AIBU to not get the table grabbing behaviour at a cafe?

[IncognitoPanda]

It’s Black Friday - needless to say it’s heaving. Queue of maybe 10 people at a cafe where you order at the counter and tables generally very busy. I cannot believe the number of people who think it’s reasonable to put one person in the queue whilst the other smugly nabs a table as people leave to sit saving it for their party when people who have queued and paid cannot find a table by the time their drinks are made. AIBU to go and join them at their table and make awkward small talk whilst their buddy still queues so that my coffee doesn’t go cold as a solo shopper?

I agree with you OP.

But this question has been done to death on here.

Usually half of people agree with you, half think “I wouldn’t get food without a table guaranteed”. Slight variations depending on who happens to be on the thread. It never gets resolved.

Duplicate

Same i thought that was the point of cafes in the first place, weird as it seems

Feel free to sit down if you’ve ordered and paid. I’ve sat down with table hoggers before 🤷‍♀️ They can like it or lump it. Based on how these threads go down on MN, I’m surprised I’m currently not doing life without parole for my sins. However, back in the real world, I’ve just sat down, eaten and left. Equally, I’ve invited others to join us if we’ve got a spare couple of seats. Works both ways 🤷‍♀️

This has never, ever, been an issue. People don't just go around removing people's bags and coats and putting them on the floor.

Reminds me of the time I was told that the people who cause congestion on the motorway are the people who only travel the length of one junction.

I'm usually on my own when I go for coffee, yeah it is annoying having to just stand there and wait. Sometimes people see that you're having to just drink your coffee while waiting and offer you a seat, but if there's a spare seat somewhere I'll ask if I can take it. Probably a couple of times when the DC were babies I would take a table first, as I would need to settle them and then feed them, but once they were older they queued with me. My internal ethical rules feel I can't take a table before I've got my order (probably my autism).
But having managed 5 coffee shops, the table turnover is usually high, and if people didn't bagsy the tables the turnover flow would be much more efficient most of the time.

This is why I like places where you can order on an app like Spoons or McDonalds, especially if I'm on my own.
No worrying if your table has gone while you order.

I usually get my kids to sit at a table in cafés while I order, if there aren't enough tables or it's too busy I'd just go some else.

Normal procedure I'm afraid.

And as someone who is usually also in cafes solo, I do understand. But if I walked into somewhere obviously already very busy, where I was unlikely to get a table, I'd just leave and go somewhere else.

Also... You chose to go out shopping on black friday... Thus contributing to the busy atmosphere you dislike.

Maybe the solution is for some cafés to have big notices up saying "if you don't have food/drink bought here in your hands/in front of you please surrender your table to anyone who does" and other cafés with big notices saying "please occupy (or reserve with bag/coat) a table before queuing if you wish to eat-in and it's busy" and the people who agree with OP can exclusively go to the first type and the people who think OP is being unreasonable can exclusively go to the 2nd type.

Personally I think the 2nd type will be a more successful and popular business (and the voting stats on this thread agree with that)

"one person standing in line to give their order in the queue, the other person or persons in the party going to reserve a table" is normal behavior.

Does it suck if you are alone, have to stand in line to get your order, then go to sit down and find all the seats are taken? Yes it does.
Are you stuck taking your order to go or standing around or leaning against the wall until a seat opens up? Yes you are.
That is life.
If the cafe is so busy that when you walk in and you can see all the seats are taken and you can see how many people are in line and you do the quick math and you think, there won't be a seat for me, this is not a surprise. And you know it already. You have a choice.
You can leave and not order, you can order and hope a seat opens up, or you can order knowing that you won't have a seat.

When you are out in a group do you all queue together? If so, why? Seems like a waste of time and space at the counter especially if only one of you is planning to pay.

This is why cafes should have more solo seats.

I would prefer to sit and eat too.

But I would also sit my mum down whilst I get the food, she can’t stand for long.

They do in Finland! Little tables all in a block, a seat, then a table with plugs and a screen/wall between you and the next one.

Sounds lovely! Do you have a pic?

I saw a cafe recently with a member of staff allocating tables. You didn't get to join the queue for food until she'd allocated you a table. It worked well. Single diners could queue up knowing they'd get a table, and larger groups could happily sit down without feeling others judging them for table hogging. It was a very large cafe though so could probably justify a staff member doing this.

A lot of M&S cafes they have someone telling people they can’t sit at the tables unless they have queued and ordered and got their food etc as other people are waiting in the queue and not nabbing tables just to sit at an empty table for 20 mins while someone else in the queue wanders found and could have drunk their coffee etc by the time the person in the queue is finished! Selfish and entitled behaviour which unfortunately the world has gone to the dogs for especially since Covid

If it's busy and I'm on my own I'll go elsewhere, unless there is somewhere comfortable to sit and eat outside the café or nearby,like a park.

Honestly I couldn’t get worked up about this. If you’re socialising with others, it’s totally normal to get someone to save a table, look after bags whilst someone else orders.

Sure, it’s not ideal when you’re out and about by yourself but as you said - it’s Black Friday and heaving as expected. Surely some common sense on your behalf would come into play, I wouldn’t assume I’d get a table to myself under those circumstances. In fact I’d just take the drink to go and consume it as I shop.

I do this if I’m out with my dad. He’s 85 and can’t stand in a queue, and he needs regular drink stops or he can’t cope with being out at all. It’s either do the table grab, or he misses out on family days out and Christmas shopping. I wouldn’t do it when out without a person less able to stand.

I voted you are being unreasonable because it's normal for people to queue and let the other person go and grab a table.

Who wouldn't grab a table in a busy cafe 🤔. Seems bonkers that you think everyone should queue together and not secure a table. Sorry.

This was done a while ago. You get a table then order, otherwise you are left standing with food and drink getting in the way. Or the person at the till asks, "what table are you at?" so they can bring the food over and you have to reply that you don't have a table yet and they are left wondering why you don't understand how ordering food and drinks works.

Buy a sandwich and sit on a bench.

Why? Cafes are for eating in. Simple pleasures are things like having a coffee and cake whilst doing a bit of people watching and reading a book... inside a cafe.

i remember years ago mcdonalds used to have a sign saying no reservation of tables before purchasing

i always thought it was ridiculous