The owner of celebrity-loved New York eatery Balthazar has revealed the hilarious rules he’s imposed on his waiters, including not giving stars special treatment and never taking a customer home … unless they bid $500.
Restauranteur Keith McNally, who opened the upscale restaurant in 1997, shared some of the things he tells his staff to do — and not do — about when dealing with customers at the restaurant.
Based at 80 Spring Street in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood, Balthazar has become hugely popular over the past two decades and has been frequented by a number of A-list names over the years, including Anna Wintour, Zoe Deutch, Sienna Miller, Jared Leto, Mary-Kate Olsen, Tom Hiddleston and Meryl Streep – just to name a few.
The restaurant is so popular that it is almost impossible to get a reservation and there are often a number of customers hoping to get a table. And now owner McNally has revealed some of his secrets to success.
The owner of popular New York restaurant Balthazar revealed the hilarious rules he has imposed on his waiters, including never taking a customer home unless they bid $500
Restauranteur Keith McNally, who opened the upscale restaurant in 1997, shared some things he tells his staff — and not to do — about when dealing with customers at the restaurant
Hotspot: Balthazar, located at 80 Spring Street in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood, has become hugely popular over the past two decades and has been frequented by a number of A-list names
Spill the tea: The restaurant is so popular it’s almost impossible to get a reservation, and now owner McNally has revealed some of his secrets to success. A waitress can be seen in the restaurant
McNally took to Instagram to reveal the requirements he places on his staff to ensure diners have the best possible experience at the restaurant.
“Be friendly but never chummy,” he began in the lengthy post titled “Restaurant Service Rules.”
“Keep repeating the customer’s order back to them. Skate sounds like steak after a martini.’
The owner added that waiters should never rush a guest and that they should always try to “anticipate the customer’s needs.”
“Good service is based on anticipation,” he explained, but added, “It doesn’t mean standing close to a table.
“As a customer, I can’t stand to sense a waiter or busser lurking a few meters away. I also don’t want him to clear my coffee cup until I’m off the table, or drop the bill before I ask, or EVER pour me water.’
McNally took to Instagram to reveal the requirements he places on his staff to ensure diners have the best experience at the restaurant. Two chefs can be seen in the restaurant
Equal treatment: The owner said waiters should never rush a guest and shouldn’t treat stars special. He is seen at the restaurant with Anna Wintour
He warned staff not to hesitate, adding: “I can’t stand to see a server lurking. I don’t want him cashing or cashing the check until I ask.” He stars at the Balthazar with Dorinda Medley and Sienna Miller
Another important “not,” according to McNally, is interrupting the customer’s “conversation flow” to ask “pointless questions.”
Another important “not,” according to McNally, is interrupting the customer’s “conversation flow” to ask “pointless questions.”
Keith McNally’s rules for Balthazar waiters
- When describing the menu, always say “we have” and not “I have”
- Always repeat the customer’s order back to him
- Never push the guest – but don’t hover
- If possible, try to anticipate the needs of the customer
- Always indicate the price of the daily specials
- When a customer pays cash, never assume that the change is your tip. Always leave change on the table
- Never offer a celebrity a free drink. Instead, offer it to a regular guest or a guest who least expects it
- Don’t interrupt the flow of the conversation to ask meaningless questions
- Never walk a customer home for less than $500
“Once the meal is served, never say the meaningless phrase ‘How is everything?'” he warned.
“If the server needs to interrupt the flow of my customers’ conversations, please just drop it: ‘Do you need something?'”
Other McNally policies included always telling customers the price of specials and using the pronoun “we” instead of “I” when discussing the restaurant or the food.
“Always quote the price of daily specials,” he wrote. “There was a perpetually hip restaurant in Greenwich Village called Da Silvano that refused to tell customers the outrageous price of its specialties until the check was presented. One of Silvano’s clients famously had a heart attack while scanning his bill.
“When describing the menu, never say ‘I have’, always say ‘WE have’. Saying “I have” is affectionate and an insult to the chef who prepared the dish.
“If a customer pays the check in cash, never assume that the change is your tip. Always leave change on the table.’
McNally joked that employees should never offer a free drink to a celebrity, it should be given to him instead.
‘Or [give it to] a regular or a guest who least expects it,’ he added.
His final rule: “NEVER walk home with a client…for less than $500.”
McNally is also behind many other popular establishments and restaurants including Augustine, Cafe Luxembourg, Cherche Midi, Lucky Strike, Minetta Tavern, Morandi, Nell’s, Odeon, Pastis, Pravda and Schiller’s and he has been dubbed “The Restauranteur Who Invested”. branded downtown.’
Straightforward: Some of McNally’s other policies included always telling customers the price of special offers and using the pronoun “we” instead of “I” when discussing the restaurant or the food
McNally said waiters should always try to “anticipate the needs of the customer.” He explained, “Good service is based on anticipation.” A meal at Balthazar is pictured
Hilarious: His final rule: “NEVER take a customer home…for less than $500.” Some of the food at Balthazar is pictured
“Customer service at Balthazar starts with the people I hire. I only hire servers that are natural and not one iota pretentious,” he previously told Resy.
“On the first day of training, my servers are taught to respect the peers below them more than those above them.
“That means Balthazar’s dishwashers are treated with more respect than I am. I actively encourage this.
“As a result, my dining room staff are more sensitive to the needs of the least confident customer than to any Hollywood bigwig.
“That’s why we offer singles a free glass of champagne, but never Al Pacino.”