Why You Should Treat a Restaurant Table Like a Real Estate Transaction

Some people might think it’s unfair for a restaurant or bar to declare a minimum amount of money that customers must spend while they’re on-site, but if a restaurant has a minimum charge for something, it probably has a good reason for it. Minimum charges aren’t common, and you always want to be aware of the possibility. If you make a reservation for bottle service at an upscale bar, you can be sure there’s a minimum charge. Sometimes though, it might be a surprise so always make sure you know what you’re in for.

I spent years working in a cabaret room, carrying overpriced Martinis and Cosmopolitans high above my head through a crowded room in almost complete darkness while a performer sang just a few feet away. Every customer who came in was required to order at least two drinks. There was no maximum, but the cost of the cocktails usually dictated that two was as far as it went. 

That was the way the venue made money. The person on the stage got paid from the ticket sales and the establishment made money on the liquor, plus a huge cut of the ticket sales because, of course they did. Some customers would complain that they had to buy two drinks when they didn’t even drink alcohol. Never fear, the drinks didn’t have to be alcoholic, but two of something had to be ordered. We also sold small bottles of fancy water that were $8 each, but they did count toward the minimum.

Sitting at a table in a restaurant is basically leasing valuable property. The restaurant has to make sure it is making enough money to stay open. Restaurants are all about turnover, getting customers in and out and then finding someone else to fill that seat as quickly as possible. If there aren’t table minimums, the restaurant runs the risk of not making their quota for the day and then not being able to pay their bills. 

Consider a sports bar on Super Bowl Sunday. Whether you’re a fan of one sportsball team or another, everyone knows the Super Bowl lasts for hours. Each quarter is only 15 minutes, but the only thing that moves slower than the minutes in a football game is the final 20 minutes of a workday before a three-day weekend. No restaurant is going to allow customers to sit at a single table and watch a big screen television for four hours without making certain they’re also going to make some money. Prepare yourself for a minimum charge.

If a restaurant is having a special event like a trivia night, it’s not uncommon for there to be a food and beverage minimum. Trivia night is meant to bring in customers, but the restaurant doesn’t want six people crowded around a table answering questions about pop culture and history while each drinking iced teas with unlimited refills. 

Restaurants are in the business of hospitality, but they are also in the business of making money. If you find yourself going to a trivia night, check the fine print to see how much the restaurant is expecting you to spend while you’re yelling out the capital of Turkey. 

Some restaurants might have a more subtle table minimum. During peak hours, tables might be reserved for people ordering food and anyone who wants just drinks will have to sit at the bar. The tables are for people who are going to spend more money. It’s the same reason coffee shops have limited laptop hours at certain times of the day. It’s because too many people are willing to use their local coffee shop as their office and sip on a caramel macchiato for three hours while answering emails and working on their screenplay. 

Minimum charges are an insurance policy for restaurants. They don’t want to find themselves with a restaurant full of people who aren’t spending any money. Servers, especially, don’t want to end up in this situation. Minimums are completely legal as long as the restaurant makes it clear what the expectation is. If the minimum charge doesn’t suit you, rest assured, someone else will be completely fine with it and happily take your seat instead.