Closing Time?

Closing time is closing time. The time listed on the door as being closed. If you can be in and out by the time stated on the door than fine.

Jamie,
I understand what you are saying, but this is not consistent across the industry. Will said himself that if you arrive before his "closing time", you get served- without any negative connotation. I've been to several places who define " closing time" as the last time to let people in- not when you need to leave.

Of course people need to be thoughtful. While there are unfortunately exceptions, people aren't necessarily doing this on purpose -but this lack of consistency is part of what causes confusion.

Deb

I think part of the problem is that we have a "the customer is always right" attitude and the customer is most assuredly not always right. If you're a customer and you think you're "always right", you stop being considerate. You don't consider that the people working have been there all day. You don't consider that those working have people at home waiting for them and they deserve their time off just as much as anyone. If you go into a business that is closing in 1 minute, you need to be in and out fast. If you go into a business (I don't care which kind: retail, restaurant, etc.) 1 minute before closing KNOWING that you're keeping people 30-45 minutes past closing, is just rude. They've more than likely been open 10 or more hours and you should have gotten there sooner.

Calling ahead is a great idea, if you know where you want to go. But suppose you go to a basketball game and will grab a bite afterwards. What happens if the players become rude and send the game to overtime. On the way home a discussion ensues about what would taste good and you can't decide until you drive past a particular place. The sign on the door says open til eleven but its now ten fifty, what will you do? Naturally you try to eat there, and my experience has been with most locally owned businesses they will accomodate you. If the wait staff or kitchen personel are making the descision that its too late thats your tough luck, go to White Castle. But I believe the good places are the places with the owners who make that determination and want their customers to come away with a positive experience and to come back again. I know that counts big time in my book and I practice that in my own business.
I think most people don't try to time their visits at closing time but sometimes it happens and the place that goes out of their way to make accomodate these people will in the long run be very successful and build a very loyal following. Yes I have family and have had babysitters to get home to, but everyone knew beforehand what the consequences were when they signed up.

The published hours should be when the kitchen is open and when it is closed. Late arrivals happen. Get over it. Without customers there is no money. Servers that cannot understand this need a new job. Kitchen staff that do not get this need to move on. I have found that most late arriving tables are so grateful that they tip very well. What server can not use an extra $30?

The "shoulder shrug" (Steve P.) "tough titties,I do not care about you or your plans you peon you are here to serve me" attitude is the exact meaning of rude. I feel like some people look at servers as a product to be used to the best of it's ability for as little as possible.

Ummmmmm....I don't think I'm going to let you put words in my mouth today Jamie. That statement does not even remotely echo my sentiments. What I'm saying is that showing up at the door 10 minutes before closing and expecting to be served is not in and of itself unreasonable or rude. Showing up 10 minutes before closing and camping out for an hour and a half over a meal, dessert, a second cup of coffee (or multiple after dinner cocktails) ? Yeah, now that's rude.

I think Will expressed it about right...and I think most restaurant owners would agree with him. Servers, etc ? Maybe not so much.

The "shoulder shrug" (Steve P.) "tough titties,I do not care about you or your plans you peon you are here to serve me" attitude is the exact meaning of rude. I feel like some people look at servers as a product to be used to the best of it's ability for as little as possible.

Ummmmmm....I don't think I'm going to let you put words in my mouth today Jamie. That statement does not even remotely echo my sentiments. What I'm saying is that showing up at the door 10 minutes before closing and expecting to be served is not in and of itself unreasonable or rude. Showing up 10 minutes before closing and camping out for an hour and a half over a meal, dessert, a second cup of coffee (or multiple after dinner cocktails) ? Yeah, now that's rude.

I think Will expressed it about right...and I think most restaurant owners would agree with him. Servers, etc ? Maybe not so much.

lol Fair enough Steve. I am not really talking about those who come in 10 minutes before closing and leave 20 minutes afterwards, but more about the latter of your statement. I do not want people thinking I am the type of business owner who would ever turn anyone of my would be customers away. If anyone was to ever come into my restaurant close to close or not they will be treated the same as everyone else. I would even tend to treat them better based on the fact they are getting my sole attention which usually strikes up coversations and such. That being said. Going into a place 5 minutes before somewhere is closing is not something I practice because I would feel rude doing so.

As a customer you might want to take a look around if you are late to a restaurant. If the place is still 20% full, most of the staff will be like "meh, what's one more table." However if the very last table just finished eating, and then you walk in as they leave, you are going to keep an entire restaurant of tired employees going for another hour. And it happens ALL the time. And the entire restaurant will be pissed at you, whether they act like it or not. Probably the main reason I hated closing when i was a server.

I was part of the "start cleaning up and making noise" crew. Didn't really care if I reduced my $6 tip to $3 dollars. I was probably going to spend it all on booze that night anyway.

I was part of the "start cleaning up and making noise" crew. Didn't really care if I reduced my $6 tip to $3 dollars. I was probably going to spend it all on booze that night anyway.

Jason, I applaud your honesty. Made me laugh.

There are several of these on You Tube. They amuse me.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdVv5R0EY-E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bmZYTJr ... re=related

my 2 cents...

If the sign says you're open until 10, and I walk in at 9:59, I should be served with the same attention and efficiency as if I had reservations at 6:30. As a diner it is not my responsibility to know the ins and outs of the restaurant business, or a server/cook's mentality. You're open, you offer a product, I pay you, you provide the product, the end.

my 2 cents...

If the sign says you're open until 10, and I walk in at 9:59, I should be served with the same attention and efficiency as if I had reservations at 6:30. As a diner it is not my responsibility to know the ins and outs of the restaurant business, or a server/cook's mentality. You're open, you offer a product, I pay you, you provide the product, the end.

Applying the same logic used in your statement, that means you obviously wouldn't mind if I rang your door bell at 1:00 am on Halloween looking for treats would it?

:lol:

my 2 cents...

If the sign says you're open until 10, and I walk in at 9:59, I should be served with the same attention and efficiency as if I had reservations at 6:30. As a diner it is not my responsibility to know the ins and outs of the restaurant business, or a server/cook's mentality. You're open, you offer a product, I pay you, you provide the product, the end.

Applying the same logic used in your statement, that means you obviously wouldn't mind if I rang your door bell at 1:00 am on Halloween looking for treats would it?

Yeah, because those two things are the exact same thing...

Not the same logic at all. I don;t have a sign on my front door on Halloween saying,"FREE CANDY UNTIL 2AM." But if I did, you should fully expect candy UNTIL 2am.

my 2 cents...

If the sign says you're open until 10, and I walk in at 9:59, I should be served with the same attention and efficiency as if I had reservations at 6:30. As a diner it is not my responsibility to know the ins and outs of the restaurant business, or a server/cook's mentality. You're open, you offer a product, I pay you, you provide the product, the end.

This is, how do I say it, ridiculous. As Jamie pointed out, we live with the knowledge that I can't take my car to the mechanic at 5:55 and expect them to work until its down that night, or pop into Walgreens at 9:55 and expect them to stick around while I have a long talk with the pharmacist. Many restaurants will accommodate a late arrival. The hotel doesn't allow for 2:00 checkout if they're closing the hotel down at 1:00 (that is, it is the 24 hour nature of the business that makes that possible). What other business do you know that you expect them to extend their hours of operation because of what time you seek their business?

Geez, people are touchy..... I was just trying to shed a little humor on the subject..

There seems to be a real Us vs. Them mentality going on here. While every one has a valid opinion on the subject. I can attest that I have thrown my fair share of s%#^ fits when people came wandering in at close. Or even worse, having to stay for them because they called and they're on the way from the airport and the plane just touched down....but I'm not telling that story again
Occupational hazard of the job that I never really came to terms with myself.

It's just a fact of life that given the opportunity, some people can't resist showing how empowered they are to make your life seem less significant than theirs. These are usually the jack holes who brag about being big tippers but belong to the $5 to death crowd.
It just comes with the territory when you have to deal with the general public day in and day out.

I was part of the "start cleaning up and making noise" crew. Didn't really care if I reduced my $6 tip to $3 dollars. I was probably going to spend it all on booze that night anyway.

Jason, I applaud your honesty. Made me laugh.

Hey, I only worked at chain restaurants so hopefully anyone I ran off didn't come back and switched to local haha.