When dinning out, how long after you've payed your bill should you remain at your table?

Answer 1

5-10 minutes MAX. If you want to lounge like at a bar, go to one. Servers get paid on tips, and thus they need a new tables sat there, so they can make more money. If you plan on sitting there another 20, 30 minutes and talking buisness, you better tip more.

I've had some business guys flat out tell me, "where's gonna be here probably about 2 hours discussing _______, so here's an extra $20 for you."



Also, don't complain about a wait at a popular restaurant, and then sit there after the check it paid. Others are wait because you won't leave!!!!

Answer 2

The key is to be aware of your surroundings. If the restaurant is busy and clearly you are preventing another group from being seated then it is the considerate thing (to both your server and other patrons) to go elsewhere. This is similarly true if it is obvious that the restaurant is trying to close. If on the other hand it is not a busy night, and the place is still clearly staying open then there really should not be a problem as long as you pay somewhat promptly (this helps to relieve a little stress from your server who is not a mind reader and may not anticipate your sudden urgency to pay after 20 minutes of leisurely conversation). If you do decide to hangout, please know your server will probably not pay as close attention to you as they were during your meal. This is not meant to be a slight, but by paying your check you have indicated that you are finished with the need for service. One of the key things to remember here is that though a restaurant is designed for pleasure and convenience, it is still a business. The people who work there are trying to make a living at accomodating you and all of the other guests. The best way for them to do this is to anticipate norms. If you sit for a long time after service on a busy night, someone else is having to wait longer for a table which makes the restaurant look bad. On the other hand if you feel you are being forced out before you are ready, perhaps it is time to find another place to dine that seems to fit your time table better.

Answer 3

Soon after paying because the server needs to have the table sat again to make money. If you are going to stay longer then either go to the bar area, or your tip should increase and not just a few dollars, unless it is only about 15 min or so. If you plan on staying around 30 minutes or more you need to think that your server could have just about made another 10-20 dollars or more. I used to have a table that would sit every Fri night for about 2 hours and for every hour they stayed they would add another 15 dollars or more to the original tip. This is a nice gesture and I never minded when they stayed after that.

Answer 4

I don't leave my tip until I am ready to leave the table. I won't sit around after I am done eating and the bill is taken care of, unless I am on a date and we are doing a lot of talking and the restaurant is not crowded. And normally in those cases we wouldn't stay unless we ordered desert or a drink while we were sitting around.

Fast food is different, since no tips are involved, and there are almost never people waiting for my table. Then I might sit around longer and read the newspaper or do other things after I finish eating - especially if I'm out for lunch and don't have to get back to work right away.

Answer 5

I've heard of people who stay hours after and just sip coffee after a meal so they have a place to sit and chat. I think that's rude and if they want to chat find a library or coffee house. I don't like waiting for a table when others are "hogging" it to sit and visit. When my family or friends go out to eat we finish our meals (or get a to-go box) and get up to go pay the bill. We don't think it's our right to keep the table. In some places, if the service or food is slow to get to the table, then do your chatting before the meal comes instead of after. When the bill comes, pay and leave. (Though there are times it is a long time before anyone comes to collect the payment, so that should be ok to chat until the server comes back and returns your receipt.)

Answer 6

As long as you want. But just keep in mind that if a restaurant is extremely busy and on a wait, be courteous and move to the bar. If it's slow, then sit there as long as you want. I have a table stay at my section for 6 hours once, but it didn't bother me. They hadn't seen each other in 20 years, plus they warned me before hand that they were going to be long. That's a good idea to, to communicate with your server or the host to begin with. They will have a better idea of how they will need to arrang their floor (seating chart). I was a hostess at a fine dining restaurant for 2 years and know. It really isn't a need to do, but a courteous thing to do. Sometimes, though, a host will go up and ask you politely to move into the bar because someone had requested that certain table, but don't get offended. They are just trying to do their job and are not being mean. Simply move to another table or go to the bar.

Answer 7

After you pay your bill you should leave as soon as possible. In most restaurants servers have only a certain number of tables to work with. When you sit at thier table after you are finished eating you are preventing them from making money. And if the restaurant is busy you are causing people to wait longer for a table. In other words, sitting at a table talking after you are finished eating is rude all around. If you want to visit with someone, head down to the nearest coffee shop to talk. Don't take money out of someone's pocket just so you can chat with your girlfriends! If you do, the only polite thing to do is to leave an extra ten or twenty dollars so no earning is lost. After all, I would never go to your job and prevent you from getting paid.

Answer 8

If you plan on staying and "camping" awhile you should either 1. plan on leaving your server more money for occupying their table, and when I mean leaving more, I don't mean 20-25% if you sit there for 3 HOURS!! or 2. move to another area. Some places have bars or lounge areas were you can move your conversation too. Most servers have a limited number of tables and at $2 an hour we depend on our tips for our income. The less tables the less money. As a server, I don't mind 15 even 20 mins. but after that, I'm gonna be mad.

Answer 9

As long as you want. I am a server and how long people sit and chat has never bothered me. You go out to eat to socialize with family and friends, why should you feel obligated to eat and run? I guess that in some restaurants servers are only allowed 4 tables, so i could understand if they dont like it. where i work we can have 8 or 9 tables at a time. That's not fun though!!

Answer 10

I am a waitress and when someone stays at a table for a long time we call it "camping". When the restaurant is not busy I don't usually mind, because I'm not missing out on money. Also, if you left a great tip I don't mind as much. However, I have had many experiences where the table leaves me crap for a tip and sits for thirty minutes or more, that is rude and I need to make more money to make up for what they didn't leave me!