The Paramount Policy

Located on a quiet street in Beacon Hill, amidst brick sidewalks and gas street lamps is a small restaurant called the Paramount that has been serving breakfast to Boston since 1937.  It is not your traditional breakfast place where a hostess seats guests, and food is ordered through a waiter or waitress from individual menus.  Here, guests stand in line and wait to order at the breakfast counter.  A menu is posted behind the counter and is full of breakfast favorites.  Guests order their breakfast and watch the chefs cook right in front of their very eyes.  Once you have ordered and paid at the register at the end of the counter you may take your food and have a seat at a table of your choice.

Upon entering the restaurant and seeing the long line of people at the counter, one might be tempted to have someone save a breakfast table ahead of time.  Hopefully however, your eye will catch the sign posted on the wall that will introduce you to the Paramount Policy.  It is this food before seating policy that makes the restaurant so unique and efficient.  The sign reads:

The Paramount Seating Policy:

Please Order and Pay before being seated

Wondering Why?
When the Paramount opened, its original owners enforced an unusual seating policy; customers were not allowed to sit before they got their food.

We quickly learned that due to the high volume of customers and limited seats, saving tables disrupts the delicate balance of people to tables.  Therefore, not saving a table ensures all customers (yes, you too), will have a table when needed.  It may be hard to believe, but it’s been working well since 1937.

Thanks for your patience and enjoy your meal.

The food is great, the experience is unique, and the lesson in patience is priceless.