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
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
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
