“We have scheduled an hour and a half for your stay” refers to the reservation confirmation for the trendy restaurant “Frühstück 3000” in Berlin. This new tactic of restaurant reservations is now spreading to Germanythe Austria and Switzerland. It used to be a given that going out meant eating, drinking and meeting people.

More and more cities are joining the dance of limited time reservations. It is not only the restaurants in Munich and Berlin but also well-known restaurants in Vienna, Salzburg, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Cologne, Leipzig, Stuttgart, Zurich. In other countries, apart from these three German-speaking ones mentioned above, the time-keeping is known. In New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, Paris, Copenhagen and Stockholm, tables are even filled three times in one night.

With just a few clicks booking

In German-speaking countries they were an exception until 2020. In the pandemic due to the corona virus and distance measures, a bit of fashion began to be accepted. The restaurant “893 Ryotei” in Berlin states on its website that “online reservations are limited to two hours”. In any case, an online reservation is undoubtedly practical for guests and restaurateurs, when a table can be booked with just a few clicks.

But what do the restaurant guests themselves say? “I find it kind of obnoxious,” says one. Another adds that “I feel like a money machine that needs to go fast.” A third speaks of “the decline of gastronomy”. But there is also understanding. “I never take more than two hours to eat in a noisy restaurant anyway,” someone says. “Better than staying longer and being served even more expensive dishes and drinks,” says another. “With the financial situation as it is, it’s only natural that owners want their tables booked more than once.”

Will the warm atmosphere fade away?

But do these types of limited time reservations take away from the warmth and charm of the restaurants? Ingrid Hartges, head of the German Hotel and Restaurant Association, states that “especially in the face of rapidly rising costs in the areas of energy, food and personnel, our businesses more than ever have to calculate precisely and find ways to they have their expenses under control.” He points out, however, that there are restaurants and pubs without opening hours, where visitors can find a seat even without a reservation.

Also, wishes differ, there are families who wish to stay from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm. However, the limited time reservations are made by restaurants that are in very high demand, explains Ingrid Hartges, and emphasizes that there is no fundamental change in the culture of gastronomy. In her opinion it is not the end of warmth, good food and service, she says. There are solutions for this too. In California, for example, guests who stay longer and want another drink leave their table and go to the bar.

However, it is important, according to the Consumers Union, that restaurants make their policy clear to customers and then they can decide.