So silly-call ahead seating vs a reservation

KathyPet · ‎03-09-2010

I called a local restaurant that is part of a chain to see if they took reservations and was told they did not have reservations but had call ahead seating. SO I am now in their system for call ahead seating at 6:30 Christmas Eve for 4 people. IF it talks like a duck and walks like a duck isn't it a duck?

Desertdi · ‎03-13-2010

It is "preferred seating"......not guaranteed........That means you will get a table ahead of a person who just walks in the door. It's been that way in Phoenix for a couple years now, too.

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Nataliesgramma · ‎03-28-2015

@Desertdi wrote:
It is "preferred seating"......not guaranteed........That means you will get a table ahead of a person who just walks in the door. It's been that way in Phoenix for a couple years now, too.

This is what they do in my area also.....you can still wait awhile for a table...

CelticCrafter · ‎03-09-2010

You will probably still have to wait for you table.

It just means you will get seated before a person that walked in before you but didn't call ahead for their table.

Puzzle Piece · ‎06-29-2010

We also have reservations for certain seats in movie houses here.

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Abrowneyegirl · ‎03-15-2010

I prefer Reservations- which means the table is reserved for us, we walk in and can be seated.

Call ahead is a ******-shoot- our last call ahead gained us the privledge of being able to wait 60 mins vs 90 mins (we left).

millieshops · ‎03-09-2010

I don't think call ahead is the same as a reservation, but it does put your party ahead of walk-ins.

The alternative seems to be that busy restaurants just don't take reservations for small parties. Sure, I'd prefer a full reservation, but I also understand busy establishments using their limited space as effriciently as possible. There's barely a week that I don't see the demise of one or more area restaurants - and I live in SE Florida where it seems sometimes as if the whole world eats out several times every week!

WenGirl42 · ‎07-05-2012

@KathyPet wrote:
I called a local restaurant that is part of a chain to see if they took reservations and was told they did not have reservations but had call ahead seating. SO I am now in their system for call ahead seating at 6:30 Christmas Eve for 4 people. IF it talks like a duck and walks like a duck isn't it a duck?

LOL. Yeah, that's silly. In our area, the places that do call-ahead seating will only let you call the same day. But still, if I'm calling when you open at 11 and requesting a table at 6, that sounds like a reservation to me. The other posters are right, though, the name is changed so that the patron understands their expectation should be different from a reservation. I think it's obnoxious.