Pete Wells Needs a Little Lumbar Lovin'

In a recent post on dinersjournal, Times restaurant critic Pete Wells notes no-reservations policies, communal tables, loud music, and uncomfortable chairs are the trends that have defined restaurant openings in the past 10 years. He asks, "Do restaurants do these things on purpose to keep older customers away?"

Wells explains that from a business perspective age doesn't matter when it comes to the value of money. But, "restaurants that make you wait for the chance to sit on an uncomfortable seat at a shared table where you will have to scream above the music — or eat in silence — are not doing all they could to make customers of a certain age feel welcome."