# Why do restaurants make you reuse your flatware from one part of th meal to the next? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 1, 2005, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-restaurants-make-you-reuse-your-flatware-from-one-part-of-th-meal-to-the-next/328958 "2005-11-01T20:02:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-restaurants-make-you-reuse-your-flatware-from-one-part-of-th-meal-to-the-next/328958/61 "2005-11-03T20:36:36Z")
I’m confused or not paying enough attention, or don’t go to a large enough variety of restaurants. Don’t restaurants, in fact, typically provide multiple forks in their little flatware bundles, i.e., as best as I can recall (I’ve been out of the country almost a year) you get a teaspoon, bread knife, dining fork, and salad fork. If you order soup, they bring you a separate soup spoon. As for butcher block, that seems very tacky to me – this is becoming the trend at higher class establishments? Oh, brother… I’d look at the butch block and ask myself if someone had had his asscheecks there before I showed up. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-restaurants-make-you-reuse-your-flatware-from-one-part-of-th-meal-to-the-next/328958/62 "2005-11-03T21:20:42Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > As for butcher block, that seems very tacky to me – this is becoming the trend at higher class establishments? Oh, brother… I’d look at the butch block and ask myself if someone had had his asscheecks there before I showed up. Butcher _paper_. Tacky, but not as bad as butcher block.😉 > [@UncleBeer](#): > > Heh. I’ve noticed that more and more restaurants, especially mid-range and above, are now putting down butcher paper (which they change with every new seating) over the tablecloth. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-restaurants-make-you-reuse-your-flatware-from-one-part-of-th-meal-to-the-next/328958/63 "2005-11-03T21:46:15Z")
Yes, even extremely classy restraunts do the butcher paper thing. I don’t see anything wrong with it. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-restaurants-make-you-reuse-your-flatware-from-one-part-of-th-meal-to-the-next/328958/64 "2005-11-03T22:25:29Z")
**Mods:** the OP’s question has been answered, at least to his satisfaction, and AFAICT to everyone else’s. If it stays in play as a back-and-forth about whether restaurants should or shouldn’t replace flatware between courses and under what circumstances, whether or not they should put butcher paper on the table, and so forth, feel free to kick it over to IMHO, Cafe Society, or wherever not-so-great debates about restaurant practices go these days. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-restaurants-make-you-reuse-your-flatware-from-one-part-of-th-meal-to-the-next/328958/65 "2005-11-03T22:38:14Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > As for butcher block, that seems very tacky to me – this is becoming the trend at higher class establishments? Oh, brother… I’d look at the butch block and ask myself if someone had had his asscheecks there before I showed up. Butcher paper over the table cloths at [Opera](http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/search/43338,0,753294.venue) last weekend. The [Francesca’s](http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/search/28201,0,360070.venue) local chain does it, too. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-restaurants-make-you-reuse-your-flatware-from-one-part-of-th-meal-to-the-next/328958/66 "2005-11-03T23:18:38Z")
OP suggests a move. I concur. Off to IMHO. **samclem** GQ moderator ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-restaurants-make-you-reuse-your-flatware-from-one-part-of-th-meal-to-the-next/328958/67 "2005-11-04T03:29:57Z")
> [@vetbridge](#): > > Butcher _paper_. Tacky, but not as bad as butcher block.😉 I’ve seen the butcher paper thing in barbecue restaurants, but proper BBQ is so very messy to eat that I think it’s a smart move on the part of the restaurants. The best BBQ places are not what I’d call high class, anyway, they’re the sort of places where a TV is showing a soap opera during the afternoon. I go to a lot of midrange places, and all of them bring out a new fork or spoon for everyone who needs one, without asking. The soup or desert comes out on its plate and the fresh spoon or fork is resting on the plate. Usually the appetizers I order are meant to be eaten with the fingers, but when a utensil should be used, it is provided. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-restaurants-make-you-reuse-your-flatware-from-one-part-of-th-meal-to-the-next/328958/68 "2005-11-04T04:06:39Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > The one thing I don’t understand is how replacing the cutlery that someone leaves on their appetizer plate adds two trips to their table. You’re clearing the appetizer plates anyway, so it doesn’t take an extra trip to clear the dirty flatware that’s on those plates. Then later you’re bringing the entrees to the table, so hypothetically you can bring the replacements then for what you removed earlier. > > But I’ll allow for the reality that bringing the entrees can often be a juggling act already, so let’s add one trip, about as often as not, for replacing the cutlery you removed with the appetizer dishes. So an average of +0.5 trips, say. Min of zero, max of one, in any particular instance. It’s a juggling act to clear plates with cutlery on them. When I am clearing off a table, most times I will have to come back for the pieces of cutlery that wouldn’t fit/balance. Attempting to balance and fit all the cutlery involves interrupting the table for longer than usual, and I’d rather make two trips than that. And yes, we make an extra trip to put out cutlery. New cutlery never goes out with the meal. Primarily because the meals and the main cutlery don’t come from the same place. Meal-specific cutlery does though, mussel forks, soup spoons, steak knives etc. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Jessity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c67d28/32.png) [@Jessity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jessity)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-restaurants-make-you-reuse-your-flatware-from-one-part-of-th-meal-to-the-next/328958/69 "2005-11-04T04:23:35Z")
> [@ratatoskK](#): > > I cringe when the waiter grabs my dirty fork from my dirty plate, and the waiter places the dirty fork on the tabletop. Next time I have to eat with that fork, it’s covered with germs from the waiter (who has been touching everyone else’s dirty utensils) and from the tabletop. You do realize that before you even ate with it, your silverware was already covered in germs from the dirty handed waitperson who rolled it into that napkin, right? ---
**Author:** ![Idlewild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8491ac/32.png) [@Idlewild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idlewild)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-restaurants-make-you-reuse-your-flatware-from-one-part-of-th-meal-to-the-next/328958/70 "2005-11-04T04:27:54Z")
Ugh. This is one of the things that I absolutely HATE about living in America. One of the very few things. I mean obviously I choose to live here anyway. But to me it’s revolting. Perhaps it’s because I didn’t grow up with it but I don’t think I’ll ever entirely get used to having my food-covered utensils resting on the tablecloth between courses. Oh, and yes we used multiple sets of cutlery (and still do) for multiple courses of meals when at home. Learning to set a table with correct cutlery for several courses was one of my earliest childhood chores. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-restaurants-make-you-reuse-your-flatware-from-one-part-of-th-meal-to-the-next/328958/71 "2005-11-04T06:55:51Z")
> [@Jessity](#): > > You do realize that before you even ate with it, your silverware was already covered in germs from the dirty handed waitperson who rolled it into that napkin, right? Yea, you wouldn’t _believe_ some of the things we touched. I contracted a case of late onset measles working in a restaurant. Nearly killed me. But I’m stronger today… who knows? You probably develop a stronger immune system by eating out. You’d be surprised by the sandards in some of the finest kitchens. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-restaurants-make-you-reuse-your-flatware-from-one-part-of-th-meal-to-the-next/328958/72 "2005-11-04T22:12:59Z")
I totally understand the desire to have new flatware between courses. I also, however, understand that waitstaff generally get paid about $2.13 an hour and are expected to make the rest up in tips. Everyone I know that has waited tables abhors the flatware-rolling part of their shift because they aren’t earning any tips by rolling flatware. They are being paid less than half of minimum wage when they are doing that, and to double the amount of flatware used essentially doubles the time that they are earning almost nothing an hour to be at work. Then on top of that they have to give a share of the tips they earn to the buspersons (who definately deserve it), which means that they would be earning much, much less per hour than they are right now. That being said, I agree the added flatware enhances a dining experience. I wonder if perhaps there is a way to find a middle ground? ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-restaurants-make-you-reuse-your-flatware-from-one-part-of-th-meal-to-the-next/328958/73 "2005-11-05T08:06:49Z")
Hell, I’d be satisfied at $4.25 an hour plus tips. That’s my middleground. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-restaurants-make-you-reuse-your-flatware-from-one-part-of-th-meal-to-the-next/328958/74 "2005-11-05T19:15:51Z")
The restaurant manager should be instructing the staff when, whether, and how to provide cutlery. It shouldn’t be the individual decision of a waitperson who might not feel like trying to clear all the dirty things off the table at once. So I don’t look at this as the individual decision of the waiter. It’s the management. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-restaurants-make-you-reuse-your-flatware-from-one-part-of-th-meal-to-the-next/328958.md?page=3)