Chron Critic Says Reservations Are a Privilege Not a Right, and More A.M. Intel

Chron critic speaks out about restaurant no-shows

Michael Bauer has issued his rules of etiquette for making restaurant reservations, along with the assertion that reservations are a privilege, not a right. On the heels of yesterday’s announcement that The French Laundry has adopted the ticketing system Tock, Bauer makes a case for pre-paying for dinner reservations, and eliminating tipping altogether. Many restaurants in the Bay Area, including Single Thread and Lazy Bear, are also using the system. Ultimately, he says “In the end the rules are very simple: treat a restaurant the way you want to be treated. If we do that, we can all get along.” Simple, but common sense advice. Predictably the comments section is a gold mine of suggestions and criticism. Go for the etiquette, stay for the trolls.

Mandela Foods is expanding in West Oakland

Excellent news for West Oakland residents: Mandela Foods Cooperative is expanding from its 8,000-square-foot space to a roomier 20,000-square-foot space right next door. Previously occupied by a 99 Cent Store, the space will allow a much larger offering of foods; they’ll also change the name to Mandela Grocery: A Worker-Owned Co-op. To move by November 1, the co-op will need $1.5 million dollars from grants and investments (public and private).

Starship Technologies

Robots are unleashed on Redwood City

Doordash is releasing its fleet of robots into the streets of Redwood City this week, after weeks of testing the little guys. The robots are intended to complete short distance deliveries that human “dashers” might not want to take on, transporting food from restaurant to diner. They’re “about the size of a golden retriever,” so keep an eye out for our robot overlords friends on the streets in the coming weeks.

Berkeley’s refugee-run coffeeshop starts happy hour

1951 Coffee offers job opportunities to refugees, supports the community, and generally has a heart of gold (and lots of delicious Verve coffee). Stop by in March for happy hour, Monday through Friday from 4 p.m.- 6 p.m. for a cookie and drink for only five dollars.