When It Is (And Isn't) Appropriate To Ask To Change The TV Channel At A Restaurant

Observing proper restaurant etiquette can mean different things depending on where you're dining. Things tend to be a little more buttoned-up at Michelin-starred restaurants compared to your typical gastropub, where eating with your hands wouldn't raise any eyebrows. These nuances can lead to confusion in some situations, such as asking if a TV can be turned to a different channel. The Takeout asked Frankie Weinberg, the author, distinguished professor of management at Loyola University New Orleans, and co-owner of New Orleans dining establishments Pomelo and Good Catch, if petitioning to change the TV station is considered acceptable in a restaurant. He implied the answer isn't neatly cut-and-dry.

Weinberg said that before asking staff to change the TV channel, people should be aware of their surroundings. "When you're in a neighborhood spot that has one screen on in the background or behind the bar, and there is no major event playing, and there appear to be no guests who are engrossed in the current program, it's certainly reasonable to ask," he said.

However, if those conditions aren't met, it's best to hold your tongue. "It's not okay to ask the restaurant staff to change the channel in situations where the TV is part of their central concept, when a major event is clearly being watched by others, or when staff are visibly slammed with other tasks," Weinberg continued. As an obvious example, if you are in a sports bar and people are feasting on piles of wings during the Super Bowl, maybe don't ask to change the channel to "Real Housewives." If you do, fellow customers might start shooting daggers in your direction.

As a basic rule, asking busy staff members to change the TV channel should be off the table when dining out. That said, there are times when staff will consider doing so given the right circumstances. Weinberg delved a bit deeper into what signs a customer should look for if they really don't want to watch what's playing when he said, "It's typically appropriate in situations where the TV is clearly offering ambient buzz as opposed to offering something that is central to the restaurant's identity, or when it overrides a shared experience that others are partaking in."

An empirical approach is to remember you're not the only person trying to enjoy their restaurant experience. Before asking an employee to put on a specific program, read the room. Is your request going to offend your fellow diners, or do they seem just as uninterested as you in what's on the TV?

Then, of course, there's the golden rule: be polite. How you ask is just as important as what you're asking for. If you're the kind of person who frequently asks to speak with a manager (we all know their name), don't assume your appeal will be honored. "A red flag would be when the request assumes a sense of authority and entitlement," Weinberg said. By asking cordially in the right situation, you might actually be helping a nearby customer who was too shy to ask themselves. Then again, if you come off as though you're demanding the TV channel be changed, your request may be denied out of pure spite.