What is it about those restaurants we return to over and
over again? Is there that one menu item, that special sauce you just can’t live
without? That quirky barista who serves up your soy latte with a smile. That
fry cook who can spout a one-liner like he’s the star of his own sitcom?
What is it that keeps us sliding into those same booths week
after week, picking up the menus we’ve read so many times we know it by heart, “I’ll have the B-1
please, ginger on the side.” Announcing
to our friends outside the packed restaurant, “It’s cool. They know me here.” You know the places. The places where ordering is really just a formality.
In Savannah there are
three, maybe four restaurants where I have that kind of relationship. Folks at these
places know me by name. And they know what I’m going to order. And I know right
where I’m going to sit. That’s right. I’m what they like to call a “regular” in
the dining industry. But why?
1. I Feel Comfortable Eating There Alone
I’m full time grad student and I also work full time. So I don’t have a lot of time to make plans,
so I find myself going out to eat more than a sensible person would. And my
lack of planning usually means I’m dining alone. And I
want to go somewhere I feel comfortable doing so. For me that means the servers
are friendly, but not too chatty to the point that I feel like they should be
pulling up a chair. The worst are ones that actually do. Slide in beside you and
whip open a notepad, gum smacking in their teeth, “What’ll be, sweetheart?”
Then there are ones that ignore you
completely. Or fail to acknowledge the fact that you’ve eaten at the place
seven days in a row and ordered the exact same thing. When you arrive on the
eighth day, you walk up to the counter, and nothing. Not even a hint of
recognition. Just a, “What can I get
you?” like you’ve never eaten there
before in your life.
Bottom line, if I feel comfortable dining alone at a
restaurant, it means I'll keep coming back.
2. Location, Location, Location
I form habits out of convenience. Anyone who’s been following
this blog so far might have noticed I’ve covered a lot of restaurants in the
Sandfly area of Savannah. So it should
come as no surprise that I live in that area. I go to restaurants that are near
where I live. Or on the way to the places I frequent. Places I know I can drop
in and out of quickly when I’m in a hurry.
3. The Food is Delicious
I frequent places where I know
pretty much anything on the menu is amazing. You know that place, the one where
you’re often stumped when ordering because, well, everything on the menu it
just so darn delicious. Consistency
matters too. I need to know that I can order my favorite sandwich with the
sauce on the side, and it’ll be equally tasty the first and five hundredth time
I order it.
So what about you, what makes you
a “regular”?
In every city I've lived in, I've had 3 or 4 places tops that I ate every meal at. I am SUCH a regular. I know what I like and when I find something spectacular, I can and will eat it every single day. People often ask me if I get sick of the same Asian tofu wrap I eat at Black Bean Co. in Charleston. Hell no, I don't. Comfort is also key. If I'm wanting a drink after school or work and no one is available to grab a beer, I'd only go to a bar that I regularly went to, where they know my name. Otherwise I'd feel weird.
ReplyDeleteI'm the same way! I'm way more comfortable going alone if it's a place "where they know my name" :)
ReplyDeleteThis post is so true. We really are creatures of habit. I'm sad becasue after my six year absence from Savannah I've kind of had to start this process all over again-nobody knows my name! But without fail I go to the same places and order the same thing. Finding a comfortable environment is key too. Like you said-when you're busy you end up going out a lot and eating alone a lot too-and you want to feel comfortable doing that. What are some of your top places that all 4 of these things fall under?
ReplyDeleteI'm the same way Christen! I haven to experienced dining alone before, but I tend to go places that are close by…for instance I frequent the Crystal Beer Parlor and the Distillery all the time because they are both so close to my house. Also, if the food is good, I am more than likely going to eat there on a regular basis. Good post!!
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