It's a win-win trend for restaurateurs while diners pay the price, says Emma John
There are few more dispiriting experiences than the supermarket queue: the frustrating wait in an unfathomably slow-moving line, while the promise of a delicious meal hangs in the air, unfulfilled. No one, as far as I know, thinks of queueing as a desirable part of their weekly shop. Its not a sign that you really, really rate the own-brand sausages, nor does it make you cooler than your peers (unless, perhaps, youre waiting next to the frozen food aisle).
This is something I ponder when I walk past the shivering, damp lines of punters grimly holding out for a table at a London restaurant an increasingly frequent sight, especially in the narrow streets of the West End, where a no-reservations policy is now de rigeur for new openings. Booking a table and turning up at the appointed time for your meal is irritatingly passé; were all New Yorkers now, waiting in line for the next available seat. Its a win-win for restaurants, who can increase table turnover while enjoying the cachet of the queue itself free advertising for the desirability of their food. The only losers are the diners.
