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Five Things That Need to Exist in Restaurants Right Now

by | Dec 17, 2014 | Features

You’d think restaurants are pretty cool as is. But when you have to wait a half-hour for a table, or like a half-day for your food order–restaurants can always improve on something. No, I’m not dissing on your restaurant, but here are five things that exist in restaurants around the world that need to happen in America.

1. A Call Button for Servers

By Downtowngal (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

By Downtowngal (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

In South Korea and Japan, a lot of restaurants have call buttons embedded on each restaurant table. What does this mean? A patron can use that button to call a server. So instead of trying to wait for a server or trying to holler over, your next service might be a button away.

2. Ethnic Restaurants Also means Ethnic Rules

By Moody751 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

By Moody751 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

This doesn’t always mean use the chopstick at an Asian restaurant (although it’s better to do so according to some Frogs). If you own a French cuisine place and it’s not good taste to split the bill, then don’t offer that option. If you own a Portuguese restaurant and it’s bad taste to have more salt and pepper, substitute it for something else. Regardless, this gives your patrons an opportunity to experience more of the culture than just the eating.

3. Offer Delivery

By Dirk Ingo Franke (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

By Dirk Ingo Franke (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

According to GrubHub, there are only nine restaurants around the vicinity of One Fat Frog that offers delivery. Nine. That means it won’t even be two weeks before one of us get tired and order food across town. Even though it might be more work  to have cars and insurance, it might bring more business for the busier/lazier customers.

4. More Menu Transparency

Delmonico_menu_April_1899

 

Sure, putting calories in menus is now a thing. But how about more than that? Is there a Nutrition Facts for each menu item? Do we know if the ingredients were locally sourced? These are only a small number of questions that should be answered when we’re in the menu. Now I’m not expecting a complete instruction manual, nor do I expect the chefs to give out the secrets–but we do deserve to know more about what we’re about to order.

5. End Tipping

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Servers work tirelessly, for what, a few bucks extra? Tipping is supposed to be something where you give a ten after a pedicure or a hundred after a concierge brings in your bags, not a couple bucks after a meal at Denny’s. I’d rather pay a little more for restaurant food and higher wages for servers rather than the current situation. And Esquire seems to agree.