Table of Thirty on a Saturday night...-_-;

[RebeccaOTool]

Saturday we had 146 people come through my restaurant. This unusually high number was due, in most part, to a birthday party of 30 that we had on the books for a few weeks. The head chef/owner/manager is in Mexico for the week, meaning I was the closest thing to a manager that night.
Suckiness:
-The table takes up 1/4 of our total floor space, so we physically run out of tables. Strike one.
-Due to running out of tables, we have to take a lot fewer reservations and NO walk ins for most of the night. This led to a few 'empty' spots that are reserved for later, and my waitstaff bitching at ME for turning away walk ins. Strike Two.
-The party shows up, and just STANDS THERE, despite waiters asking them to be seated. After nearly an hour, I have to ask them, several times. Strike three, and nobody's even ordered food! -_-;
-This party complained our alcohol was too expensive, so they brought their own, which is illegal. Of course, our owner OKAYED this because it was such a big party.
-

One other minor suck, indirectly caused by this party. One guy came in, and when we explained why we couldn't serve him (literally seconds before we put up a sign saying 'Reservations only, for tonight, sorry for the inconvenience), and started screaming.

When our owner gets back, we (the staff, my father the bartender, and myself) are going to explain to him that we simply can't do this sort of stuff saturdays anymore. Wish us luck.

[Becks]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but as I understand the situation they had a reservation, showed up (on time?) and then just stood around for an hour?

[RebeccaOTool]

Oh yeah, most of 'em showed up on time, but then waited an hour before sitting down and ordering even then appetizers.

[Becks]

Holy biscuit. Too bad you couldn't have had them leave after, say, half an hour of just standing around.

Would've freed up table and floor space for customers who actually wanted to, you know, eat or something.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

-This party complained our alcohol was too expensive, so they brought their own, which is illegal. Of course, our owner OKAYED this because it was such a big party.

I'd rat him out to whoever enforces that kind of thing.

Nice to know that your owner is willing to overlook illegalities as long as the price is right. How much would it cost me to feel up one of the waitresses?

[KiaKat]

When I was bartending/bar managing, our restaurant had a policy: no reservations between 5:30-7 on Saturday nights, and no parties bigger than 6 on Fri/Sat/Sun from 6-8. The restaurant was well-known and near a cultural center (opera house, ballet, etc), so we were swamped during that time.

It was specifically so we could avoid situations like this.

[PepperElf]

so they brought their own, which is illegal.

is it?
I once brought my own bottle of wine to a bar and gave it to the bartender to have it served to me... though I gave him a great tip for the service. (couldn't drink it anywhere else) though that wasn't in the US...

still... as long as the bottle is sealed when you bring it in, is it illegal? ... or did they just pour it for themselves at the table?

[prb]

is it?
I once brought my own bottle of wine to a bar and gave it to the bartender to have it served to me... though I gave him a great tip for the service. (couldn't drink it anywhere else) though that wasn't in the US...

still... as long as the bottle is sealed when you bring it in, is it illegal? ... or did they just pour it for themselves at the table?

It would depend where.

In Ontario, for example, a restaurant would need a BYO (Bring Your Own) authorization on their liquor licence for it.

[Digitalpotato]

I'd rat him out to whoever enforces that kind of thing.

Nice to know that your owner is willing to overlook illegalities as long as the price is right. How much would it cost me to feel up one of the waitresses?

I don't think the owner actually knew they were intending to break the law.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I don't think the owner actually knew they were intending to break the law.

So?

He owns a restaurant. He ought to know what the applicable liquor laws are. OP made it sound like he approved it just because they were a large party and were going to bring in lots of money.

[Jester]

As has been stated, it really depends on where you are. Liquor laws vary not just from country to country and state to state, but oftentimes from county to county and city to city.

There are places where you absolutely cannot bring in your own booze.
Other places you can bring in your own wine, but they have to open it, and may charge a "corking" fee.
Some places, you can bring in your own booze without violating any laws.
And in a few places (Key West being one of them) you can actually walk around with your booze on the streets, as long as it is in a plastic container (i.e. cup).

People bringing in their own booze down here is not only legal, is SOP (standard operating practice). Of course, once they are done with the drink they brought in, they are going to need more, and we'll be more than happy to sell it to them.

Now, some people will try to take advantage, of course. My bar managers would look unkindly on people bringing in entire bottles of hootch, as opposed to just a cocktail. That is just plain rude.

And then there were the people that would try to bring entire coolers of beer into the pool area at the hotel I used to work at. We had clear signs saying "no outside booze," as there was a bar there. We would let someone get away with walking in with a cocktail, for the most part (see above), but an entire cooler? Please. This was, of course, mostly Spring Breakers, so this is not surprising.