Do you clear your table at a pizza place?

kenz

Tue, Feb 20 2024, 5:40 pm

Yes, always unless there’s waiter service. My kids do it automatically. If I’m really rushed I might put everything together on a tray so it’s easily taken off. I would never just leave garbage all over the table and walk out.

flowerpower

Tue, Feb 20 2024, 5:41 pm

There are employees there waiting for you to leave so they can clean your table. It’s their job. I put everything neatly on the tray so they can take the tray and throw it out. They take it over from me if I take the tray to the garbage can.

peace2

Tue, Feb 20 2024, 5:41 pm

At a pizza place, yes. At a restaurant, no. I've had to clear off other people's dirty plates when it's busy and I've wanted the table. Sometimes they don't have people circling and clearing up so why make someone else deal with your mess?

amother

Milk

Tue, Feb 20 2024, 5:45 pm

If you don't clear the table at a busy time chances are the next customer will need to do the clearing- reality not ok. A place with waiter service is of course different.

amother

Brass

Tue, Feb 20 2024, 5:47 pm

If there's full waiter service, as in you sit down and they take your order and bring your food, then no. Otherwise, I always clean up. It's really rude not to.

amother

Hyssop

Tue, Feb 20 2024, 5:51 pm

Absolutely!! And my children all do as well without any question. It takes an extra minute to throw the garbage in the can and I believe it does wonders for our children’s menchlichkeit and opportunities of kiddush Hashem!

dancingqueen

Tue, Feb 20 2024, 5:55 pm

amother Chocolate wrote:

I always clear my garbage at fast food places. If it's handed to you on a tray over a counter as opposed to having waitstaff bring plates to the table, it's your responsibility.

This, 100%.

Anonymiss 1

Tue, Feb 20 2024, 5:56 pm

amother Birch wrote:

No way.

He's got five guys back there sitting on stools, waiting, and you want me to clean up? After paying $30 for a plain pie?

No.

I don't get this "mentschlich" pretense. The staff is paid to do this!!!

That is NOT what those employees are paid to do. Self-serve places are also self-clear places.

amother

SandyBrown

Tue, Feb 20 2024, 6:00 pm

amother Birch wrote:

To me this smacks of entitlement but OK.
I highly doubt these guys are being paid just to wait on you or me.

amother

Brass

Tue, Feb 20 2024, 6:00 pm

mommyhood wrote:

Most of the ones I go to it’s expected. There’s big garbage cans with space on top for the trays and everything else is disposable and goes in the garbage. One place we go to on occasion is a bit nicer, uses real dishes and there doesn’t seem to be anyplace you would clear to so we leave everything on the table.

Exactly why they have big garbage cans and a spot to put the trays out where the customers are. They're accessible to the customers so customers will use the .

You don't see those in restaurants with full wait staff. The big garbage cans are in the back because you're not responsible for cleaning up there.

amother

NeonBlue

Tue, Feb 20 2024, 6:02 pm

I pile my big garbage on the tray and dump. I don’t take care of spills and crumbs.
So it’s not in ready condition for the next person but quick for the guy to wipe down.

amother

Grape

Tue, Feb 20 2024, 6:24 pm

Since I used to have a pizza restaurant…

If you have a waiter and table service, you don’t clear.

If you have counter service the nice thing to do is clear.

Whether you have a waiter or not, If you leave a disgusting mess and don’t clear at least some of it, you’re just not a nice person. Sadly there were plenty of those.

amother

Brass

Tue, Feb 20 2024, 6:29 pm

amother Ghostwhite wrote:

Yea try to. Teach my kids to. Doesn’t always work. But I try .

What exactly doesn't work? How do you try to clean up and it doesn't work? Either you do it or you don't.

seeker

Tue, Feb 20 2024, 7:35 pm

amother OP wrote:

Dh and I always disagree on this question.
When going out to eat at a pizza place or other casual dining places, do you clear your table before leaving?

I feel like it’s not polite to walk out and leave your crumpled tissues, cups and empty plates or trays. I always grab my trash, sweep the crumbs off the table, wipe the spills and drop off trays.

Dh thinks it’s nice to clear your table but not expected and even pretentious. He claims the waiters are there for that reason.

What do you think?

(Ps this is not an issue in frum society lol, just putting it in a forum so people can respond anonymously.)

What waiters? I've never seen pizza places with waiters. If you went to the counter and received your food on a tray, then you bring that tray and empty it into the garbage when you leave.

Ema of 5

Tue, Feb 20 2024, 7:39 pm

amother OP wrote:

We don't go out to eat very often, but when we do, I have the kids clean up. If for any reason we don’t throw out our stuff, we at least will put it all on one tray.

amother

Tealblue

Tue, Feb 20 2024, 7:48 pm

I once went away on vacation to a pizza store. I was recovering from a broken leg at the time. My husband went to get the car which was a few blocks away and I stood outside holding the baby. The owner came out and told me to come back inside and clear off the table. He watched me limp back and forth, from the table to the garbage, a few times holding a baby, while he sat with his worker in the back of the store. I was never so humiliated and angry in my life. I toyed with the idea of writing a bad review online but in the end I didn’t want to hurt another Yids parnassah, no matter how wrong he was.
Point is, yes you should try to clean it off but it’s not obligatory! You’re paying for the meal and eating out.