And, fortunately, he left. But his actions cast a pall over the remainder of the dinner. Now, another issue, only vaguely related. There is such a thing as too many people at the table. The number may be as low as nine.
Big tables are hard for restaurants to serve.
One might imagine that a restaurant loves to see tables of 16 or 24. In fact, they hate them. Once your table exceeds a dozen people, it makes absolutely no sense. Don't trust me. Ask any restaurateur whether he'd prefer your party of 24 at one table or three.