[NT!]

btw jbrent is right about big parties or people taking a long time at a table. big parties are way, way, way more of a pain in the neck, and (as we discussed in the other thread) it is like a rule of thumb that if you put 6 guys in a group who are average tippers on their own, at least two of them will short the bill. [censored] obnoxious.

anyone who has ever worked in a kitchen can explain to you how big parties make things harder. you have to get 5 or 6 or 10 plates out all at the same time, all of which are hot and ready to go. this can be especially tough in a small place where you are working on a single range and salad station or a small oven or something. depending on your line size this can mean that basically one party takes up 10-15 minutes of a cook's time which is HUGE in a busy place. if you have a few small parties order directly after them it means they are going to wait at least that much longer for their food.

also if you sit at a place all night, take a long time to order, sit around drinking coffee and tea and stuff, you are monopolizing table space that equals income for servers and for the restaurant. if you are paying for a fine dining experience and want to take your time that's fine, but you better take care of your server as well, because you are costing them money and keeping others from eating. you paid for your food and beverages, you didn't rent a booth for three hours.