[route3]

Demonstrable revenue boost? I'm not convinced, although I'm not a restaurateur. My argument: those annoying pagers/buzzers keep the party tethered to the establishment, which means that the guests are likely to

a) Sit at the bar and order a drink b) Sit in the waiting area and read posters/chalkboards about upcoming events, happy hour specials, gift certificates/loyalty programs, etc.

Either way, the restaurant comes out ahead (especially at the bar, where alcoholic beverage margins make every restaurant owner smile). I wouldn't be surprised if a restaurant saw a decrease in drinks purchased if customers were allowed to freely wander beyond the range of those pager devices.