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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To book a table for 3?

26 replies

imnottoofussed · 08/10/2021 17:52

So a restaurant (chain not fancy) I want to go to tomorrow doesn't have a table for two available until 9pm but has a table for three available at any time of day. There are only two of us. I've booked a table for three. AIBU and more importantly will they let us have the table?

OP posts:
Doomscrolling · 08/10/2021 17:54

They might charge a No Show fee for the third person. I’ve had that when booking for 3 but only 2 could make it. (The restaurant won’t know Person 3 is fictional)

Tal45 · 08/10/2021 17:54

I'm surprised they didn't just give you the three table in the first place tbh, there's no point having tables for three that hardly anyone uses.

WorraLiberty · 08/10/2021 17:55

If they are this strict about it, they'll probably charge for the missing person.

ISpyCobraKai · 08/10/2021 17:57

I'd book it, then call earlier in the day to say the third person can't make it and leave it to them to decide if they're OK with it.

WhenISnappedAndFarted · 08/10/2021 17:58

I'm surprised they didn't offer a three person table so if they are strict about it they may charge for the missing person.

lindjam · 08/10/2021 18:02

Christ I have done this SO MANY TIMES and never been charged for it (London and South East.)

Where do you live where restaurants charge?

fashionSOS · 08/10/2021 18:03

@lindjam

Christ I have done this SO MANY TIMES and never been charged for it (London and South East.)

Where do you live where restaurants charge?

London. It's become increasingly common over the last year, and understandably so.
Shelddd · 08/10/2021 18:04

They probably won't have a 3 person table, they'll be giving you a 4 person table most likely... So now you're 2 people sitting at a 4 person table. I don't know if they'll have an issue with that or not.

londonrach · 08/10/2021 18:04

Book then on arrival tell them person 3 has had to go into isolation so can't make it

Original poster
imnottoofussed · 08/10/2021 18:04

I'm scared now of getting charged a no show fee. It's tgi's if that helps. I doubt they would answer the phone if I try to ring. It lets me edit my booking but if I change it to two people it only offers me the 9pm onwards slots Confused

OP posts:
TurnUpTurnip · 08/10/2021 18:06

I’ve never heard of being charged, how can they charge you for another person not showing up Confused

MintyGreenDream · 08/10/2021 18:07

Yeah I would.Sit down and say I'm so sorry but our friend has cancelled there will only be two of us now for dinner.

Floralnomad · 08/10/2021 18:09

Just go somewhere else TGIs is really over rated .

lindjam · 08/10/2021 18:09

London. It's become increasingly common over the last year, and understandably so

I have done this in the past 6 months in Hampstead (twice), in central, and in Greenwich. No problems at all.

In each case, the missing person had been contacted and was isolating until their PCR came back, although nobody even asked me why they weren't there. "Sorry, we are three instead of four" "We are two instead of three."

No questions or issues.

Sleepyquest · 08/10/2021 18:10

I cannot imagine TGIs giving a shit. Say person 3 has covid and can't come

jagoda · 08/10/2021 18:19

I cannot even begin to imagine how many times a group of us has been one or two short when turning up for a restaurant table.....

Never ever been charged or threatened with charge, or had any comment whatsoever, including since Covid.

I don't believe they can charge you for a no show anyway - unless you signed up to that when booking online.

TGI Fridays - they won't bat an eyelid.

WaterScarf · 08/10/2021 18:23

It'll be fine just go.

CoRhona · 08/10/2021 18:26

I'd say person 3 just tested positive...there's no way they'd want them on the premises.

Original poster
imnottoofussed · 08/10/2021 18:30

Ok I've just seen on their site that for no shows they charge £5 per person but that's if the whole booking doesn't turn up. So I'm going to go and see what happens. It's bloody stupid if you ask me that they can't give two people a table for four anyway but it's a busy restaurant so I expect they would prefer the sales of three or four people over two.

I once got turned away from a different tgis as they said they were fully booked all day but then when I was sat eating elsewhere I was still baffled by that and tried to book on their website and it let me Confused

I'd prefer to eat somewhere else but DD likes tgis and we havent been for several months.

OP posts:
LetsGoFlyAKiteee · 08/10/2021 18:36

Can't imagine them being fussed. If whole booking didn't show that's different but one person..still getting money from 2 of you.

girlmom21 · 08/10/2021 18:37

YANBU. They're dickheads for trying to turn away paying customers when they have free tables.

SecretKeeper1 · 08/10/2021 18:48

It’s bloody ridiculous. We walked into a near empty chain Italian, and were told they had no tables for “at least” 90 minutes. I asked why, when it was empty, and the manager said they had bookings made online.

So I stood outside, booked online for 15 mins time, and walked straight back in again. The restaurant was maybe a third full throughout our visit.

Lovely meal, great staff, but that manager was a dick and I reported her through the online comments system.

LadyMuckington · 08/10/2021 18:48

We did this at the Ivy once when we were going for pre theatre dinner. We did ring up about an hour before our table to tell them the third member of the party couldn’t make it though, it was fine.

Original poster
imnottoofussed · 08/10/2021 19:59

Ah feeling better now about turning up tomorrow Grin

OP posts:
DroopyClematis · 08/10/2021 20:22

We had a table for six booked for a few days ago. Only five turned up as the sixth member was poorly.
Staff didn't bat an eyelid when we told them.

Just say that your third member is poorly.

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