The VinePair Podcast: The Restaurant Bar Has Changed for the Worse
Walk into a restaurant a few minutes before your reservation these days and things might look a little different than they have in the past. Where you once may have been invited to grab a seat at the bar and enjoy a drink while you wait for your table, those exact same bar seats are now treated the same way a table is. Rather than first come first served, these seats are saved either for reservations or for those looking to grab a bite to eat, not just those looking to enjoy a drink. So what gives?
In theory, the practice works for restaurateurs — it’s a means of ensuring that you bring in more money by requiring those who sit at the bar to also order food. In reality, though, it might actually turn business away. Rather than coming in for a drink at the restaurant itself before dinner, guests may choose to go to a bar down the block before heading over for the meal. If those “reserved” bar seats aren’t taken by other customers, the restaurant risks losing money. Or worse, they risk coming off as inhospitable by turning away guests just looking for a drink.
Today on the “VinePair Podcast,” Adam, Joanna, and Zach puzzle over why it’s becoming increasingly difficult to just get a drink at a restaurant bar, whether you’re early for your reservation or just hoping to scope out a new place. Does it really pay in the long run for restaurants to be so miserly with bar space? Tune in for more.
Joanna is drinking: Two Brewers Yukon Single Malt Whisky
Adam is drinking: Olive Oil Gin Martini at LUCA
Zach is drinking: Thai Gimlet from Straightaway Cocktails
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