As you may know if you read the comments, a new seating policy recently went into effect at Dr. Granville's. Has anyone been there since the change? If so, what was the result? Here is the original announcement of the change [slight editing]:
Joe Englert said:
Elise and all our friends on H....
We are concerned about making our neighbors and customers happy at Granville Moore's.
Therefore, starting next week [the comment was left New Years Eve], we will be having a host/hostess every Friday and Saturday night with a clipboard taking names and seating people in order of arrival for when an appropriate-sized table comes available.
We are able to take reservations of 6-8 for three of our tables at times of [5:30, 7:30 and 9:30] p.m. We must give away the table to the next party if the group is not there at the requested time. All other tables are open on a first come, firstserved basis.
We also can do reservations of 10 or more upstairs during the week, but cannot seat everyone at one table.
We tried to keep the seating policy more casual than this, but because of continual concerns, we are now putting these new policies into practice.
Thanks for being so supportive and we hope to see you soon. Thanks, Get, Chris, Teddy, Joe and the Staff
34 comments:
Thank you Joe! I think this request of customers to begin a seating list is a testiment to the restaurant's popularity. Can't wait to go back.
Hey Joe,
Looking to hire anyone at Granville's? I'm an absolute beer geek, if it helps.
You da man Joe. My wife and I must have been there on the last Sat. when this policy wasn't in force. We lucked out and got a seat but after that there were problems as it got more crowded. Now that'll be a thing of the past--great move!
And honestly, there's a cost involved with having an employee serve in this host/ess function but you could see the servers and bartenders were kind of doing this anyway when we were there...looking for seats for people. Now they can concentrate on their jobs & everything will be more efficient.
Another plus, if there's a lengthy wait, which I see as very possible, the guests can always go over to the Pug and have a drink while they're waiting. They'll have to pay attention to the time though, because even I don't want to see little red squares lighting up to tell you your table is ready!
Great move Joe! We love Granville's, but a couple times we decided not to go because we might not get a table. Now we'll be back all the time.
I was there Friday at 8pm with party of 4. There wasn't a host/ess but the bartender maintained the list. We hadn't heard about the change, so one of us showed up 30 minutes early to "stake out" a table. The list was a pleasant surprise! We were 14th on the list but seated in appx. 20 minutes.
We went at 8:30pm on Friday, and the bartender was keeping a list. We ran into friends that had already been waiting an hour for a table, and the bartender told us the wait was likely over an hour. We couldn't wait. We were bummed, we've been wanting to try GM, but the wait was just too too long. Great that it's popular, but need to do something to try to encourage a little turnover.
Seems to me that will be difficult if people are sitting there drinking - possibly spending more $$ on their booze than on food.
I might also ask Kricker if the had waited on the list and were sitting there drinking with friends would you still want there to be "turnover"?
Joe, what are the rules of etiquette in situations like this?
The topic of restaurants trying to 'turn' tables by dropping the check before it's requested, asking if there is anything else they'd like, etc. has been discussed on several occassions in Tom Sietsema's chats and other venues.
Technically, it's inappropriate (and poor service) for a restaurant that does not have formal seatings to ever hurry a patron out - though it is incumbent on the patron to be sensitive to the fact that they are keeping someone else from being seated by lingering over their cup of coffee for an extra 30 minutes.
That being said, there are two elements in this situation that differ: First, Granville Moore's is a gastro-pub, not a restaurant - their beverage service should take precedence, and that necessarily leads to lingering parties. Second, Granville Moore's new policy regarding the 6-8 tops is such that there WILL be formal seating times - which means that diners will need to adhere to those two-hour windows if they want to sit at the big group tables.
At the end of the day, this is a small bar that sells (really) good food. There are always going to be lots of people there with a single bowl of frites shared among four people at a table - but those people are each drinking three beers over the course of an hour or two.
If you're eager for the food alone, I would recommend going on a weeknight, when the crowds who are there to make a night of Belgian beer goodness aren't as thick. That's probably your safest bet.
People who comment on this blog over-think everything. Dr. GM's is a gastropub. Whether people are primarily focusing on just drinks or drinks and food shouldn't matter in a gastropub. It appears that Joe was going for a Euro-style seating policy (seat yourself) before. That is one of the things I love about traveling in Europe, including Belgium. But I understand that popularity is now dictating otherwise.
If it is too crowded when you arrive, then get on the list and hurry up and wait or just move on (but return some other time). Let's just be happy Dr. GM's is drawing such good crowds.
I would have to go with Mike on this one. The place is small and that makes it tough. Again once we get more restaurants open this will probably matter less because there will be plenty of other really great places to go nearby.
Must be nice to be so popular!
The solution to GM overcrowding is simple. Offer anyone that has to wait more than 30 minutes free hookers and free singles in one of the many vacant storefronts within spitting distance. Call it the 'Nostalgia DC' experience.
I'm Anon 8:54 and I am mostly in agreement with the three posts following mine (Mike, Anon.10:40, & Inked). But I also think Kricker makes a valid point about people hanging around and paying for drinks while others are waiting.
I asked what was the business etiquette in these situations? I realize that none of us would want to be asked to leave, so the best thing to do is to be considerate of fellow patrons waiting on a seat, be thankful that GM is doing so well in our neighborhood, and give them a chance to experience.
What are the business definitions (legal, licensing, zoning, other regulations, etc.) between a "resaurant" and a "gastropub"?
I heard one of the things DGM was doing was getting people's cell phone numbers and sending them to the Pug or Martini and calling when their table was ready. Seems smart.
Your aren't going to find a zoning, legal, or licensing definition of gastropub in DC. I doubt you'll find one anywhere. Dr. Granville's is a tavern. That is a CT license. A restaurant be a CR license. I'm talking about ABC licenses here and the difference between a CR and a CT is the ratio of income coming from alcohol to that coming from food. In place of the ratio you can also hit a minimum dollar amount of food sold per occupant. CR's must have full kitchens, ect. Read more here
http://abra.dc.gov/abra/cwp/view,a,1274,q,565750.asp#7
Thanks Inked, thats what I was looking for. Doesn't seem like much incentive to go restaurant (CR) when you can go tavern (CT). Is their a benefit for going the restaurant route?
If you get there early enough it isn't a big deal to get a table. We got there at 7:30 and we got a table with no trouble.
What folks need to remember is that it is more profitable for DGM's to serve alcohol than to sell food.
Joe Englert said:
CR is restaurant
CT is a tavern
CN is nightclub
No food requirements for the bottom two. You just have to supply food, i.e. potato chips and pretzels.....All these licenses grant you the opportunity to provide entertainment with approval of ABC and ANC.
CT and CN are more expensive.
I doubt if the neighborhood would let a CN get into business at this juncture.
Was that hillman being negative again or did someone hijack hillman's name?
folksie poos-
in my university, they had a restaurant management degree. i used to sit in and audit the classes because they were interesting and informative.
i learned one important lesson: the biggest margins are from selling booze.
it pays to have folks wait at the bar and pay for drinks.
you see the same thing at clyde's and legal sea foods, etc. there are vacant tables, but they make you wait, hoping you'll hit the bar and drive up their margins.
i never do that.
i say fine, i'll wait here, and continue to be a slob and discuss important issues loudly, but not too loudly.
it never fails.
they seat me at an empty table just to get me out of the way because i'm not driving up margins.
GM is a different case. they have limited seating. at least they're texting folks from bars next door when their table is ready. that means that they just don't have the space to accomodate folks that want to eat good food in a bar.
it's not the best idea. it's like trying to be too many things, when good business/marketing means you specialise in what you do best. so.. if it's a bar, do that well. if it's a restaurant, do that well.
if you're trying to be both, and nail a niche market, you better do that well.
sounds like they're working on it...
but... you have to develop a vision and some procedures.
the bowling alley in china town had been struggling with the same issues.
read some of the penn quarter blogs to see what i mean.
they turned a lot of people off, and are still doing the same.
maybe GM could work with a 'reservations only' for the tables.
this way, you know when you're going to get seated.
lots of small restaurants do that.
i know the answer is, "but we're not a restaurant, so we don't want to do that".
then don't pretend to be a restaurant and deal with the blowback.
people are simple.
they want to eat and/or drink, and they have commitments.
if you can't accomodate them, say bye bye to regulars - the bread and butter of your business.
it sounds like a great place that is sort of floundering.
if i can pull up one of my case studies from hopkins, i'll pass it along to englert.
sometimes you don't let the customers dictate your procedures, sometimes it's not necessary to re-invent the wheel.
just do what places that try to be two things at the same time do: follow the succesfull paradigm.
say, "No reservations", or say "Reservations".
not, "kinda sorta reservations while you spend your money next door".
that's just gut reaction business.
that's why you have idea folks, that develop places, and MANAGERS that keep business.
just sayin'....
I don't want what I wrote before to be construed that I'd prefer DGM "hurry" people out the door to try to increase turnover. If you're a bar, you're a bar and your main margin is going to come from drinks and that is fine. If you're a restaurant you're a restaurant and you focus on the food part more. There just seems to be an inherent conflict of interest for potential customers of DGM-- a bar that serves really good food so people think of it as a restaurant.
I think patrons should be considerate on a busy weekend night and not linger at their table too long (the bar is available, too). It's just polite.
But DGM's idea of sending people next door to drink for an hour may work for some, but being pregnant I'm not really about to go swill anything for an hour or more til I can try out the mussels.
I don't begrudge DGM their success- it's just too bad that it is so difficult to get a chance to try them because they're small. We ended up going to Napa 1015 and had a great dinner- seated right away and had a wonderful experience. Hopefully we'll try DGM again another time and be able to get in, if not, we'll go to Napa again.
I'd also like to suggest that people might want to check out the Argonaut as a viable alternative. They've got some new beers and menu items, including specials. They are currently consulting with the chef from Dr. Granville's.
Nice call Inked. Word is that the Argonaut is brining in new dishes with plenty of organic ingredients as well as new wine and beer selections. This on top of the addition of multiple booths downstairs should capitalize the G in their gastropub experience.
Linden Place Dweller
I agree with Poo Poo completely on this one AND read his entire post (unusual for me - must be his new found civility for the new year -or mine).
Seems that GM is becoming more popular as customer demand is driving more toward it being a "restaurant." I for one believe H St. already has enough "gastropubs" a.k.a. "taverns" and would like to see GM be a full-fledged restaurant, but I'm not the one having to abide by DC ordinances or regulations, so I'm not sure what is involved in doing this.
As customers we are involved in helping to pay the rent, so if more are desiring a restaurant experience such as the pregnant Kricker, maybe becoming a restaurant should be considered. Or as Poo Poo suggested, if I'm interpreting correctly, at least a pub that focuses on food rather than a pub that focuses on booze.
Jack:
Good Lord, man. It was a joke. Lighten up already. Or is H Street such a sacred subject that we can't make a joke or two?
Anonymous 11:43,
There is nothing that prevents a CT licensee from essentially becoming focused more on the food and essentially becoming a "restaurant"--the CT license just provides the flexibility to do this or not. Many places, even "taverns" that skew more toward emphasizing the food have trouble meeting the rather stringent primary requirement of a CR license--that a certain percentage of revenue must come from food.
Also, by taking names and texting folks when their table is ready, it is realistic for the other bars to serve as "waiting rooms" that the size of the buildings on H Street make essentially impossible. It is unfortunate that in some situations like the woman who mentioned being pregnant where this is really not a viable alternative. I would not personally be opposed to a policy on Friday and Saturday nights of imposing a reasonable time limit on the tables--though clearly it is a business decision with ramifications, and would in any event need to be cast as a way of accommodating all guests who are interested in getting food. I don't know--that's a tough nut to crack.
Best,
Alan Kimber
ANC Commissioner, 6C05
Time limits on tables any day of the week is just plain crazy. People go to a joint like GMB to kick back, relax, enjoy some drinks and good food with friends. Nobody wants to be hurried from their table, and I'm sure the business would suffer a backlash were it to implement such a policy.
I think it's great Mr. Englert and his partners have been so responsive to customers, so let's relax a little and cut them some slack. There isn't much more they can do to make getting a table easier. There is limited space, limited serving capacity, a ton of demand, two objects can't occupy the same space at the same time... blah blah blah.... It's simple physics.
So as long as the suggestions/requests are reasonable, I'm sure the GMB folks will implement them (like the waitlist and calling people when a table is ready - great ideas), but we'll just have to accept that it's not always going to be possible to get seated in under 30 minutes on a Friday or Saturday night when the place is hopping. And that's true for many other popular spots in the city, so it's probably not fair to penalize GMB for experiencing the same problem.
You'll just have to live with the rules of engagement with respect to GMB. That is, if you want to be seated quickly, try going during the week. If you can't go to dinner on H during the week, and you want to go someplace where you'll definitely be seated quickly on a Friday or Saturday night, instead opt for Argonaut or Napa, both of which are excellent options.
Thanks Alan, your post was very informative.
- Anon. 9:03 a.m.
Seriously folks, Granville's is great as it is. No they shouldn't change their model to be more of a restaurant. And time limits on tables would be awful. That's not the type of place it is.
If you want to eat at a table, don't go Friday night at 8pm. Or try eating at the bar.
I think it's great that the overflow will help Pug and the like.
Kricker's right, it's a bar that people like to think is a restaurant because of the great food. But it's still a bar. I'm surprised they implemented the hostess policy. I liked it the way it was before. Can't wait until people start trying to tell them what to put on the menu...
Just to clarify--I said I wouldn't personally be opposed. There are strong arguments against such a policy, as have been pointed out. GMB management knows far more than I do about how to run their operation, and the last thing I'm going to do is tell them what to put on the menu... :)
Best,
Alan Kimber
ANC Commissioner, 6C05
DGM is still way overpriced for what you get. $14 for a burger? when I first went the menu was good and we really enjoyed ourselves. went back and the menu had been cut down and the quality was simply just not as good. I can buy a 6pack of lachouf at my mini-mart for $9, I don't need to pay $9/beer for it.
I like the ambiance of the argonaut, but they're beers are very limited and the food is pretty bad.
going to try napa for happy hour, hopefully something good on H ST!
So, you go into a Belgian-themed resturant, order the most American thing you can find on the menu, and are disapointed? Then, you complain about the price of imported beer at a bar? Huh, I guess I have to agree with you- GMB is not for you. But by your post, NAPA won't be either. Good luck finding a burger there.
8th and el,
napa actually does serve burgers now, and they're pretty darn good!
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