In my latest Reader Weekly article, "Why pick on McDonald's and Wal-Mart?" I wrote that super-size portions were often found in small, locally owned restaurants. I didn't mention desserts which often are more than one person can eat. Earlier this year I had a piece of chocolate cake that took me two additional days to eat.
On the other hand, many servers don't ask if customers want dessert and present the check as soon as the customers are finished with their entrées, if not before. This happened to three of us yesterday. Long after the server presented our check she asked if we would like anything else. We looked at each other and said, "Too late!"
It is surprising that restaurant managers don't train their staff to sell. Many servers always ask for drink orders first, but a lot never ask about dessert, coffee, or after-dinner drinks. Maybe they are ready for a break, or maybe management would rather see turnover of tables. Considering that, except for coffee, these items are often higher-margin than the main course, one would think it would be standard policy to make sure customers had all they wanted before presenting the check.
