NOT-SO-HOT TRENDS

NOT-SO-HOT TRENDS

In counterpoint to what’s working to draw customers, a recent Zagat survey listed “The 10 Most Annoying Restaurant Trends.” Some samples:

Communal tables: “They’re great for the single diner who’s looking to make ‘friends,’ but if you start talking to the person next to you at a communal table, you’re probably interrupting a date or butting your nosy self into someone else’s business.”

Chalkboard menus: “We kind of got over reading off a chalkboard in preschool. After a long day of staring at a computer screen, the last thing we’re trying to do is have to squint at a barely legible menu scribbled on a wall halfway across the room.”

Mustached bartenders: “We’re not knocking all facial hair, but we don’t need Wyatt Earp mixing up our martini.”