A restaurant table set for two holds so much promise. It could be a first date, a heartfelt reunion, or a special celebration. But servers are the silent witnesses to the moments when that promise evaporates. An online community posed a poignant question to waiters: What’s the saddest “I’m waiting for someone” story you’ve ever experienced?

The responses are a collection of quiet, heartbreaking tragedies that unfold in public view. They capture the slow, painful transition from hopeful anticipation to the sad acceptance of being stood up. We’ve gathered the most gut-wrenching stories below. Prepare for a dose of secondhand heartbreak.

More info: Reddit

• Read More: 35 Waiters Share The Most Painful “Table For Two” Moments That Ended Up Being “Table For One”

#1

Okay, this story did not happen to me, but to my friend.

My friend was a manager (still is)at a pretty fancy restaurant. She was working during valentine’s day.

A guy walk in, pretty nicely dressed, but not too nicely, kind of nervous.

He’s walked to a table for two, since it was valentine, the restaurant did it’s best to give off a romantic atmosphere, Rose’s on the table, love themed dessert, etc.

The guy order a water, and start to wait. When the waiter tries to take his order he tells he is waiting for someone. He waits for an hours, the two, and then three. Each time sending checking his phone, trying to call someone.

After a while, my friend goes to talk to him. This guy had lost his girlfriend of 6 years (he was 24 at the time) 2 years ago and it was his first date ever since.

After that, she talked to him a bit more, about him, how life is etc etc.

Turns out they had quite a bit in common, so they exchanged contact.

A lot happened afterward, but they’ve been happily married for 2 years now (he is now 30, she is 28).

Image credits: Urgash54

#2

I was actually a hostess at the time and I was asked to take the table for a server. An old man came in asking for a table of 6 and he asked for 6 waters. I set up his table and I put his order in. He said it was his birthday. He was there for about an hour or 2 and nobody showed up. It was really sad. He ended up tipping me like $30 and he said “Sorry for the trouble.” I still think about that guy. I hope he’s doing okay :(.

Image credits: Emu173

#3

A six-year-old boy came every day with his older brother at lunchtime and for almost a month they ordered three plates of food and always left one. When I attended to them, the boy told his older brother to ask his mother for lunch because she was already arriving, but their mother never came. The boy’s older brother asked me to give the food to someone who needed it when they left and he told me that his mother had died and that he did not know how to explain to his little brother that his mother was not coming back, but that this cafeteria It was the last place where she had taken her little brother to eat and that is why the boy believed that she would return for the dinner.

Image credits: Marte1984

#4

Once at my shift I saw a really shy guy, you could see that he is on a budget, but omg, he was so trying so hard and looked so exited about upcoming date! He brought one rose, and asked what he can purchase on 10 euros to make this evening beautiful. My heart melted so much that I offered him for free two glasses of wine and a dessert (I was a manager). We put on a table some candles, and so he was sitting there and with the big smile waiting for his date to come. But she never came. He waited like 2 hours, nervously checking on his phone. When he left, he gave this rose to me and thanked for kindness towards him. He was so broke. So was my heart about this situation:(.

Image credits: linita55

#5

Ahhh, I haven’t bartended in a million years, but the saddest one was a guy in his 30s. He had a 2 top, asked for a bottle of top shelf champagne, candles lit, all that. Told me they were celebrating. No one showed. Guy looked morose, but had an appetizer, poured a glass of champagne for the person who wasn’t there, then asked for the bill. I felt bad he obviously got stood up, so I brought him a desert in the house. He smiled, and told me it was his anniversary. My face must’ve showed my sadness for him, so he clarified- his wife died of cancer a few month ago. It may have been the saddest thing I’ve seen.

Image credits: thin_white_dutchess

#6

Years ago when I was bartending a man showed up in the early afternoon and told me that he was waiting on someone, and when I asked he told me that it was his ex-wife and that they were celebrating that day. Now that was something that I wasn’t about to dig into so I just went on with my work but once she arrived they seemed remarkably friendly with each other and started ordering the works. Steaks, expensive drinks, appetizers they only took a bite or two of, and multiple desserts. Towards the end of the meal while chatting with the two of them I made the mistake of asking what they were celebrating. They told me that it was the birthday of their son who passed away, and every year they get together despite their divorce to celebrate him, order all his favorite food, and drink all his favorite drinks. They got a bit misty eyed but this seemed like a therapeutic experience for them. I on the other hand had to take 5 in the walk in freezer to have a little cry afterwards.

#7

Ugh this one was tough;
I worked at a pretty fancy steakhouse in town, and we had a private dining room that could set up to 32 at a single, long table. To book the room we charged a $1500 deposit, which we then used to cover part of the bill (it was a deposit, not a room charge).
Anyways, this girl books it for 26 people, puts the deposit on her card. She shows up with her sister, and then after about 20 minutes, 2 of their ‘friends’ show up and sit at the opposite end of this giant table from the birthday girl and her sister.
Nobody else came. They waited an hour, the birthday girl was sobbing, the other two just awkwardly left. It was awful.
I’m grateful to my manager, who in a moment of compassion refunded the whole deposit back onto the poor girls card. I felt terrible for her.

Image credits: sommy7770

#8

I was a server for 5 years and the most heartbreaking experience I had was an older woman, probably in her 60’s was waiting for her grandson to come meet her for lunch. When I greeted her at the table she was very excited as i assumed she didn’t see him much. As time went by no one showed up so she decided to order. Towards the end of her meal no had shown up so it being a slow shift, me and my gf (we worked together at the same resteratunt which is where we met), decided to just talk with her for a little bit and give her some company. We both felt so sad for this sweet old lady but we could tell that simple act of kindness made her day. shame on that grandson.

Image credits: P1rat3_2619

#9

I had a regular who would always come in with his wife. One day he sat in my section and I noticed his wife wasn’t with him. I asked “where’s your wife today” he replied “she’s in heaven waiting for me”. Immediately I died inside 😭😭😭😭🥺.

Image credits: anon

#10

I was the sad shmuck on December 23rd, 2019.

I had set up a date with an amazing girl from Tinder, we had a lot in common, VERY attractive, and she lived close by. We agreed over Snapchat to meet at a Red Robins in the area for our first date even though she would be a little late.

I got to the restaurant on time, because I had no idea what a little late meant, and got a table with a view of the door and started waiting.

The first 15 minutes passed with me excitedly telling the waitress I was expecting someone and wouldn’t be ordering yet.

The next 15 minutes passed with me openly staring at the door, sitting up whenever someone would walk in.

After 45 minutes, the waitress asked if I wanted anything, and I told her I was still waiting while I watched the door anxiously.

At one hour I was planning on leaving soon and swinging by Target on my way home. I realized I hadn’t given this girl my number, and I didn’t have data, so we had no way of communicating.

15 minutes later I was about to muster up the courage to leave when two waitresses that had stopped by previously came to tell me they felt so sad and wanted to buy me a milkshake. I thanked them, but told them I had lost my appetite and half-heartedly joked that this wouldn’t even be the worst thing that happened to me today. My childhood dog had been put down earlier that morning and I had spent the hours before the date DIGGING HER GRAVE. I told one of the waitresses – Jacy, who’s kindness I will always remember – that I had no way of communicating with my date without WiFi, to which she responded by giving me her hotspot password.

I connected as fast as I could and opened Snapchat to find dozens of messages from my date, explaining how her only good pants were locked in the dryer and if I minded that she showed up in sweats. I sent her my number and told her I would be glad if she showed up at all. A few minutes later, she walked in, and explained that she had been in the parking lot for the past 15 minutes, not getting a response from me, thinking that I had stood her up, and was about to leave when she got my text.

We’re still grateful to the waitress, Jacy for helping us get together.

Image credits: ohshootdawg

#11

Not my story but my sister. There was a boy in my niece’s class. Think 3rd-4th grade? Kinda chubby, quiet kid. He invited people to his birthday party. My sister made my niece go to be polite. Luckily she did cause only my niece went from the classroom. His mother was so happy she went. My sister felt so bad for him. But I think he was just happy ONE person came to his party. So when my neice had her birthday party at a skating rink, she invited him too. He was ecstatic! I met the boy. Very good kid and he had a blast at her party.

I think some of the kids wanted to go to his party but the parents were just too lazy. Seriously parents, imagine if that was your kid’s party. I make my son go to EVERY birthday party. And all the kids, including my son, love it.

Image credits: Hey_u_ok

#12

Got sat a “party of 15 to 20” for a woman’s bridal shower. Her mom decorated the table and chairs and the whole corner for the party, everyone in the restaurant could see there was going to be a party there on a busy Friday night. 4 people showed of the possible 20, that includes the future bride and mom. I didn’t even care about the money I was missing out on (four tables of my section gone on a busy weekend shift) I just felt so bad for her.

Image credits: BrambleVale3

#13

This is similar:

A man in his 80s used to come in on his own every night, without fail. Always ordered the same thing, was genuinely lovely to the staff. It turned out his wife had died a few years previously and coming to the restaurant and talking to waiters was the only social interaction he had all day.

We ended up giving him free meals everyday just so he could keep coming.

Image credits: duck-eggblue

#14

Not exactly a waiter, but I was working at a bar a few years back and there often was this girl (in her early twenties maybe) who sometimes used to meet her mother at the bar (maybe about every 2 or 3 months).

The thing is, more often than not the mother either came extremely late (1 or 2 hours at least) ot didn’t came at all. When she came, there often was a huge tension between the two. It was obvious that they had some unresolved issues.

Watching the girl wait for hours even if it was clear that the mother wouldn’t come on that day always broke my heart. As a barkeeper and since she was a regular, I tried my best to engage a conversation with her to distract her a little, but there’s only so much you can do.

Fun fact: Years after I stopped working at that bar, I met her at a random party and we had a great evening / night together. She told me that she ‘broke up’ with her mother tho.

Image credits: -sbl-

#15

Not my story, happened to my roommate. He worked at an old diner that had a fair amount of veterans as regulars. There was one group that came in and shared a meal every 3 months and caught up with each other’s lives, been doing it since they got back from serving together in the Korean War. Over the years the group had gotten smaller as some passed on. By the time my roommate started working there the group was down to 3, then down to 2 by the end of that year. The last two kept coming back for over a year until one day the last guy came in and after a few cups of coffee said “I guess I’m all that’s left.” He never did come back as far as my roommate remembers.

#16

Happened to my friend. She was a hostess at a restaurant and sat this old lady at a table while she was waiting for her friend. She stayed there for a few hours asking every now and then if her friend had showed up. My friend was heartbroken and told this to her coworker who was working the other side of the restaurant. Turns out her coworker also had an old lady alone at a table who had been waiting patiently for her friend. The ladies got a chance to chat a bit before they left, so it was a happy ending at least!

Image credits: JikyJola

#17

A woman came in 4 nights in a row just in case she got the day wrong. She’d sit at the bar wearing the same flowery dress every night and would hopefully look at the door every single time it opened. Left in tears the first two nights when we closed, the third and fourth nights she just stared vacantly at the door until we had to make sure she left.

I never saw her again, I don’t think any other staff did either but we all felt really bad for her. She got a couple free drinks and apps, we didn’t even care if it was a scam cause she seemed so broken about it.

Image credits: tahsii

#18

Not a server (anymore or at the time) but I still remember this one like 20 years later.

My DnD group was currently that week without a place to game, so we went to the local Dennys. We told the waitress that we would be there for about 6 hours. (Yes we tipped her very well for camping that long).

Anyway about an hour into our session this guy comes in and sits at a two top in clear view of me. He sets a single rose on the table and sits down. When the waitress took his drink order he was all smiles.

Nothing really dramatic happens, but over the next four hours or so I just watch his body language change. He checks his phone like every 2 or 3 minutes. Never gets a call, never seems to get or send a text. Finally after the four hours he just gets up, leaves a 20 on the table (he only ordered a soft drink as far as I could tell, and just walks out.

No idea why but that image of the table, a single drink, the tip, and the abandoned rose stayed with me all my life.

Image credits: 03throwaway03

#19

They had a reservation for 12 people. It was the girl’s 17th birthday and she arrives first with her boyfriend. Her dad comes a few minutes later. The 3 of them wait about 45 minutes and decide to just order. They eat and are about to leave, when the rest of her family shows up drunk. They make a scene about how they weren’t hungry and had to show up so nobody would be mad at them for not coming, eat her cake and leave. The birthday girl was crying and her dad and boyfriend were trying to console her.

#20

We had a 21st birthday party booked for 20, the family showed up early with a few friends. They had a few drinks and let the staff know some of the party were running late. Half an hour in, when the late people were supposed to arrive, two friends left.

An hour went by and the birthday group ordered. Got their starters, told the service staff some more people were coming. About two hours in the mother said just bring the mains out.

It was so sad, I felt so bad for them. Being stood up by *fourteen* people, and the two friend who *did* show up didn’t even eat.

Image credits: Gr0und0ne

#21

Not a waiter, but worked at a coffee shop for several years and made friends with tons of regulars. One of the regulars, we’ll call him J, was working on his PHD in Art History or something to that effect at the university near us. He came in one day, got his usual tea and asked if I could charge him for a latte, but make it later, no big deal. I was bussing tables and asked who the latte was for and very excitedly expressed that he was meeting a lady and it was “kind of a date”. He was an awkward kind of guy, but very interesting and incredibly friendly. One hour passes, no show, two, no show, finally three, he’s looking despondent and starts collecting his things and leaves.

She showed up 20 minutes later asking about J. Apparently they got their times completely mixed up. He comes in the next day and I mention that she came in looking for him and he looked so excited. I found out a week or so later from him that she basically blew him off a second time. He was so crestfallen, it broke my heart.

Image credits: gypsiefeet

#22

My co workers just told me this story last week and I cried! I work @ a semi-classy seafood restaurant in southeast Michigan and the host who has been working there for a long time said she had the sweetest old man who came with a single rose and vase, set it up himself and ordered a bottle of champagne, sitting by the table in a chiller and everything…and he just waited. For a date that never showed. Literally cried when she told me this!

Another one they had was the guy who set up the reservation called to cancel it the day of and asked the host to please inform his date. They told him they obviously didn’t have her number and he just hung up. The woman showed up dressed to the nine and was stunning apparently. His loss!

Image credits: __karm

#23

Not a someone, but a something.

This happened about 2 months ago, so it was during COVID, everyone has to wear masks, have their temperature checked to be allowed in the restaurant. I was appointed as the guy who is in charge of being the host, where I make sure they have their temperature checked and then appoint them a seat.

Then came across a girl, who was clearly not a local, was really cute and shy, spoke in a really soft tone. I checked her temperature, got her a seat, served her food when it was ready, and that was it.

Since this wasn’t during peak hours, I always glance around the whole area to see if customers are done eating and ready to have their table cleaned, or see if any customers needed some assistance with anything. Then I noticed the girl had already finished her food for over 20-30 minutes or so, was just sitting there, seemingly waiting for something. I didn’t approach her because I didn’t want to come across as a busybody so I just continued on with my work.

Then she finally left and I went over to her table to clean it up, and I noticed she left a note that she wrote on the napkin. It went,

“Thanks for the food, it was really delicious. But why wasn’t my ice cream offered to me? Also, the boy (referring to me) was really polite.”

For context, whenever a customer orders an ice cream from us, they had to self collect at the counter with their receipt, this is a standard for us because they want the customers to finish their food first before preparing their dessert, as most people won’t eat the main dish with the dessert. But unfortunately our managers never made it a duty to let the customers know about it, so I always have people asking where their ice cream is.

I felt so incredibly bad, that I took the napkin to my colleagues managing the counter to read it, and that girl was stuck in my mind for the rest of the day, knowing that she didn’t get her ice cream because she was shy and didn’t want to make it seem like she was complaining that she didn’t get her ice cream, so she sat in silence waiting to have her ice cream served, but ultimately left.

#24

This gentleman in his mid forties came to my restaurant frequently and would not order his drink until “his wife got there”. He would wait for a few minutes, then pull out a framed picture of a woman, set it on the table, and proceed to order his food and drink. He would talk to the framed picture and have dinner with “her” about once a week. I noticed him doing this often and told my coworker I thought it was cute he was having dinner with his late wife and she replied,”Oh, no that’s not his wife. He found that picture at good will and has been a relationship with it ever since. He told me that a long time ago”. What did I expect from working right off the freeway in crack town. Very true story, no lie.

Image credits: SuspiciousPie

#25

I wouldn’t call it pitiful to watch, but my own story is that I came to a hookah lounge looking to meet up with a girl I liked (just met) and her male friend. I got us a table in the back, and waited for about 30+ minutes. She said she was walking and was on the way. But eventually the male friend won, he didn’t want to go and convinced her to go with him someplace else. Afterwards she let me know that he was probably just jealous and told me when we got together in the future she just wouldn’t invite him. We ended up hanging out several times after that.

Looking back at our interactions, it seems like she likes the attention, but feels bad sometimes when it gets out of hand and hurts someone else. Don’t know if she just pity’s me or if she was genuine. A lot more has happened since……don’t think I’ll respond the next time she texts me (might just need to let it go).

• You Might Also Like: 38 Times A Comment Was So Good, It Made Its Way Onto The ‘Comment Awards’ Instagram Account

Image credits: Agent14557

from Bored Panda https://ift.tt/Hb2mxIp
via IFTTT source site : boredpanda