By: Teg
“My favorite thing to make for dinner is reservations.” – Unknown.
Although the history of dinner reservations isn’t quite clear, the most likely origin dates back to the 18th century. According to some, it was common for people to reserve a room in a restaurant. Most of the establishments in the 18th century had large public eating rooms and a number of smaller rooms that could be reserved for more private meals. This evolved over time to what we have now.
The notion of reserving a table came about in the early 19th century as a way for affluent men to court women in a manner that was considered socially acceptable. As you can imagine, back then it would have been frowned upon to invite single women to your home or book a room in a restaurant to throw a dinner party. Having all the utensils, ingredients, staff, and environment that restaurants offer was a great way to socialize with others.
Fast forward to this day and age, reservations play a vital role in our society and even more so after COVID. In 2022 alone, reservations around the country were up 107% compared to 2021 according to The New York Post. Although most restaurants including ours hold some tables for walk in guests, I for one like the security that a reservation holds. According to OpenTable, 66% of U.S diners eat out at least once a week, and 33% of U.S diners are eating out more than they did 6 months ago. That’s a lot of people to compete with!
The days of spontaneous dining aren’t over however. We at Gaetano’s always recommend reservations, but over the course of a night we double our reservation count with walk in guests. Visit our website to book your table, give us a call, or feel free to walk in if you’re willing to wait. We look forward to seeing you soon!
