Ok. Real talk. When you tell us that your dinner companion is right around the corner and you’d like to put in their dinner order, STOP! Do not complete this action unless you know for a FACT that this person is, in lit-er-ally around the corner.
People insist upon doing this all the time, and it’s a big, stupid mess 90% of the time. And I, being the Veteran Server that I am, try to explain the situation to the Delusional RCs as best as possible, so that they will change their minds, but they rarely do.
Me: Sir, the medium steak that you are ordering for your friend does not take very long to cook at all.
RC: Uh huh. Well, she’s just down the street, so that’s fine.
Me: Sir, once the steak is done, if your friend isn’t here we have two choices. I can bring it out to the table, and it will get cold, or I can leave it in the window and it will dry out. Either way it probably won’t be very good.
RC: Uh, huh. Well, she’s just down the street, so that’s fine.
Let me reiterate to you that 90% of the time this will turn out badly. Which is why I go to my manager and give them a heads up on the situation right away. As a Veteran Server I always alert my manager not only of actual problems, but potential problems in the making as well.
So, generally this is what happens. 12-14 minutes later, I arrive at the table with the gentleman’s grilled salmon, and inform him that his companion’s steak is ready as well. Of course she isn’t there yet (“I’m not sure what happened, I’m going to call her again and find out how long, she said she was down the street!”). I ask him what he wants me to do, he tells me (rather uncertainly) to keep it hot in the window.
Ten minutes later the lady will arrive, full of traffic complaints and apologies. He is done with the salmon, and now I bring out a gross, dried out, well done steak. One of two things is going to happen here. Either she will tough it out (pun intended) with the piece of shoe leather that has her name on it, or they will ask to see a manager in an attempt to get a freshly prepared medium steak. Option number two will go poorly for them, because, as a seasoned pro in this business, I have informed the manager of these people and their silly mistake. I call it a silly mistake because I helpfully warned him that this would happen. My manager will politely explain to them that we try to dissuade people from the pre-order for just such a reason. My manager will further ask them if their server discussed this possible scenario with them, and of course they will be forced to admit that she did. I say everyone loses in this scenario because they ruined their own dining experience, the manager had to listen to them complain, and my tip will likely suffer. The lesson here? Listen to your server! S/he is trying to help you enjoy your food, not destroy it!
Other reasons the advance order is not ok? If the person arrives on schedule and the food isn’t ruined, it won’t be right, because they weren’t there to order it according to their personal specifications. For example, our steaks come pre-seasoned, as our menu states. If you don’t want seasoning, or you want light seasoning, you must inform your server. If you’re dad is running late and tells you to just order him a ribeye and a baked potato with sour cream and then he gets there and wants a new steak because he’s watching his sodium and never has seasoning on anything, well, that’s your bad, not ours. Had he ordered his own food he could have discussed that with us.
And my restaurant flat out refuses to take call ahead orders now because of the horrendous headache that is for everyone involved. If you and the other girls only have a half hour for lunch today and you need to call in your order so its ready and waiting for you when you get there? We won’t accomodate you, because we’ve discovered that it will be too cold, or too hot or too mushroomy when Phyllis hates mushrooms or something stupid. You’ll try to send half of it back and then complain about being on lunch break and want six separate checks and each have a fifty, and we’re just good on all of that.
The best rule of thumb for restaurants and for RCs is this. Only people who have their butts in a seat at our restaurant can order food, for themselves only. Trust me, everyone’s a winner this way.
I blame cell phones.
If my husband ever did this to me, he'd be seriously dead. How does he know for sure what I want? And I wouldn't do it to him, either, if I were the one to get to the restaurant first.
What is so hard about being seated, telling your server that you're waiting for someone, and ordering a beer or something while you're waiting?
Also, I think it is rude of people like the salmon guy to order the food, and then eat his while he's waiting for his companion.
Yes it is rude! Also ignorant and near-sighted. I hate when people do that.