Dave's Letter to Old Chicago

                                                       July 25, 2002

Dear Madam or Sir:

Last night a friend and I decided to have dinner at the Old Chicago
restaurant in Boulder.  We arrived at 8:15.  The receptionist told us
there would be about a five minute wait.  We noticed that there were
at least four unoccupied tables.  After waiting and watching the
confusion at the reception desk for about ten minutes, I suggested to
the receptionist that we could sit at any one of those empty tables.
Her somewhat curt reply was that the kitchen was busy and we would
just have to wait.

It seems to me that it would be beneficial to both restaurant and
patron alike, that when tables are available, people are seated, given
a menu, and offered a drink.  The dinner order could be taken in due
time.  If there is a delay in filling the order, most diners would be
understanding, given an explanation.  Making people wait by the front
door while tables are available is not a good plan.  We walked across
the street to another place which has a better policy: "Hi, have a
seat, I'll be right with you".

                                        Sincerely,


                                        Dave