餐館不想讓你知道的5個祕密

The restaurant business is a tough game - according to a study by Cornell University about 30% fail in their first year. So it's not surprising that restaurants have certain tactics to keep costs down and diner numbers up.
餐館業的競爭十分激烈--據康奈爾大學的一項研究顯示：30%的餐館在營業第一年就會倒閉。所以餐館用一些策略降低成本、吸引更多的顧客，也就沒有什麼大驚小怪的了。

Here are some of the ways eateries ensure success, according to Imogen Edwards-Jones (and her anonymous insider), who wrote the book Restaurant Babylon, available from Amazon.
Imogen Edwards-Jones（和她的匿名內部人士）寫了一本叫做《巴比倫餐廳》的書，亞馬遜網站上即可購買。據她所述，小飯館有一些確保成功的方法。

DINERS WHO BOOK BY PHONE ARE PREFERRED…
打電話預訂的顧客優先……

Apparently, people who book by email are less likely to show up so restaurants prefer customers who call to reserve a table. Email bookers also tend to be computer-literate and that may mean they're a blogger or a reviewer - always a worry for restaurants. They're also harder to track down if they leave without paying.
很顯然，用郵件預約的客人不太可能會來餐館吃飯，所以電話預約的客人有優先權。用郵件預約的人也往往會使用電腦，所以他/她可能是位博客或評論員--對餐館來說總是個擔憂。如果他們吃完不付錢就走，也很難再找到他們。

…AND SO ARE PEOPLE WHO JUST WALK UP
直覺來餐館的客人也同樣優先

An increasing number of restaurants don't take bookings, or only offer a small number of reservations. This is, in part, because eateries can 'turn a table' three times with walk-in diners, while customers who book tend to stick around for longer. This policy can work against restaurants, however - it can be harder to move diners on if there's no subsequent booking for their table.
越來越多的餐館不接受提前預約，或者只提供少量的預約桌。部分是因爲提前預約的客人往往會停留的更久一點，而同樣的時間內，直接來吃的客人可能已經換了三批了。然而，這個策略可能也會不利於餐館--如果沒有人陸續預約，那麼餐館很難繼續經營下去。

LUNCH DELIBERATELY TAKES LONGER
故意讓午餐更久一點

Because everyone wants to eat lunch at the same time -restaurants are likely to stagger bookings, keep you waiting for your table, or get waiting staff to chat to you so the kitchen can take the strain.
因爲所有人都想在同一時間吃午餐--餐館很可能會交錯安排預約，讓你一直在等待，或者讓工作人員與你聊天，這樣廚房就可以不用那麼熱火朝天了。

VIPS AND PRETTY WOMEN GET BETTER SEATS
貴賓和美女的座位更好

The more attractive or famous you are the more likely you are to be seated at the front of the venue. Dating couples and overweight businessmen tend to get relegated to the back.
越有魅力、越出名的人就越有可能坐在餐館的前排位置。約會的情侶和肥胖的商人們往往坐的位置比較靠後。

CHEAPER RESTAURANTS ARE OFTEN A FALSE ECONOMY
便宜的餐館通常都是虛假節約

You may not be able to afford to spend a fortune on an upmarket meal but you could be getting better value for money if you do. Ingredients, staff, linen, flowers and rent all have to be factored into the pricing of dishes.
可能你去不起高檔飯店吃飯，但如果你去了可以讓錢花的更有所值。配料、員工、桌布、鮮花以及租金都涵蓋在了菜價內。