What defines a "party?"

[Coconut]

Forgive my ignorance, as I have never really worked in the restuarant industry aside from a brief fast-food stint in high school.

I was invited by a church group a few weeks ago to go eat after Sunday services. I drove my own car, paid for my own meal, and sat at my own table (well, with my husband, of course). We didn't even all walk in together.

So when the check comes, the waitress informs us that the resturant "adds a 20% gratuity to tables or parties of 8 or more." Well, we were going to tip anyways, so that didn't bother us. I usually tip a little extra than most people, as I can only imagine what wait staff have to go through sometimes.

But we started talking and wondering what defined the group as a "party." No one made reservations, as this place doesn't do them. Someone may have called and told them such-in-such church group is coming, but I don't know. And how did they know my husband and I were with them? Because they seen us talking to them? For all they know, we could have just walked in off the street and ran in to someone we knew.

It's not a big deal. I was just wondering about it... and thinking out loud I guess.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

In this context, a group of people dining together who will be served as one large group is a "party."

[Coconut]

But that's the point, we weren't served together.

[Banrion]

IMHO if you did not arrive together, did not sit together, and did not have to specifically ask for a separate check, then they shouldn't consider you part of a larger group. So in this case they were out of line adding the automatic gratuity. If you had all shown up together, but agreed to sit at separate but adjacent tables, then I could see being a "party", or if you all sat at a prearranged table, but requested separate checks that too would be a "party", but I don't think this instance qualified.

[gypsywitch84]

Did you sit close to the other groups and talk to them? Maybe if you all sat in the same section and talked to each other, could have lead the waitress to think you are all a big party.