Your waiter isn’t only asking for a complete order because he wants to turn your table. In some cases, he is trying to avoid the wrath of a tyrannical chef. Most of the time, though, he is trying to help you have a better meal. We know you just want to “fire up some appies!” but there is a delicate progression in restaurant kitchens and you should honor your role in preserving that balance. In some restaurants, if we allow you to order appetizers and entrees piecemeal it is near impossible to organize the “firing” of those dishes in a manner where the timing will be right for every table. A restaurant is a complex ecosystem where many parts must work in synchrony to make service go smoothly. Partial orders are a wrench in that plan that can and will often disrupt the equilibrium that is necessary for a restaurant to function properly. It’s no problem if you want to add something to your order in the middle of your meal, just don’t order your courses incrementally. If you are worried about being rushed, express this to your server.
