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I sort of snapped at a couple of millennials at breakfast. Open your eyes! It's 9:30! Look at where you're sitting! (I didn't say the words but my tone did.)
That was my bug for the day. It's a beautifully choreographed dance we do at breakfast. And not being awake when you step into the dance causes me to trip.
I should just try seating people. Maybe put up one of those signs - please wait to be seated!
Hoping I smoothed it over as they were leaving.
 
Madeleine said:
I sort of snapped at a couple of millennials at breakfast. Open your eyes! It's 9:30! Look at where you're sitting! (I didn't say the words but my tone did.)
That was my bug for the day. It's a beautifully choreographed dance we do at breakfast. And not being awake when you step into the dance causes me to trip.
I should just try seating people. Maybe put up one of those signs - please wait to be seated!
Hoping I smoothed it over as they were leaving..
Click to expand...
Madeleine said:
I should just try seating people. Maybe put up one of those signs - please wait to be seated!
Click to expand...
I think that's a great idea! Wouldn't that solve a lot of your problems?
 
Breakfast Diva said:
Madeleine said:
I sort of snapped at a couple of millennials at breakfast. Open your eyes! It's 9:30! Look at where you're sitting! (I didn't say the words but my tone did.)
That was my bug for the day. It's a beautifully choreographed dance we do at breakfast. And not being awake when you step into the dance causes me to trip.
I should just try seating people. Maybe put up one of those signs - please wait to be seated!
Hoping I smoothed it over as they were leaving..
Click to expand...
Madeleine said:
I should just try seating people. Maybe put up one of those signs - please wait to be seated!
Click to expand...
I think that's a great idea! Wouldn't that solve a lot of your problems?
.
Click to expand...
Breakfast Diva said:
Madeleine said:
I should just try seating people. Maybe put up one of those signs - please wait to be seated!
Click to expand...
I think that's a great idea! Wouldn't that solve a lot of your problems?
Click to expand...
Some days it would, other days it would seem too formal.
Sunday is the day. Everyone sleeps late and then they all show up at 9 and expect that they will be seated right away and be on the road by 9:30.
We're still cooking at 10! It's absurd.
I'm like a traffic cop at the coffee machine - please, have a seat, and we'll start breakfast!
Oh no, they want to chat.
Please, have a seat *with* the guests you're talking with!
Oh we're good.
What the hell am I supposed to say to them? The first 2 rooms down and 5 more about to show up!
I say, "in 5 minutes, the other 12 guests will be showing up. Dh can only make 4 meals at a time. The wait will be very long to eat..."
And still they stand there. Then, mad dash for a table when they see the hordes descending!
I've been stressed this week because 3 rooms needed to be on the road early. They requested early breakfast. Then, all the other rooms come for coffee and sit down at 7:30! I have to ask some of them to move so the guests who arranged early breakfast can eat. But which ones? Who do I ask to move? All of them?
All done. They're all gone.
Start over this week with another room that doesn't know what time they need to leave the house to get to their appts. But I'm sure they'll show up 10 minutes before and expect breakfast to appear.
5 more weeks until the crazy vacationers are back at their jobs and school. Then the retirees show up. Laid back. Casual. No problems eating. Happy to be alive.
 
Madeleine said:
Breakfast Diva said:
Madeleine said:
I sort of snapped at a couple of millennials at breakfast. Open your eyes! It's 9:30! Look at where you're sitting! (I didn't say the words but my tone did.)
That was my bug for the day. It's a beautifully choreographed dance we do at breakfast. And not being awake when you step into the dance causes me to trip.
I should just try seating people. Maybe put up one of those signs - please wait to be seated!
Hoping I smoothed it over as they were leaving..
Click to expand...
Madeleine said:
I should just try seating people. Maybe put up one of those signs - please wait to be seated!
Click to expand...
I think that's a great idea! Wouldn't that solve a lot of your problems?
.
Click to expand...
Breakfast Diva said:
Madeleine said:
I should just try seating people. Maybe put up one of those signs - please wait to be seated!
Click to expand...
I think that's a great idea! Wouldn't that solve a lot of your problems?
Click to expand...
Some days it would, other days it would seem too formal.
Sunday is the day. Everyone sleeps late and then they all show up at 9 and expect that they will be seated right away and be on the road by 9:30.
We're still cooking at 10! It's absurd.
I'm like a traffic cop at the coffee machine - please, have a seat, and we'll start breakfast!
Oh no, they want to chat.
Please, have a seat *with* the guests you're talking with!
Oh we're good.
What the hell am I supposed to say to them? The first 2 rooms down and 5 more about to show up!
I say, "in 5 minutes, the other 12 guests will be showing up. Dh can only make 4 meals at a time. The wait will be very long to eat..."
And still they stand there. Then, mad dash for a table when they see the hordes descending!
I've been stressed this week because 3 rooms needed to be on the road early. They requested early breakfast. Then, all the other rooms come for coffee and sit down at 7:30! I have to ask some of them to move so the guests who arranged early breakfast can eat. But which ones? Who do I ask to move? All of them?
All done. They're all gone.
Start over this week with another room that doesn't know what time they need to leave the house to get to their appts. But I'm sure they'll show up 10 minutes before and expect breakfast to appear.
5 more weeks until the crazy vacationers are back at their jobs and school. Then the retirees show up. Laid back. Casual. No problems eating. Happy to be alive.
.
Click to expand...
This is what you need for your breakfasts!
race-flags-border-h.gif

 
Breakfast Diva said:
Madeleine said:
Breakfast Diva said:
Madeleine said:
I sort of snapped at a couple of millennials at breakfast. Open your eyes! It's 9:30! Look at where you're sitting! (I didn't say the words but my tone did.)
That was my bug for the day. It's a beautifully choreographed dance we do at breakfast. And not being awake when you step into the dance causes me to trip.
I should just try seating people. Maybe put up one of those signs - please wait to be seated!
Hoping I smoothed it over as they were leaving..
Click to expand...
Madeleine said:
I should just try seating people. Maybe put up one of those signs - please wait to be seated!
Click to expand...
I think that's a great idea! Wouldn't that solve a lot of your problems?
.
Click to expand...
Breakfast Diva said:
Madeleine said:
I should just try seating people. Maybe put up one of those signs - please wait to be seated!
Click to expand...
I think that's a great idea! Wouldn't that solve a lot of your problems?
Click to expand...
Some days it would, other days it would seem too formal.
Sunday is the day. Everyone sleeps late and then they all show up at 9 and expect that they will be seated right away and be on the road by 9:30.
We're still cooking at 10! It's absurd.
I'm like a traffic cop at the coffee machine - please, have a seat, and we'll start breakfast!
Oh no, they want to chat.
Please, have a seat *with* the guests you're talking with!
Oh we're good.
What the hell am I supposed to say to them? The first 2 rooms down and 5 more about to show up!
I say, "in 5 minutes, the other 12 guests will be showing up. Dh can only make 4 meals at a time. The wait will be very long to eat..."
And still they stand there. Then, mad dash for a table when they see the hordes descending!
I've been stressed this week because 3 rooms needed to be on the road early. They requested early breakfast. Then, all the other rooms come for coffee and sit down at 7:30! I have to ask some of them to move so the guests who arranged early breakfast can eat. But which ones? Who do I ask to move? All of them?
All done. They're all gone.
Start over this week with another room that doesn't know what time they need to leave the house to get to their appts. But I'm sure they'll show up 10 minutes before and expect breakfast to appear.
5 more weeks until the crazy vacationers are back at their jobs and school. Then the retirees show up. Laid back. Casual. No problems eating. Happy to be alive.
.
Click to expand...
This is what you need for your breakfasts!
race-flags-border-h.gif

.
Click to expand...
Love it!
I was thinking, it sounds like this is an ongoing problem. It's really rare that we can't seat everyone easily. But, rainy Sunday? We know we won't be done with breakfast until after 10 no matter what I do to seat people. And when we have a family with teens. That's the other problem. The teens don't get up.
DH is part of the problem. The guests are talking to him. And he's SITTING DOWN! I try to get him moving by saying he should get the pans warmed up, it's going to get busy pretty soon, blah blah blah.
He doesn't get it. He's hidden at the stove. I'm herding cats.
 
Madeleine said:
I sort of snapped at a couple of millennials at breakfast. Open your eyes! It's 9:30! Look at where you're sitting! (I didn't say the words but my tone did.)
That was my bug for the day. It's a beautifully choreographed dance we do at breakfast. And not being awake when you step into the dance causes me to trip.
I should just try seating people. Maybe put up one of those signs - please wait to be seated!
Hoping I smoothed it over as they were leaving..
Click to expand...
That is an idea. How about assigned seating times? And...put out placecards where they should sit!
 
Madeleine said:
Breakfast Diva said:
Madeleine said:
I sort of snapped at a couple of millennials at breakfast. Open your eyes! It's 9:30! Look at where you're sitting! (I didn't say the words but my tone did.)
That was my bug for the day. It's a beautifully choreographed dance we do at breakfast. And not being awake when you step into the dance causes me to trip.
I should just try seating people. Maybe put up one of those signs - please wait to be seated!
Hoping I smoothed it over as they were leaving..
Click to expand...
Madeleine said:
I should just try seating people. Maybe put up one of those signs - please wait to be seated!
Click to expand...
I think that's a great idea! Wouldn't that solve a lot of your problems?
.
Click to expand...
Breakfast Diva said:
Madeleine said:
I should just try seating people. Maybe put up one of those signs - please wait to be seated!
Click to expand...
I think that's a great idea! Wouldn't that solve a lot of your problems?
Click to expand...
Some days it would, other days it would seem too formal.
Sunday is the day. Everyone sleeps late and then they all show up at 9 and expect that they will be seated right away and be on the road by 9:30.
We're still cooking at 10! It's absurd.
I'm like a traffic cop at the coffee machine - please, have a seat, and we'll start breakfast!
Oh no, they want to chat.
Please, have a seat *with* the guests you're talking with!
Oh we're good.
What the hell am I supposed to say to them? The first 2 rooms down and 5 more about to show up!
I say, "in 5 minutes, the other 12 guests will be showing up. Dh can only make 4 meals at a time. The wait will be very long to eat..."
And still they stand there. Then, mad dash for a table when they see the hordes descending!
I've been stressed this week because 3 rooms needed to be on the road early. They requested early breakfast. Then, all the other rooms come for coffee and sit down at 7:30! I have to ask some of them to move so the guests who arranged early breakfast can eat. But which ones? Who do I ask to move? All of them?
All done. They're all gone.
Start over this week with another room that doesn't know what time they need to leave the house to get to their appts. But I'm sure they'll show up 10 minutes before and expect breakfast to appear.
5 more weeks until the crazy vacationers are back at their jobs and school. Then the retirees show up. Laid back. Casual. No problems eating. Happy to be alive.
.
Click to expand...
How many people can you seat at one time and how long do they normally take? Set up tags based on table size and write on them. For example if you have 4 tables (tables A, B, C and D) and you decide you can do 7:30, 8:15 and 9AM. So you make:
7:30 seating
Table A
(Clear table by 8:05)
There are just that many tags and that many tables and well, sometimes they will need to compromise. One tag per person. No tickee, no washee.
I have to say that your guests are very different than mine. Very rarely do mine show up for coffee. But when they do, we have those ceramic "to-go" cups, so it's clear... they aren't staying. And we serve at the time. We have some who ask to change late and if we can, we accommodate. But if breakfast is baked, it's not going to happen.
I guess it's a matter of the way the table is set up that makes it intimidating to just sit down if you aren't ready, including the plated starter. But yes, I have told those who come 5 minutes early that I'm not ready. And we have told those who showed up when we had no space that they will have to come back. Those are my capabilities.
 
EmptyNest said:
Madeleine said:
I sort of snapped at a couple of millennials at breakfast. Open your eyes! It's 9:30! Look at where you're sitting! (I didn't say the words but my tone did.)
That was my bug for the day. It's a beautifully choreographed dance we do at breakfast. And not being awake when you step into the dance causes me to trip.
I should just try seating people. Maybe put up one of those signs - please wait to be seated!
Hoping I smoothed it over as they were leaving..
Click to expand...
That is an idea. How about assigned seating times? And...put out placecards where they should sit!
.
Click to expand...
I like place cards but not seating times. We've had some fairly long stays this year, 7-9 days and if it was me and I had to decide everyday when I wanted to eat I'd feel rushed.
Plus, we're awful at keeping track of stuff.
 
Jon Sable said:
Madeleine said:
Breakfast Diva said:
Madeleine said:
I sort of snapped at a couple of millennials at breakfast. Open your eyes! It's 9:30! Look at where you're sitting! (I didn't say the words but my tone did.)
That was my bug for the day. It's a beautifully choreographed dance we do at breakfast. And not being awake when you step into the dance causes me to trip.
I should just try seating people. Maybe put up one of those signs - please wait to be seated!
Hoping I smoothed it over as they were leaving..
Click to expand...
Madeleine said:
I should just try seating people. Maybe put up one of those signs - please wait to be seated!
Click to expand...
I think that's a great idea! Wouldn't that solve a lot of your problems?
.
Click to expand...
Breakfast Diva said:
Madeleine said:
I should just try seating people. Maybe put up one of those signs - please wait to be seated!
Click to expand...
I think that's a great idea! Wouldn't that solve a lot of your problems?
Click to expand...
Some days it would, other days it would seem too formal.
Sunday is the day. Everyone sleeps late and then they all show up at 9 and expect that they will be seated right away and be on the road by 9:30.
We're still cooking at 10! It's absurd.
I'm like a traffic cop at the coffee machine - please, have a seat, and we'll start breakfast!
Oh no, they want to chat.
Please, have a seat *with* the guests you're talking with!
Oh we're good.
What the hell am I supposed to say to them? The first 2 rooms down and 5 more about to show up!
I say, "in 5 minutes, the other 12 guests will be showing up. Dh can only make 4 meals at a time. The wait will be very long to eat..."
And still they stand there. Then, mad dash for a table when they see the hordes descending!
I've been stressed this week because 3 rooms needed to be on the road early. They requested early breakfast. Then, all the other rooms come for coffee and sit down at 7:30! I have to ask some of them to move so the guests who arranged early breakfast can eat. But which ones? Who do I ask to move? All of them?
All done. They're all gone.
Start over this week with another room that doesn't know what time they need to leave the house to get to their appts. But I'm sure they'll show up 10 minutes before and expect breakfast to appear.
5 more weeks until the crazy vacationers are back at their jobs and school. Then the retirees show up. Laid back. Casual. No problems eating. Happy to be alive.
.
Click to expand...
How many people can you seat at one time and how long do they normally take? Set up tags based on table size and write on them. For example if you have 4 tables (tables A, B, C and D) and you decide you can do 7:30, 8:15 and 9AM. So you make:
7:30 seating
Table A
(Clear table by 8:05)
There are just that many tags and that many tables and well, sometimes they will need to compromise. One tag per person. No tickee, no washee.
I have to say that your guests are very different than mine. Very rarely do mine show up for coffee. But when they do, we have those ceramic "to-go" cups, so it's clear... they aren't staying. And we serve at the time. We have some who ask to change late and if we can, we accommodate. But if breakfast is baked, it's not going to happen.
I guess it's a matter of the way the table is set up that makes it intimidating to just sit down if you aren't ready, including the plated starter. But yes, I have told those who come 5 minutes early that I'm not ready. And we have told those who showed up when we had no space that they will have to come back. Those are my capabilities.
.
Click to expand...
Max is 11 at a time. Or, 5 rooms if I can organize them.
I set one table for 4 and 3 tables for 2. Sometimes one table for 3.
I can throw one couple in another room if need be.
Putting out a place card with the room name would be ok except for not knowing who will show up when.
This morning, the same guy showed up for coffee 3 times, each time saying he'd be back later for breakfast. His wife showed up at 9, his kids showed up at 9:15 and he rolled in at 9:30.
They were still sitting there at 10:30.
You might be surprised at some of the cajoling that goes on to get 2 couples who don't know each other to sit together.
If it's 9:15 and the only seats left are sharing a table, you're sitting with them or you're not eating. I don't play that game.
I don't think I'm really looking for solutions, I'm just griping that people can't seem to sort themselves.
If my back is turned a single will invariably sit at either the table for 3 or 4. Why? Why not sit at a 2 top? By the window! Wonderful view!
One nice couple moved without a word today when that whole family finally showed up and the kids were trying to pull chairs out from other tables.
Thank you! Common sense!
 
we were lucky! large hen (pre wedding women group) and was expecting mess and chaos! where they went for lunch either gave them food poisoning or they got sun stroke - all were back by 11 and in bed! - breakfast hardly anything as didn't feel well.
 
Your stories of seating reminds me of my college job as waitress at a very limited seating restaurant.
It can be a puzzle to seat everyone.
 
Ah, yes. The days when I have a bug up the *** and GOD help DH those days. That is always the day DH decides to say: #1 - you need to do something about ... #2 - you should ..... #3 - why don't you..... pick a subject he has told me I should, need to, etc
 
gillumhouse said:
Ah, yes. The days when I have a bug up the *** and GOD help DH those days. That is always the day DH decides to say: #1 - you need to do something about ... #2 - you should ..... #3 - why don't you..... pick a subject he has told me I should, need to, etc.
Click to expand...
I call those "the you-oughtas". Approach me with those and you're instantly way lower on my list.
 

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