Just in case you have never worked in the business

I've done time in the business which is why I attempt to stray away from any place an hour before close. Once those few people come in 10-15 minutes before close it seems like the flood gates open.

I can attest to the fact that no one really wants you to walk into a place right before closing. It does indeed suck.
For those not in the "Bizz", I like to compare it to an office job ten minutes to 5:00 PM on Friday afternoon. Your supervisor drops off a stack of "TPS" reports that must be finished before you can leave. You know that it will take at least another hour or so to get them done so you can go home.
OR Having unexpected house guests stop by your house for a visit at 10:30 PM and then hang around until midnight.

If you still are unsympathetic, I also like to tell this true story....

I used to be the Executive Chef at a now closed Bardstown Rd. institution. During the week we closed the dining room at 10:00 PM.
Unfortunately, once or twice a month, one of our former U.S. Representative's husband would call and ask the owner if we wouldn't mind staying open "a little" later for them, as the last flight in from Washington at the time didn't arrive until 10:15 or so.
"Of course we wouldn't mind staying open for a person of her stature and importance"
Here's how this would usually go down......
After they arrived around 10:45 or so, they would linger over conversation and at least three Manhattans each before they would even look at the menu. This would take around 40 minutes. So now it's usually around 11:30 PM when they finally decide to order dinner. It was always something different and sometimes off the menu so I had no way of knowing what they were going to eat. Keep in mind this is almost a full hour and a 1/2 after closing. Of course after dinner there would be coffee and dessert as well. So by the time they usually left, it was around 12:30 AM. Being a salaried employee, I resented having an unexpected 11 hour day, but they usually took really good care of the server.
I will admit that the generous shift drink policy made it a little more tolerable.

I can attest to the fact that no one really wants you to walk into a place right before closing. It does indeed suck.
For those not in the "Bizz", I like to compare it to an office job ten minutes to 5:00 PM on Friday afternoon. Your supervisor drops off a stack of "TPS" reports that must be finished before you can leave. You know that it will take at least another hour or so to get them done so you can go home.
OR Having unexpected house guests stop by your house for a visit at 10:30 PM and then hang around until midnight.

If you still are unsympathetic, I also like to tell this true story....

I used to be the Executive Chef at a now closed Bardstown Rd. institution. During the week we closed the dining room at 10:00 PM.
Unfortunately, once or twice a month, one of our former U.S. Representative's husband would call and ask the owner if we wouldn't mind staying open "a little" later for them, as the last flight in from Washington at the time didn't arrive until 10:15 or so.
"Of course we wouldn't mind staying open for a person of her stature and importance"
Here's how this would usually go down......
After they arrived around 10:45 or so, they would linger over conversation and at least three Manhattans each before they would even look at the menu. This would take around 40 minutes. So now it's usually around 11:30 PM when they finally decide to order dinner. It was always something different and sometimes off the menu so I had no way of knowing what they were going to eat. Keep in mind this is almost a full hour and a 1/2 after closing. Of course after dinner there would be coffee and dessert as well. So by the time they usually left, it was around 12:30 AM. Being a salaried employee, I resented having an unexpected 11 hour day, but they usually took really good care of the server.
I will admit that the generous shift drink policy made it a little more tolerable.

True indeed. I have had to do this for them as well (lilly's I think) and I always secretly hoped she'd spill a bottle of Cab on that Peter Pan collar and pearls.....

Dan/David-
I can certainly appreciate your displeasure with these late arrivals, but it seems that if they indeed called ahead for an OK, then it's not so much a "customer issue" as a "management issue".
'Winger

[Robin Garr]

ndeed. I have had to do this for them as well (lilly's I think) and I always secretly hoped she'd spill a bottle of Cab on that Peter Pan collar and pearls.....

Interesting ... They were at a corner table in Equus during a HotBytes offline there a few years back, and the quantity of beverages consumed out of martini glasses was sufficient to attract notice, although in fairness, they were quiet and well-behaved and kept to themselves.

I think Louisville is much better served in the House of Representatives now than it was then ...

Dan/David-
I can certainly appreciate your displeasure with these late arrivals, but it seems that if they indeed called ahead for an OK, then it's not so much a "customer issue" as a "management issue".
'Winger

No, it's a courtesy issue. Waffle House is open 24/7........then again, we stayed open late once for Bill Clinton at a gig in California but I liked him!! (maybe that's the real issue here?)

I've done time in the business which is why I attempt to stray away from any place an hour before close. Once those few people come in 10-15 minutes before close it seems like the flood gates open.

I know a lot of business owners that would be pleased to see the "flood gates" open regardless of the time of day. Maybe this is more of a management vs. employee issue (?). I dunno.

As a regular customer of local restaurants, I occasionally find myself in a position where I have to (get to ) dine late (9-10ish) and it is often unplanned. Here's what some of you might be missing...I don't know what your posted close time is (how on Earth would the average customer know that?) and I don't care. Most of us dine out often enough to know that store hours aren't carved in stone. sometimes you close late and sometimes you close early. If I call (or Opentable as is often the case now) and I'm told to "come on down" I expect to have my party seated and treated like any other customer. If they tell me, "sorry we're about to close the kitchen"....Great! I'll try somewhere else. I'm not asking for special treatment. Same goes for popping your head in the door. If I run into someone at a social function and say, "hey, let's walk down the street and see if we can get some drinks and apps" ...I don't search the front of the building for posted hours if the place is full of people, I ask the host if they're still seating people. Sometimes they say "yes", sometimes "no".

I am happy to report that I have never really had an issue with a surly server. Now, have I had a server grumbling in the kitchen? I don't know. My take on it...if you have a problem with my party being seated...take it up with your boss...he/she's the one that likely told me to "please come on down...we'd love to have you". I guess I am surprised that there seems to be such a disconnect between the customer/management and the kitchen/service on this.

I guess I am surprised that there seems to be such a disconnect between the customer/management and the kitchen/service on this.

In the interest of trying to see both sides of this. As a customer I sort of see your point.
If there is a dining room full of people and you get seated close to closing time, by and large that's not a big problem for most of us in the "Bizz' as we were going to be there for a while whether or not you came in anyway. And besides the customer is always right. Right?

On the other hand from my perspective here is this scenario.
It's 5 minutes to close on a slow weeknight and you haven't had a table for well over an hour. You're cleaned up and pretty much shut everything off and ready to walk out the door.
The owner seats a deuce that wandered in and looks like they are going to hang around.
From the owners perspective sure it's an extra sale and it's not costing them anything but the light bill and the $2.13 they pay the server. Who cares what the poor schlub in the kitchen thinks. That's what I pay them for

From my stand point, as a Back of the House guy, I'm on salary, I've already been there for 10 hours and the more I work otr the longer I'm there, the less I make per hour.
The server gets that big extra tip they are going to get from that table so they don't care either.

Unfortunately I can't leave until they are finished because the owner split after seating them, and I have the keys to lock up and have to set the alarm.
Are you going to get the same meal you would have gotten if you would have came in earlier?
Sure, I'm a pro. I'm going to make it right. That's what I do.
I'm I happy you decided to wander in and hang around during my precious downtime after work? Not in the slightest.

While I certainly don't condone any of this behavior...Remember that there may be some people in the Bizz of dubious character in lesser establishments that might actually do stuff like this.
You really shouldn't mess with people who handle your food.....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyYS6SrD ... re=related

I can attest to the fact that no one really wants you to walk into a place right before closing. It does indeed suck.
For those not in the "Bizz", I like to compare it to an office job ten minutes to 5:00 PM on Friday afternoon. Your supervisor drops off a stack of "TPS" reports that must be finished before you can leave.

I had that job. Only it wasnt my boss, it was the legal dept from a Fortune 500 company that was a client. When they had a new ad running on Sunday, they would regularly wait until 4 to 4:30 on friday afternoon to call to get data in the ad verified. They couldnt greenlight the ad if they didnt have paper in a folder verifying the truth of statements in the ad, and thats what I provided them. I think the big issue was they were in Chicago, so it was only 3:30 there.

Eh, no biggie, thats why I got paid the little bucks.

Current job I get paged at 2 AM or while on vacation. Thats life.

I've done time in the business which is why I attempt to stray away from any place an hour before close. Once those few people come in 10-15 minutes before close it seems like the flood gates open.

I know a lot of business owners that would be pleased to see the "flood gates" open regardless of the time of day. Maybe this is more of a management vs. employee issue (?). I dunno.

As a regular customer of local restaurants, I occasionally find myself in a position where I have to (get to ) dine late (9-10ish) and it is often unplanned. Here's what some of you might be missing...I don't know what your posted close time is (how on Earth would the average customer know that?) and I don't care. Most of us dine out often enough to know that store hours aren't carved in stone. sometimes you close late and sometimes you close early. If I call (or Opentable as is often the case now) and I'm told to "come on down" I expect to have my party seated and treated like any other customer. If they tell me, "sorry we're about to close the kitchen"....Great! I'll try somewhere else. I'm not asking for special treatment. Same goes for popping your head in the door. If I run into someone at a social function and say, "hey, let's walk down the street and see if we can get some drinks and apps" ...I don't search the front of the building for posted hours if the place is full of people, I ask the host if they're still seating people. Sometimes they say "yes", sometimes "no".

I am happy to report that I have never really had an issue with a surly server. Now, have I had a server grumbling in the kitchen? I don't know. My take on it...if you have a problem with my party being seated...take it up with your boss...he/she's the one that likely told me to "please come on down...we'd love to have you". I guess I am surprised that there seems to be such a disconnect between the customer/management and the kitchen/service on this.

Greg I think you are missing the point here, I was never one to let the quality of my food/service decline when people would walk in at 9:58, it's like Dan said it is one of the worst things about the business, like being task with a big stack of work at 4:50 on a Friday in an office, it sucks, but part of the job, this is the same idea..you suck it up, mumble some choice words under your breath, and take care of the guest.

I have a JICYHNWITB for you. Your party of 10 with no reservation is not often welcome at a small restaurant on a busy night. Seriously, 4 4-tops pushed together for a meal that always lasts twice as long. That's a possible 32 covers in exchange for 10. There should be a law I tell ya.

True indeed. I have had to do this for them as well (lilly's I think) and I always secretly hoped she'd spill a bottle of Cab on that Peter Pan collar and pearls.....