The line outside Chubby Fish should get shorter. The downtown Charleston seafood restaurant has ended the no-reservations policy it kept for about eight years, The Post and Courier reported Nov. 10.
The first round of reservations was set to open at noon Nov. 11 on OpenTable, for tables starting Nov. 13 and running two weeks out, according to the paper. After that, new reservations will be released at noon Tuesday through Saturday, each opening availability two weeks ahead.
Walk-ins can still be seated when a table is open, indoors or on the 20-seat patio, the paper reported. The restaurant at 252 Coming St. has 38 indoor seats.
Owner James London, who runs the restaurant with his wife, Yoanna, told The Post and Courier the original line was started “because we wanted it to be as democratic as possible.”
That system had grown its own side business. A professional line-waiting service emerged, with people paying $50 or more to have someone hold their place on Coming Street, according to the paper. London said diners were arriving earlier and earlier in the heat, which pushed him toward taking reservations.
The change follows a trial. Just over a month ago, Chubby Fish began offering a limited number of reservations through OpenTable’s Gold Tables, and a four-week test run on the platform helped drive the decision, the paper reported.
London told the paper the restaurant’s guiding goal is to “make our customers happy.”
Chubby Fish, known for seafood brought in fresh off the dock, has drawn James Beard Award nominations and mentions from the Michelin Guide, 50 Best and The New York Times, according to The Post and Courier.
