The Best Days To Go To A Restaurant If You Want To Be A 'Regular' There
Going out to eat can feel like a treat. But when the restaurant staff recognizes you and addresses you like an old friend, the experience feels like more than that; it feels like a second home. While making guests feel welcome is part of any good restaurant's job, the feeling hits differently for a guest who frequents their restaurant of choice enough to earn the appraised status of "regular."
Being considered a regular can earn a customer more than just a sense of kinship, though. As restauranteur Christopher Fehlinger explained to Reader's Digest, "once you're recognized as a regular, good things start to happen. You'll find your wineglass gets filled without being put on your bill, or the chef might bring you a sample."
The key to earning these exclusive service perks goes beyond patronizing the same restaurant once a week, though. Fehlinger revealed that the particular time of the week you visit a restaurant can be just as critical.
The earlier in the week, the better
Restauranteur Christopher Fehlinger told Reader's Digest that "it's much easier to be recognized as a regular on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Wednesdays."
Anyone who's worked in the restaurant industry can confirm that certain times of the day, days of the week, and weeks of the year are peak times that are inherently busier. For the general population working during the day Monday to Friday, sitting down at a restaurant and savoring a gourmet meal can be impractical when the work week is in full swing. Moreover, with the exciting treat that going to a restaurant is, it might not occur to patrons that they don't have to save all the fun for the weekend.
It could be worth finding the time within the hustle of the weekdays, as servers are more likely to remember a customer who makes the trip to their restaurant-of-choice on a day when the restaurant tends to be less crowded than on a day when they're among a sea of other customers awaiting service.
The quieter the restaurant, the louder your presence speaks
Beyond standing out more easily in a less crowded house, when a customer makes the time to sit down at a restaurant early in the week, it conveys how important that restaurant is to them. And restaurant workers may be more inclined to show their appreciation for that customer's dedication and loyalty.
That said, there's another key to earning the perks of "regular" status: treat the restaurant staff with kindness and patience. While it's nice to be remembered by restaurant workers, it's not so nice to be remembered as the person who shouted at their waiter of sent their food back for some unfounded reason. Workers will be much more inclined to offer special treats to a regular customer who shows respect.
Following these simple steps are sure to earn any restaurant customer their "regular" badge. And, for anyone who feels eating out at the beginning of the work week to be frivolous: Work weeks can be a drag for those on the regular 9-5 schedule. Why not spruce them up by treating ourselves to impromptu culinary vacations?