| EVENT INTELLIGENCE 08.23.06 12:00 AM |
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| How to Score Hard-to-Get Reservations |
| A top exec, client, or salesperson wants to go to a hot new restaurant-but it's booked. Here's what to do. |
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 | To nab a reservation at the popular new restaurant Buddakan, owner Stephen Starr suggests being friendly and personable to the reservationist—in person if necessary.
Photo: Dan Hallman for BizBash |
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FROM NEW YORK Make a Good First Impressions
When you speak to a reservationist, be polite on the phone. Consider your tone—it should be friendly and respectful—and be patient. "Speak slowly and be more conversational as opposed to robotic and monosyllabic," says Stephen Starr, the owner of the popular new Manhattan restaurants Morimoto and Buddakan, plus a string of successful spots in Philadelphia.
Chances are, at busy new restaurants, the reservationists have been
bombarded by anxious, pushy callers, and sometimes just being
sympathetic and understanding is enough to make them want to help you.
"Nice manners really go a long way," says Richie Notar, a managing partner for the Nobu
restaurants. "Those people who say, 'Do you know who I am? I'm friends
with this one, or that one'—they were those kids who used to hold their
breath and stomp their feet to get what they wanted. Being a bully is
not going to get you your way. I figure people who are mean to the
reservationist are going to be mean to the maitre d' and their waiter
too. I try to reward people that are nice to us. We actually make a
note on their reservation if they were mean or nice."
Ask for a Manager
You can also try asking for a supervisor; sometimes announcing that the
matter is important and needs to be handled by a higher-up emboldens
the reservationists to approve the request without having to check. Of
course, it helps to have a special occasion or V.I.P. guest to mention
if you get challenged, but sometimes the suggestion that the
reservationist isn't senior enough to handle your request is enough to
make that person want to handle it personally. "Better yet," Starr
says, "go to the restaurant in person and give the manager or
reservationist eye contact."
Do Your Homework
Educate yourself about how restaurants book their tables. Tables are
like real estate—the general goal is to turn the room and have an early
and late seating. Understand that a 7:30 PM reservation can mean a
restaurant misses out on a second seating later on, so it is less
likely to offer that time. Also—although it might not help when someone
calls with a request for dinner tomorrow—it can help to find out how
far in advance a restaurant accepts reservations. Then call early and
book a table for a future date. You can always choose your guest later.
Try to Wait it Out
If the restaurant doesn't have anything open when you call, ask if the
reservationist keeps a waiting list. Some restaurants do, and since
many high-end restaurants require a credit card to hold the
table—especially for large groups—your fellow diners are more likely to
call to cancel if they're not coming. The restaurant's goal, after all,
is to fill as many seats in a night as efficiently as possible, so the
staff will want to replace cancellations. Joe Bastianich, owner of the wildly popular Babbo (with Mario Batali),
says, "Find out what time restaurants confirm their reservations. If
it's 3 PM, make a note to call back at that time and you might get
lucky." Likewise, Nobu calls to reconfirm all reservations, so if
someone cancels, you might get the table. "If you call us at 12 or 1 PM
the day of, that's when we get our cancellations," Notar says.
Bastianich also suggests a riskier option: "My favorite is just show up
with your best smile on and be willing to wait a little. That's what I
do." (Granted, he's a well-known restaurateur, which brings us to our
next point.)
Become a Regular
As in most business relationships, there is much to be said for
becoming a frequent customer. Restaurants often try to take care of
guests who come in regularly—at least a couple of times a month—which
can help those diners get into an owner's next project when it's new
and harder to book. "We use an internal proprietary system that allows
us to recognize new and regular guests instantly with their phone
number," says Stephen Hanson, the founder of B.R. Guest, which owns Blue Water Grill, Barça 18,
and other restaurants, and was one of the first companies to keep a
comprehensive database of their frequent diners. "As our restaurants
expand into new cities, it's important to us to know that a guest that
eats frequently at one or more of our New York restaurants will receive
the same star treatment at one of our Chicago restaurants." Restaurants
that use the Open Table online reservation system also keep a database of guests and log their visits.
One of the best-kept secrets in the business is that restaurants often
extend one another industry courtesies. So asking the manager or maitre
d' at your regular spot to call on your behalf to introduce you as a
good customer might help you get an in with their counterparts at a new
place.
Adjust Your Approach
In today's ever evolving market, restaurants are now serving
food at the bar, in the lounge, in the lobby, or at communal tables.
While these setups aren't appropriate for all occasions, sometimes—for
a client who's dying to get into a new place—they can be a great way to
try a new restaurant, or get a foot in the door. You might also
consider going for lunch, which is often easier to book than dinner.
Flash Your Credentials
Being an event planner is a perfect excuse to ask a maitre d' or
manager to see the private room, or inquire about catering, which can
work as a conversation starter that leads to a relationship with one of
the restaurant's gatekeepers.
Call a Pro
If you are a frequent guest of a hotel, or do regular business with
one, ask for help from the concierge. Similarly, if you have a premium
credit card, belong to a private club, or live in a full-service
building, most of these have concierge services for their members. Or
you can opt to subscribe to a professional concierge service, although
different services have different levels of special access. (One
service called Sorted, founded by former Time Out New York food writer Heather Tierney, specializes in hard-to-get New York restaurant reservations.)
Thank Your Helper
Obviously, top-notch restaurants would never sell access to a table,
but showing appreciation for a good table, or help with a last-minute
reservation, is certainly appropriate. Tip the maitre d' directly, as
the gratuity on your check at the end of the night goes to the waiter
or into the pool. Twenty dollars or more is customary, and can be give
on your way out. It is sure to be remembered, and definitely will be
appreciated.
But Don't Lie
Every restaurant has tales of the pathetic caller who exaggerated his
or her relationship with the owner or chef, or told a dramatic tale
("My doctor says I only have six months to live…"), or completely
fabricated a story about a celebrity needing a table. Invariably, you
will be discovered, and some restaurants keep records of such things,
so you could be blacklisted for good.
—Caryl Chinn
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