most countries sit down to eat for a few hours. If you are at a touristy town on the beach then you totally have to pay a meter to park, otherwise just relax and be happy that people feel confortable and enjoy the scenery at your restaurant.

Answer 5

That sounds really silly on first reading, but the more I think of it, and as I read it to my husband, I hate to say, you have a point. I don't think it's a great idea for a fancy restaurant, but you know, the idea isn't so bad for some of these mid-range restaurants that get really crowded and have people out the door waiting for tables, while people sit over a cup of coffee for about an hour. Not too bad, not too bad. I'm still laughing.

Answer 6

Restaurants have gentle ways of moving people along - they don't always work but are subtle enough not to be obnoxious. I wouldn't go anywhere, even a McDonald's, that put a fixed and explicit price on the time spent there.

Answer 7

I love it! That's brilliant! An average meal in my restaurant took 45 minutes from seating to finishing. And then they'd sit and drink coffee for two more hours. (And usually leave a crappy tip for their waitress.) I love this concept, it's ingenious!

Answer 8

I think that's a great idea, for people who sit too long.
If they were encouraged to leave by "expired time" and not by my continuous gentle prodding, so I can turn the table or get them to leave at closing time, I would love that!!
Maybe you should patent that idea!!
If only.............

Answer 9

Hehehe!!! That's a good one. I work in the industry, and it is very annoying when we are on an hour wait and people won't get up or order anything else in a timely fashion. Perhaps I should suggest this to my boss. Thanks for the chuckle :)

Answer 10

do you want to put restaurants out of business. What is going on in your mind?

Answer 11

If a restaraunt pulled that **** on me, I would never return and I think a lot of people would feel this way, so how would that plan keep them from not losing money?