Every business is different and to survive, we often must make decisions about what we serve, when we are open, and how to operate based on many factors.  Some decisions are based on general restaurant protocol while other decisions are based on experience.    Like a menu, the decision to present certain items on the menu is the vision of the Chef and owners.  If the menu is not suitable for a customer, then the option is for the customer to find a location that presents a different menu.   There are many things that are purely subjective and many decisions that are made to assist the staff based and our operations based on experience.

Since about 2017 (even prior to Covid), we made the decision to limit reservations at our restaurants because we wanted to be different.  We also gained knowledge from our experience of operating a restaurant in a small farmhouse environment.  We have always felt that J's restaurant is the perfect place for a quiet dining experience for 2 to 4 people.  While we do accept reservations for up to 6 people, we only accept 2 reservations each evening for 6 people.  One of these reservations is available at the opening while the other is available at the end of our reservation period.  With Covid, we were mandated to follow these rules which has made them much easier for people to understand and appreciate.

Our approach has been successful and those looking for a quiet dining experience, appreciate our approach.   Additionally, all our chefs and servers agree that it is much easier for us to serve multiple smaller tables than a single large table.  The pace in the kitchen is much more consistent when there is a flow of smaller orders than when there is a single order for more than six people.  

In today's world, probably the most important rule in business is to be consistent because if rules are not enforced consistently then they are discriminatory.  Accordingly, we either enforce our rules or alter our rules but there are no exceptions.  In this situation, regarding large reservations, we have made the decision to keep our rule and not allow exceptions.

I understand that some customers may not agree with our approach to large reservations.   I also understand that my experience is that we have built a successful business and that our approach is appreciated by many customers.   Time will tell if we continue to succeed and survive but we accept and understand that our destiny is based on the decisions we make.

Thank you so much for reaching out to me directly and I hope this provides some background to our policy.