You go out to enjoy a pleasurable meal with a friend. She gets king crab legs, and you order steak. You assume the server will pick them up at the same time allowing for convivial pleasant conversation, especially since this is not a cheap restaurant.

But as you savor the last juicy morsel of steak, the server appears and — with two fingers already on your plate asks can he remove it. You are left smiling sheepishly at your companion, who is wondering whether she should order a takeout box, as you are already finished. She has only finished one of her crab legs. Talk about awkward.

This has become the norm for restaurants. I routinely watch for body language when this type of exchange occurs. Consternation or embarrassment is common, and most will not voice a complaint, as the meal is a social occasion.

In some restaurants, the dish staff roams among the tables looking for dirty dishes. With a smile to my partner, I have started holding my fork with tines up in a defensive posture, in case a move is made on my plate before I am ready. I have not used this potential defense to date.

Bob Clarke, manager of the Crabby Shack Restaurant in Madisonville, Louisiana, stated the situation succinctly: "With the economy and today's restaurant challenges, the key to survival is turning tables."

That is why you will see the quick removal of dinnerware and the wait staff offering refills of water. Both actions are designed to get you to leave more quickly. Crabby Shack does, however, train the wait staff to review the table orders. When one patron orders a dish that will take longer to eat, the wait staff knows to allow more time.

Conversely, long wait times during peak hours of operation lead to customers walking before their name is called. Keeping the waiting customer engaged is the key. Software and apps have been developed to assist restaurant hosts in maximizing table management. What used to be done with a marker is now integrated into the guest experience to seat more customers.

Does increasing the turns of tables actually lead to additional revenue? It depends on the covers (number of seated patrons) per night, the hours of operation, dining room layout, food selections, size of groups and popularity of the restaurant.

According to Quora.com, fine-dining restaurants where the meal takes 3-5 hours can expect one seating per evening. This is compared to family-style restaurants where the meal takes 1.5-2 hours — which can strive for two or more turns. The hybrid-casual-style restaurant/pub bar that processes orders quickly, with simple-to-eat food that is served quickly, could achieve three turns for lunch and possibly 4-5 turns for happy hour/dinner.

Today, we live a faster paced life. Will this affect the long-term acceptance of annoying trends such as removing plates while one person is still eating? Possibly. I still remember a day in which the ketchup bottle was considered déclassé on the table.