Good luck getting seated before your whole group arrives! Restaurant experts explain why it's important to arrive on time.
It’s a tale as old as time, isn’t it? You’re walking into a vibrant restaurant on a Saturday night, about to check in with the host, when your phone buzzes to let you know your friend is running late. No matter, you think, you’ll just wait at the table. But the restaurant has a pretty strict policy of not seating a group until everyone arrives, and the host motions for you to step to the side. What gives?
It’s certainly annoying from a guest perspective, but from the restaurant’s perspective, it’s necessary. It’s one of those things restaurant owners really wish you knew. That includes Maggie Lloyd, a chef and restaurant consultant who has worked up and down the East Coast, and Maricel Gentile, owner and chef of Maricel’s Kitchen in East Brunswick, New Jersey. Ahead, they give you an inside line on why seating your entire party at once is so important.
Now, of course, not all restaurants operate this way—some are very happy to seat you ahead of other arriving guests, either as a matter of general policy or during certain times of the day or week. But for those restaurants that stick to seating whole parties only, there are real reasons for it. Keep reading, because understanding those reasons might make it sting a little less the next time this happens to you—or give you real motivation to show up on time!
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Why won’t restaurants seat you if your whole party isn’t there?
A busy dinner service at a restaurant is like a well-oiled machine—if everything goes right, of course, and that includes full tables being seated at the same time. Here are just a few important reasons it’s wise to show up on time for your table as a group.
Good service
You know how, when you make a reservation, there’s usually a note saying the restaurant will hold it for about 15 minutes? There’s a reason for that—that time is built in specifically to allow for good service, says Lloyd, who has 20 years of experience in the restaurant business, both front and back of house.
“Typically, this means each server will only get two to three new tables every 15 minutes (depending on the size of the restaurant),” says Lloyd. “This system allows servers to give good service to each table, pace themselves and help set a good pace for the kitchen.”
Kitchen pacing
Now, we’ve established that being on time helps with ensuring good service—but it also keeps the kitchen on time too. “If your party is seated before everyone arrives, they have to serve you, no matter how late the rest of your guests are,” Lloyd says.
Think about it: If you order a drink, appetizer, salad and dinner, and your friend shows up and orders the entire meal again 20 minutes later, it can throw the whole operation off. “This can result in servers losing track of their tables’ pacings, and [cause] kitchen back-ups,” Lloyd says.
Lost revenue
Tables running behind means restaurants can’t flip the table promptly and seat the next set of guests, resulting in real money lost. “We know from our data how long a table of a certain party size can take, so a table waiting can throw that off,” explains Gentile, who is also the author of Maricel’s Simply Asian Cookbook. “Then that means we may not be able to sit the next reservation on time, or take a walk-in, and that’s real money lost.”
Unhappy guests—and staff
If the restaurant’s staff is waiting for the rest of your table to arrive, and not following the pace of that night’s service, it’s going to set the next table back even further. “If your 6:15 table is 30 minutes behind schedule, your 8 p.m. party, which is scheduled for that same table, is now waiting,” explains Lloyd. “Sometimes people take that frustration out in their server’s tip.”
“Unhappy guests cost restaurants money—you’re comping drinks, desserts and giving out gift cards,” Lloyd says. Plus, later tables mean staff is staying later as well. “At this point, half a dozen employees (at least) have to stay later than anticipated to deal with all this upset, which then also costs the restaurant more money,” Lloyd says.
What will happen if your full party isn’t there?
Depending on space, folks may be asked to do a couple of different things if they get there before everyone else does.
Wait in a designated waiting area—or outside
If there’s space, hang tight in the waiting area; some restaurants have seating in this area specifically for this purpose. If space is tight and the weather is cooperative, head outside so as not to crowd the host station for other guests.
Pull up a seat at the bar
If there’s a bar and lounge, grab a seat there. Take this opportunity to peruse the menu and order a cocktail. “I think the best course of action is to invite them to relax at the bar with a drink or tea, or sit in the lounge if there is space,” says Gentile. “It keeps the evening positive while we wait for the full group.”
Is there a way to sweet-talk your way into getting seated?
In a word: don’t. It’s not fair to pressure the host into doing something that goes against restaurant policy. “It’s pretty rude to set someone who’s an hourly employee up for failure when they’re just doing their job,” says Lloyd. “Why should they trust you when you say your friend is ‘just around the corner’? They don’t know you.”
Now, can you ask to be seated and place your tardy guests’ orders ahead of their arrival? Of course—it doesn’t hurt to ask politely (but please don’t demand to be seated, because that’s a one-way ticket to a flat-out no and a note that your table is already difficult). So, be patient—and maybe call your friend again and see where they are.
“If my guest is just a few minutes away, I call them right there and ask what they want to order,” Gentile says. “Then I tell the host or server, ‘They are five minutes out, and here is what they would like.’ That simple gesture changes everything. It shows respect for the restaurant’s rhythm and keeps things moving. Most of the time, it works beautifully.”
What should you do if someone is running late?
It’s always a good idea to give the host a heads up—this way, they can take into account other parties who are already there and ready to be seated right away. “If they’re running really late, ask for a later reservation and a recommendation where you and your on-time friends can get a snack while they wait if the restaurant can’t accommodate that,” says Lloyd. “Or, sit down, order and let your late friend know they can grab a slice and meet you for drinks after you enjoy your dinner.”
Being late can’t always be avoided—unexpected traffic, childcare snafus and, quite honestly, life can all ruin the best-laid plans. But if you make a reservation, try your best not to be late (and maybe let your chronically late friend think the reservation time is 15 minutes earlier so they’ll get there on time). “A reservation, to me, is a two-way promise,” explains Gentile. “We prepare for you—the table, the food, the timing. But guests also play a part by honoring that time.”
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Sources:
- Maggie Lloyd, chef and restaurant consultant; interviewed, October 2025
- Maricel Gentile, owner and chef of Maricel’s Kitchen and author of Maricel’s Simply Asian Cookbook; interviewed, October 2025
