AZE.US
Some restaurants and cafes in Baku have begun limiting how long customers can remain at a table without placing a new order, a practice that has sparked debate among residents and service industry experts.
Under the rule, customers may be approached by a waiter after roughly one hour and asked either to update their order or leave the table for other guests.
Managers at several venues say the practice is more common in lower-priced restaurants, where some customers order a small item, such as tea or soup, and then occupy a table for several hours.
“One person orders soup for 3 to 5 manats and sits for an hour. That is a loss for the restaurant because the table is occupied,” one restaurant representative said.
Other restaurants say they do not apply such limits, arguing that customers should be free to stay as long as they wish after placing an order, as long as they follow the venue’s rules.
Public opinion is divided. Some Baku residents say restaurants have a right to manage table turnover, especially during busy hours, when rents, wages and operating costs are high. Others say a one-hour limit makes little sense when food itself may take 30 to 40 minutes to arrive.
“In that case, a customer has only 10 or 15 minutes to eat and leave. That is not logical,” one resident said.
Some customers say they have not been directly asked to leave, but have felt pressure when waiters repeatedly approach the table and ask whether anything else is needed. For many, that sounds less like service and more like a signal to order again or make space for new guests.
Samir Dubandi, chairman of the Azerbaijan Hotels and Restaurants Association, said similar practices exist in other countries, but much depends on the type of establishment. A time limit may be understandable in places designed for quick lunches and high turnover. In classic restaurants, however, asking a guest to leave can conflict with the culture of hospitality, especially if it is done abruptly or without prior notice.
Lawyer Ramin Suleymanov said the key issue is transparency. If a restaurant applies a time limit as a regular policy, customers must be informed before they sit down or place an order. The condition may be written in the menu, displayed inside the venue or otherwise clearly communicated.
He said restaurants also cannot treat customers rudely, humiliate them in public or act in a way that violates their rights.
The dispute reflects a broader tension between business efficiency and customer comfort. Restaurants want faster table turnover, particularly during peak hours. Customers, however, expect not only food, but also a normal atmosphere and respectful service.
If the rule is clearly stated in advance, it may be acceptable in certain formats. If customers learn about it only after sitting down, it risks looking less like a policy and more like pressure.
AZE.US