What are the rules for how long I am allowed to camp out at the table after paying? That's a question posted on the Chowhound boards. The question specifically concerned a single diner in an uncrowded restaurant.
"It depends," the responses, which you can read here, say. (Eater/Board Wrap)
And, of course, it does. But I had just been thinking about this, because a friend who works in a high-end restaurant had recently told me about an egregious case of table squatting
From the point when the table had been completely cleared, except for water glasses, and the bill had been paid, the six diners stayed for...2 hours. In all, they occupied their table, on a Saturday night no less, from 7 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. (There was a group of six waiting for the table, who eventually were bought a round of drinks by the host and given another table in a less desirable area.)
This is easily a $100 per person dinner, which might explain the feeling of entitlement.
What do you think?
I wanted to make sure you saw this Eater round-table discussion on overfishing. One of the participants is Spike Gjerde of Woodberry Kitchen. Read what he and he others have to say.
And here's a column from the Detroit News about the restrictive rules that city places on food trucks.