Two-hour time limit leaves Winnipeg diners with bitter taste

A Winnipeg couple is frustrated with the fine print, after having their entrees served up with a time limit.

After hearing about an incident at an Exchange District restaurant, the CBC called the couple to find out what happened.

Crystal and Ken Taylor were dining with clients at Hermanos when their server informed them they would have to leave within the next 20 minutes. The group arrived on time for their 6 p.m. reservation and were halfway through their main entrees.

"We're older, we're in our 40s, 50s, we're all dressed up for the evening out and at this point our dinner bill is $260," said CrystalTaylor, adding that the group had plans to order dessert and a few more drinks before the night was through.

"When you're going for a nice dining experience, I think it's a little unfair to say you have to be in and out of here in two hours," she said.

Taylor's reservation came with a two-hour time limit which was stated in anemail confirmation through opentable.com. She admits she should have read the terms, but was shocked when management refusedto accommodate her groupby moving them to another table, or into the restaurant's lounge.

The restaurant should have taken more responsibility for the situation, she said.

"You had an opportunity to tell me about this yesterday when you phoned to confirm my reservation, you had the opportunity to tell me about this when the hostess seated me. You had an opportunity an hour ago not twenty minutes before, right in the middle of the entree," said Taylor.

Calls to the owners of Hermanos were not immediately returned.

Trend toward time limits

"It is fairly commonplace for a restaurant who does take reservations to have a two-hour maximum limit on a reservation, and then it grows:the larger the group, the larger the maximum usually goes," said ChadFalk of the Manitoba Restaurant and Foodservices Association.

According to Falk, time limits are used by restaurants to keep dinner service flowing, optimize seating, and hold customers accountable.

"Part of the reason why we're seeing this maximum time limit being brought in by restaurants is the trend of not honouring reservation times. We've heard of scenarios where a reservation comes for fifteenpeople and only twoshow up at the time it's supposed to start, and then the rest trickle in. And maybe it never gets to 15 people, it might get to eightin total," added Falk.

Taylor said she believes the 6 p.m. reservation put her at a disadvantage, and that at a later reservation it would have been less likely the diners would be hustledout the door. She now asks restaurants about their time limits on tables before she makes a reservation, and plans to avoid those that enforce a maximum sitting time.

"There should be some consideration to the money being spent. If you're spending $300 in a restaurant, I don't think I should be hurried out in twohours," said Taylor.