It can be difficult to find a table at a restaurant on the Oxford Square at various times of the year, but graduation season brings a new meaning to the phrase “booked and busy” for the city’s finest dining locations.
With graduating students’ family members pouring into Oxford for the week of May 4, many graduates are unable to find tables or are facing the prospect of waiting hours to eat.
“My aunt lucked out on Friday of graduation — I think it’s (May 8) — and she got us a reservation at Good Day Café. But it’s at like 9:30 p.m., so super late. I know my mom tried for City Grocery and a couple of other places, and reservations just went so fast,” senior political science major Isabella Rogers said.
Some of the Square’s most coveted eateries, such as City Grocery, are already turning people away as they reach maximum capacity.
“We are completely booked starting Wednesday night of graduation week. We may have something at 10:30 p.m. (on) any of those given nights, but we are pretty much maxed out already,” City Grocery General Manager Jennifer Nelson Pascoe said.
Despite City Grocery opening reservations months in advance, Pascoe said they were booked in mere minutes.
The Velvet Ditch faced a similar situation, but as a primarily outdoor venue, the owner said their staff made a change to ensure bad weather will not interfere with their unique experience.
“It’s booking up fast because now we have a roof. … And we’re a larger brand now than we were last year. We’re literally slammed,” The Velvet Ditch Owner Jared Foster said.
Both Foster and Pascoe said apps like Resy and OpenTable may be helpful in finding a last-minute reserved spot for graduation weekend.
“I’m not saying there’s not a chance,” Pascoe said. “OpenTable is what we use for reservations, and there is a way for you to set it to notify you if something opens up.”
Foster recommends Resy or direct communication with his eatery.
“The easiest way to get a reservation is to go through Resy, or to just call our hostess line, which is our phone line on Google,” Foster said.
Without a reservation, Foster and Pascoe both suggest getting off the Square to find a place to eat or to consider catering.
