I have noticed repeatedly, over the course of many restaurant visits, that my servers want to take away my plates, my glasses, my cutlery, and indeed almost anything else — before I really want to give it up.
The ratio of “they want to take it away too soon” to “they take it away too late” seems to me at least five to one.
Those who know me would not describe me as a lingerer over meals, or a very slow eater. So I do not view this phenomenon as merely my peculiarity, rather the servers often want to take my things away before I am done with them.
In many restaurants the servers seem to put more energy into keeping your table clean than in taking your order promptly in the first place.
How should we model this behavior?
One possibility is that the servers know they will be busier yet later on, so they want to get some of the work out of the way now. Surely that holds in many cases, but still I observe this “server grabbing behavior” in a wide variety of circumstances, including in near-empty restaurants.
Could it be that the restaurant managers give these instructions, hoping it will induce the diners to order further dishes and spend more money?
Another possibility is that the servers feel the need to signal that they are always busy, rather than standing around and looking idle. I can imagine that hypothesis having some truth, but it doesn’t explain the entirety of what I observe.
The most plausible general explanation is that the restaurant managers favor a more rapid turnover of tables than the customers do, and regular plate- and glass-clearing helps to achieve that end. It also creates another “point of contact,” giving the customer the opportunity to ask for the check. Still, you might think ex ante competition to attract diners would moderate this practice more than it does.
I have asked both current and former servers why there is so much emphasis on place-clearing, and usually I receive circular answers, such as “We want to make sure your plates and glasses are cleared away when you are done with them.”
So what is the best way of thinking about this practice?
