First Table has a Fair Use Policy included in our standard terms and conditions that diners agree to when making a booking. The full terms can be viewed here, but the specific condition reads as follows:
- Meals ordered are for dine-in only. Restaurants may allow you to take away leftovers, but to prevent over-ordering, this is at their own discretion.
Adding special conditions
If you notice that taking away leftovers or over ordering is becoming a concern for your venue, we have a number of special conditions that can be added which are very effective in curbing this behaviour:
1/ The First Table offer is limited to one starter, one main and one dessert per diner
2/ Food ordered is for dine-in purposes only. Takeaways are not permitted.
These conditions appear as a pop-up window which must be agreed to before we allow the booking to be completed. These conditions are also printed at the top of the booking confirmation that we send to diners.
Staff education
When staff are familiar with your special conditions, they can effectively guide customers on appropriate food quantities. Since portion sizes vary across venues, it is reasonable for staff to assist in determining the right amount of food to order. Additionally, it is the responsibility of the staff to remind guests of these special conditions if they observe any misuse.
The most effective strategy to prevent over-ordering is for your front-of-house (FOH) team to engage with customers at the time of ordering, rather than waiting for guests to request takeaway options for leftovers.
Useful blogs:
Enhancing dining harmony: First Table’s strategy for managing diner etiquette
Mastering First Table diner: effective strategies for restaurants