I would guess that maybe a so-called "efficiency expert" (maybe a son/daughter or nephew/niece with a new MBA) talked the owner into trying this approach.
I worked in a store once whose owner got talked into another attempt to improve efficiency. The tactic backfired, annoying customers and staff alike, and when the "expert" (a 25 yo MBA) offered yet another suggestion, he was politely but firmly refused. I also worked at a publisher where the HR director was getting her degree in management through evening classes. With every course, the employees became her test subjects. We went through half a dozen ways to improve "time management"--each one worse than the one before, until there was a mass protest and the publisher agreed to make the HR director stop treating us like lab rats.

By the way, I will not be getting a response from Stoney's as I am not including my full name or address with the comments. I really don't care to hear from them anyway. A friend in the restaurant business has advised me to do it that way, as the owner could theoretically make things miserable for me -- threaten me for "slandering" him on the internet or some such nonsense.

"A friend in the restaurant business has advised me to do it that way, as the owner could theoretically make things miserable for me -- threaten me for "slandering" him on the internet or some such nonsense."

Well, isn't that interesting?

I've known a lot of restaurant owners. In my observation, over the years, folks who go into business for themselves do so to be able to "run things" the way they want. Restauranteurs are no exception.

Some will take polite criticism or recommendations to heart and actually do something about it. Others just don't care, preferring to do things "their way". All of the latter have gone out of business.

The note wouldn't have bothered me, I don't think, but if it did, and the restaurant's reply to your complaint was unsatisfactory, then it's simple, you shouldn't dine there anymore.

The restaurant may have been getting a lot of complaints from people who had reservations and were made to wait. How is a very popular restaurant supposed to handle this situation? Perhaps some constructive criticism, a better idea? If 20 people are waiting in the foyer at 9pm because most of the diners who entered at 7pm haven't left yet, that's also an undesirable situation.

You say that you "sat down for a 7pm reservation" but you didn't say what time you sat down. Was it 7:15? 7:20? The only real complaint that I would have would be if it was if the dinner took more than two hours and it was truly the fault of the service personnel.

Be reasonable. If a restaurant can fit two parties into a 4 hour period, and bring in $600, is it fair to ask them to settle for $300? They can either raise their prices, or ask for co-operation from all diners on busy nights.

Personally, I think your complaint letter loses most of its validity by not having your full name on it. If I was a business owner and received a letter of complaint from a patron who didn't even sign it, I sure wouldn't pay much attention to it.

After having had some horrible service at many "cheap" restaurants lately I would have been just as irritated as patrick. I can't get people to even bring me a fork on time when they have already brought me my salad. People really seem to be forgetting that they EARN tips. When we have good to great service we usually tip very generously. What if you service is so slow that you exceed that time limit and you are so irritated already that you haven't even had a relaxing experience? I expect more for your money. Yes, times are tougher. That is not the way to make a profit but it is a great way to loose lots of potential income. I for one would not eat there if I had the choice for fear of us being "kicked" to the curb.

I just returned from Vegas and had dinner at the ESPN restaurant and sports bar located in the New York New York hotel. They also have the same type of notice prominently displayed in their menus. Our tab came out to $175.00 - thank goodness we passed on dessert and coffee.

This has been very interesting, and I'm always intrigued to see that there are still people like joesorce who will tell abused clients that it was probably their own fault. That "tough noogies" attitude just adds to the general unpleasantness that seems to be invading the "hospitality" industry.

Patrick, I applaud sending this post to the owner, but I think you detracted from its impact by not including your name. The "perfect" defense to libel (slander has to be said in person, libel is something published) is truth, and nothing you wrote here wasn't true (presumably). Statements of opinion like "I think that stinks" are not libelous, which is why people can write letters to the editor. The restaurant would have been completely nuts to take you to court over this, because it would have gotten into the media AND they would have lost.

That said, I still think you should consider widening your complaint, because it will discourage other restaurants from doing the same thing. I don't know Naples but I'd be willing to be there is some publication -- newspaper, most likely -- that does restaurant reviews. (I'm not talking about one of those thinly veiled advertising glossy "tourist information" booklets, of course.) Send this thread to the reviewer himself or herself with your own comment that this is NOT the same as having 2 seatings and IS an inhospitable practice. The reviewer may ignore it but chances are the newspaper is always looking for something to write a column about of local interest.

Patrick did you see that your thread is on the Fodor's home page? Nice job!

Wendy

Wow Patrick...if you haven't followed the link on Fodors home page, you need to do so! Fodors even contacted the restaurant regarding the cards on the table. (Stoney's didn't confirm it, but neither did they deny it.) I think that squeaky wheel might just have gotten some grease! Good job!!

Thanks for the heads up. I never see the home page, as I'm bookmarked to come directly here, so I wouldn't have seen it. The whole town is buzzing. Talked with a waiter at Pazzo who said everybody is talking about those signs.
And incidentally I found out a real surprise. I thought the owner of Stoney's was the developer of the big complex it's in -- as his name is Stoneburner. But it ends up the restaurant is owned by a long time restaurant owner -- Pate, who has about four or five other restuarants in Naples and several in Cape Cod, I believe. So the theory that it was somebody who doesn't know the business just went out the window. I can't believe they wouldn't confirm the signs to Fodors, they certainly did to me when I called. Maybe that means they removed them, or perhaps as one person suggested, they just leave them on for the early diners -- like maybe until 7, which would explain why they would neither confirm nor deny the report.

Who says a bunch of travel obsessed people slacking off at work can't change the world! haha!

I remember seeing a note at MacDonalds with some time limit. Not sure if they still have it - the children grew up so we stopped visiting. Patrick, you must've felt like getting cheap service paying high price for it. I support you in your decision not to go back.

Wendy, in case your comment was aimed at me, I do not work. I used to --very hard and long, in fact -- and have as a result been able to retire. So the only way I'm "slacking" at work is that I didn't hose out the garage today as planned.

I don't go to steakhouses but no matter what kind of restaurant it was they would lose me and so many others I know.

Patrick, I was referring to myself!!! LOL! I know you are retired, I'm just pretending to be!

Well, never heard of a restaurant doing this before, interesting.

Just curiosity here though, because Patrick, you say you're retired, yet in your original post you say "I travel a lot. I eat out a lot," and "Last night we met clients there..."

So which are you, traveling businessman or retiree? *wink*

Patrick, it shouldn't surprise you that they wouldn't confirm to Fodors, but my thinking is that refusing to deny is as good as a confirmation! Whomever Fodors spoke with realized what a stew they were now in. It's one thing if someone named "Patrick", "just" a Naples resident, calls complaining, quite another when a well-known and well respected travel organization such as Fodors is on the phone! If I were a betting woman, I'd place money on the fact that those signs are now gone. Again, well done!

The signs strike me as tacky to the point of silliness, but the point is that restaurants can't have it both ways. If you give a party a reservation for a certain time slot, your kitchen and waitstaff need to be able to serve the meal within those constraints.

A number of years ago I was hustled out of a fairly nice restaurant because the table was needed for another party with a reservation. When I made the reservation initially the manager mentioned the time limit. It seemed like plenty of time for a normal dinner so I wasn't too worried. We skipped cocktails, ordered promptly, and dug in as soon as food arrived. There was still no way that we could finish within the allowed time. Service was simply too slow. Just before we finished eating our main course the manager come over and told us that the next party had been waiting way too long, so we would have to leave. If he'd been polite it wouldn't have been so bad, but he was barely able to control his fury.

Of course he alienated two sets of customers -- our party and the folks with the next reservation who had to wait so long!

OK, nomopromos, I'm about 90% retired. I closed my interior design studio six years ago, but still do a little freelance work for old clients -- of which these people are my best ones!!
Incidentally I told her on the phone about this whole project I got involved in and she mentioned that just the night after our episode, they had dinner at the "new" Ritz Carlton Golf Club here with other friends. They did linger after dinner that night. And the manager came over to their table asking how everything was. They remarked, "Oh my, everyone else has left, we need to go" and he apologized profusely, insisting he wasn't asking that they leave, but just wanted to make sure everything had been to their satisfaction. In fact, he brought them another complimentary after dinner drink and said -- we can't go for at least another hour, please enjoy yourselves. What a difference in the attitudes of these two places!