Why does nobody talk about eating alone at a sit-down restaurant?

I walked into a diner in Biloxi last Thursday and asked for a table for one. The hostess gave me this weird look and sat me near the bathroom. Has anyone else dealt with being treated like a pariah just for dining solo?

3 comments

3 Comments

bens8114d ago

Ha, you just described my entire dating history in one post! I walked into a Red Lobster once with a book and got sat next to the kitchen door where the busboys kept bumping my chair. The waiter asked if I was "waiting for someone" about four times, and I finally told him yeah, my imaginary friend who's always late. Honestly, the bathroom table is a classic move. It's like they think you'll get lonely by the window and start crying into your soup.

lisa514d ago

That thing about the waiter asking if you're waiting for someone is such a weird power move too. Like they're trying to make you feel bad for eating alone, almost like a subtle punishment. Maybe it's just me but I always wonder if the host makes a snap judgment about how much you'll tip based on whether you're solo or with someone. Actually had a friend who worked at a chain restaurant and she said single diners often get stuck in the worst sections because those tables are considered "dead space" for the waitstaff. Feels like the whole experience is designed to make you want to leave faster so they can flip the table.

margareth4813d ago

@lisa5 hit it right on the head with that dead space thing. I started bringing a book on purpose and asking for a booth near the back before they can put me by the bathroom. Makes a big difference, they treat you more like a regular.