Critical Reasoning

At present the Hollywood Restaurant has only standard-height tables. However, many customers come to watch the celebrities who frequent the Hollywood, and they would prefer tall tables with stools because such seating would afford a better view of the celebrities. Moreover, diners seated on stools typically do not stay as long as diners seated at standard-height tables. Therefore, if the Hollywood replaced some of its seating with high tables and stools, its profits would increase.

The argument is vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it gives reason to believe that it is likely that

(A) some celebrities come to the Hollywood to be seen, and so might choose to sit at the tall tables if they were available.
(B) the price of meals ordered by celebrities dining at the Hollywood compensates for the longer time, if any, they spend lingering over their meals.
(C) a customer of the Hollywood who would choose to sit at a tall table would be an exception to the generalization about lingering
(D) a restaurant's customers who spend less time at their meals typically order less expensive meals than those who remain at their meals longer
(E) with enough tall tables to accommodate all the Hollywood's customers interested in such seating, there would be no view except of other tall tables.

I choose the ans to be C.Please elaborate...

ruplun wrote:At present the Hollywood Restaurant has only standard-height tables. However, many customers come to watch the celebrities who frequent the Hollywood, and they would prefer tall tables with stools because such seating would afford a better view of the celebrities. Moreover, diners seated on stools typically do not stay as long as diners seated at standard-height tables. Therefore, if the Hollywood replaced some of its seating with high tables and stools, its profits would increase.

The argument is vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it gives reason to believe that it is likely that

(A) some celebrities come to the Hollywood to be seen, and so might choose to sit at the tall tables if they were available.
(B) the price of meals ordered by celebrities dining at the Hollywood compensates for the longer time, if any, they spend lingering over their meals.
(C) a customer of the Hollywood who would choose to sit at a tall table would be an exception to the generalization about lingering
(D) a restaurant's customers who spend less time at their meals typically order less expensive meals than those who remain at their meals longer
(E) with enough tall tables to accommodate all the Hollywood's customers interested in such seating, there would be no view except of other tall tables.

I choose the ans to be C.Please elaborate...

The situation in the hotel is as such that Less celebrities and many other customers who come to watch them ,

profit is given by 2 factors better view and less time spent by customers .
Options A - > Strengthens

Option B - > Since celebrities are les in number no matter how much they order ( irrespective of price ) no profit .


Option C -> is vague,,again discussing about celebrities ..

D -> If most of the customers , order less expensive food because of stools (as they want to sit for less time ) , profit would be minimal ..


SO D undermins ,,and is the answer

well its a weakening question .. I feel the ans D is not weakening it..Please elabaorate

This is a tricky question .

With all the information about standing tables and celebrities, we can easily miss the conclusion: diners seated at stools do not stay as long as those who are seated at normal tables -----> more people sitting on high stools over a period of time, the more food will be ordered.

However, there is an obvious flaw: what if those who sit on high stools order less expensive appetizers?

To illustrate this - imagine that the average "high-stooler" spends 30 minutes at the table but on average only orders $10. By contrast those at standard-height tables may spend on average an hour at the table, but spend $40. Clearly, switching to high stools will not be profitable.

Answer choice (D) speaks to this scenario and therefore is the answer.

Hope that helps

This question is from GMATPrep. The OA is not D but C. I posted an explanation here:

https://www.beatthegmat.com/tough-cr-t100582.html