The restaurant should be apologetic and perhaps offer some compensation?

[AlphaApple]

DD is 18 this week and booked a 6pm table at a restaurant/pub for 12 people to celebrate with her friends. It’s been booked for months.

Last night they called her and told her that they now had another booking and they were cancelling hers. After some negotiation they said she could come in at 5.30 but would have to leave by 7. They were not at all apologetic.

AIBU that they should have been apologetic and maybe offered something to say sorry? DD is really fed up and the new time is not really convenient for everyone (after school commitments etc.)

then they shouldn't fuck customers around.

They are not there for philanthropic purposes. If they are twats, they don't deserve customers.

It was poorly handled.

But I can’t really blame them for preferring a larger adult party over a group of teenagers at one of the peak times of the year.

I’d book somewhere else for my daughter and her friends, and I’d take the 5.30 seating myself. Me and my friends would not be leaving by 7.

They are free to decline the booking initially. Changing the terms of a YP’s 18th birthday celebration is something else and shows a lack of integrity.

I wish OP would name the place. Some of us are bound to live nearby

I don't think this is that uncommon unfortunately. If they think the other party are going to be higher spenders they will give them priority

Some of you are hardcore! I'm not going to make false bookings or otherwise mess them around. I will call them and make sure that they don't try to rush them out or give them bad service on the night. DD is a relatively shy, introverted teen so this is a big deal for her.

This is an early evening booking in a low/mid price chain, in a relatively impoverished part of the country. Yes, the teenagers are probably not going to spend a lot compared with others but neither are they sticking to a side order of dry bread and tap water. I think they just realised that the booking made it hard to fit in the typical pattern of reservations. Tough luck, they made a commitment and they should have honoured it.

Cannot believe that someone actually defended the restaurant!

Honouring a pre-existing booking is such a basic principle of hospitality. The kind of place that can't even do that is not the kind of place I'd be sad to see shut down.

I admit that it's not ideal, but after all, they are only asking them to come in 30 minutes early.

Everyone on this site is constantly banging on about the cost of living and how hard it is to make ends meet. Businesses feel the pinch, too. If this pub is juggling reservations trying to maximize its Christmas-season revenue, I can sympathize with them, without 100 percent approving of their tactics. If the pub didn't exist, would OP be happier?

In a way apologies are inappropriate. Unless there's something we haven't been told, they decided on a whim to give up OPs table to another group. Very poor customer service.

It's not "only" 30 minutes though, the guests have commitments which means getting there earlier is not possible. So some people will get there 30 minutes "late", everyone else will wait to order food for when they arrive and then it will be a rush. It's not the fun, relaxing evening envisaged.

Yes, it's a first world problem, but then again, restaurant reservations are fully first world matters.

Re 1.5h limit. That's very common thing by the way.
But cancelling and then offering different time is not ok unless emergency

its not a local indi pub though

That’s really poor, I hope your DD finds somewhere else to go. Personally I’d opt for a negative TripAdvisor review as bad mouthing on social media often has an adverse reaction and can actually have people defending. So best left on a more professional footing.

could be more money from adults as of alcohol, or a stereotype of possible bad behaviour from 17/18 year olds / they have had issues before so presume an earlier sitting would avoid matters. Just be gleeful of taking your money elsewhere.

Seems to be a common thing nowadays, relative booked a meal for important birthday for 14 people, months in advance, sent invites out. Only for restaurant contacting them a few weeks before the date to say they were moving the time forward. No is that ok. Then to add insult on the night, as we were shown to the table we were told we would have to vacate table at a certain time and move into bar area. The bill came to thousands but this didn't matter.

This.
and absolutely put some effort into naming and shaming them.

Yes this and absolutely everywhere else on social media including Trustpilot. They should not get away with ruining a young girls birthday.

That's an important birthday I am angry just reading this. You need to write in and complain to a manager. Its not acceptable!

Clearly they couldn't explain to a booking that they couldn't have 19:30 and were going to have to have 20:00 which must be too late for the other booking.

I'd expect a table to have a two hour turnaround. Expecting the kitchen to turn around three courses or more for 12 people in an hour and a quarter is unreasonable in itself. You'd be lucky to have two courses in that time.

If it's a chain I'd probably be asking Regionally why this has happened... although these days they don't really care anymore.

Rather dull update but I thought some of you might like to know what happened.

DD and friends had a lovely time. Most people arrived at the new earlier time but then they just waited until everyone could be there before ordering food. They took as long as they liked and no one asked for the table back. Maybe they spent enough money to merit it or maybe they had other cancellations. It was a busy night and the servers got a couple of the orders wrong so they ended up with extra food and booze for free - a result when you’re that age!

So no naming and shaming required.

@AlphaApple that's great I hope your DD had a great bday
However that's still really crap or the place.

Great news, OP