A former Food Network chef has shared his hilarious plan for couples who show up at his restaurant on Valentine’s Day without a reservation.
Chef Andrew Gruel, who appeared on the network’s Food Truck Face Off and also is an occasional guest panelist on the Fox News show Gutfeld!, owns the Slapfish restaurant chain based in California. Ahead of this Valentine’s Day, he shared how he’s preparing to tackle the influx of patrons — some of whom will turn up without a reservation.
“Valentine’s Day is a rough day in the restaurant industry,” Gruel wrote on X. “Yes sales are up but every year we have 10-20 guys bring their dates/wives to the restaurant and insist they made a reservation (they forgot) then they cause a scene. It’s the same thing every year.”
“So this year we are setting aside an open communal table; 10 seats, and we will seat them all together throughout the night. I’ll share the cctv footage Sunday,” he concluded.
Gruel’s post has generated dozens of comments from people who applauded the innovative idea.
“That is a stroke of pure genius! Turning a stressful oversight into a communal ‘I forgot’ club is both hilarious and brilliant. You’re saving their dates while teaching a gentle lesson in planning. I can’t wait to hear how the “Procrastination Table” bonds over their shared situation Sunday!” one person replied on X.
“The ‘Table of Shame’ CCTV is the only romantic content I actually want to see,” someone else wrote while another suggested that the chef should “also ask them what the booking password was.”
“Some dude’s gonna reach across the table and hold the wrong hand,” another joked while someone agreed, “Bet that communal table is going to be the most entertaining spot in town.”
“Rename it the ‘Last Minute Legends’ table and charge double for the entertainment value,” someone else chimed in.
Another wrote: “A smart and generous policy. I’m glad that you are carving out space for them. Happy Valentine’s Day.”
Data from reservation platform OpenTable revealed that 86% of Valentine’s Day dinner reservations were made at least one day in advance in 2025, while 56% were made a week ahead of time.
The vast majority of those reservations — 83% — were for parties of two. So Gruel’s communal table experiment could pay off in a big way for his restaurant.