A democratizing trend, born of another trend (casual quality dining), though one that could lead (the story failed to point out) to a third trend so ominous I shudder at the possibility: the List Keeper gaining more power. Do we want to leave that much control in the hands of the List Keeper, a species already so power mad and purse-lipped.
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There are reasons restaurants take reservations and reasons restaurants don't accept reservations. When his company conducts surveys on the topic, said Scott Jampol, senior director of consumer marketing for the online reservation service OpenTable, "diners overwhelming tell us" the ability to make reservations are important to them. Indeed, when I spoke to Davina Baum, managing editor of Chow.com, she said she prefers "the security of a reservation to waiting past an hour, until I'm no longer hungry." Then again, talk to high-end restaurants that don't take reservations and managers say the cost of Open Table — which can charge a restaurant thousands of dollars a month — and reservationist salaries are reasons for a no-reservation policy.
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There are reasons restaurants take reservations and reasons restaurants don't accept reservations. When his company conducts surveys on the topic, said Scott Jampol, senior director of consumer marketing for the online reservation service OpenTable, "diners overwhelming tell us" the ability to make reservations are important to them. Indeed, when I spoke to Davina Baum, managing editor of Chow.com, she said she prefers "the security of a reservation to waiting past an hour, until I'm no longer hungry." Then again, talk to high-end restaurants that don't take reservations and managers say the cost of Open Table — which can charge a restaurant thousands of dollars a month — and reservationist salaries are reasons for a no-reservation policy.
