If the comment reflects the culture of the people sitting and eating at the bar, a preference to forgo sitting and eating at the bar seems quite rational to me.

If the comment reflects the culture of the people sitting and eating at the bar, a preference to forgo sitting and eating at the bar seems quite rational to me. I'm not a regular/local. Why would I go where I am not welcome? If I owned the restaurant, why would I cater to an unwelcoming crowd?