Today is Easter Monday in New Zealand, it is also two days before one of my good friends heads off overseas and a chance for the old girl crowd to have one final lunch together.

It was a beautiful day so we wanted to sit somewhere outside in the sun and chose our restaurant based on it’s nice big outside area. The trouble was, while the inside part was empty, all the tables outside were full.

So we asked if maybe they would move another table outside (there was pletny of room). The waiter looked at us like we were demanding prima donnas, and said ‘no sorry.’ So we said “ummm ok, we’ll try somewhere else then.” He shrugged and walked away.

I wonder what kind of half-full restaurant is so happy with their profits that they will turn away 7 people on a day that they charge and extra 15% holiday surcharge, simply to avoid moving a table.

Or maybe the waiter was so dis-enchanted with his boss, he simply didn’t care?

I would be a little worried if the staff I hired at the front end of a restaurant were so disinterested in making sales they lost me about $200 in business in the space of 30 seconds.