Closing Time?

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.

Look, I fully understand your point of view and having worked in restaurants before myself, I've been in those situations. However, you can't count on John Q. Public to think as a server or cook would. I never go to a place that's about to close because I understand, and because I want a quality meal rather than a "hurry up an get them outta here" meal.

There is also the diner's perspective. Especially someone in a rush, or trying to find a place open to feed their family when other circumstances require them to go out at a late hour. And as a restaurant worker, this comes with the territory. It's not like servers or cooks working until close actually expect to leave by the closing time posted on the door. If you expect that please find another line of work. No one wants to actually do work at the end of their shift and this is true for any business. It just seems to me that a certain amount of late diners is to be expected and people who eat late shouldn't be ridiculed for being seating right before closing.

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?

Comparing a restaurant to a mechanic is "ridiculous," because there is an evaluation of the car's problem. There is no eval process necessary for a diner. I'm hungry, you guys have food, serve me food. I'm sure if Jiffy Lube is open until 6 and you drive in for an oil change at 5:50 that they will still change your oil.

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?

Comparing a restaurant to a mechanic is "ridiculous," because there is an evaluation of the car's problem. There is no eval process necessary for a diner. I'm hungry, you guys have food, serve me food. I'm sure if Jiffy Lube is open until 6 and you drive in for an oil change at 5:50 that they will still change your oil.

Adam, here is the thing. Every business has the right to decide how they run it. You might not like it, but if the owner decides that the kitchen is closed at closing time, it is their right to do so. You have the right to not go back as well if you don't like that. There is no giant rule book somewhere that says there is only one way to run a restaurant. There will be differences in how people do things. I really liked the idea earlier in this thread to call. You won't be disappointed that way.

Restaurant's posted hours are 5:00 - 10:00.

I view those as the hours that guests are welcome in the restaurant. I don't show up at 4:50 and expect service, nor do I expect to be served after 10:00.

In New York they called last call on food orders 15 minutes prior to the kitchen closing, after that point we in the kitchen knew that we could start breaking our stations down and begin our 2 hour deep clean, which happened every night...

That may seem annoying to some customers, but it mitigated a problem I often faced at a particular fancy restaurant here in town that I had the pleasure of working at. Customers would come and dine with us at a reasonable time within our posted hours of service and then at the end of the meal would take their time chatting and drinking coffee before deciding if they would like to peruse a dessert menu. There were multiple occasions where I waited for 2+ hours after closing and after all of the other employees had left so that the dinners that were lingering could decide that they didn't want dessert after all.

I think and hope a bit of courtesy, openness, and modesty from the restaurants and their patrons can go very far.

I'm with Will on this one all the way and have made a lot of money over the years on the 'Twelfth Hour Guest.' Ticked off a lot of chefs too.



People know when you are going above and beyond to accomidate them and tend to reward you with thier loyalty.

There is a book on running successful restaurants- nay, many of them. And they are all in agreement on this subject.

A hospitality business should be... hospitable.

I'm with Will on this one all the way and have made a lot of money over the years on the 'Twelfth Hour Guest.' Ticked off a lot of chefs too.



People know when you are going above and beyond to accomidate them and tend to reward you with thier loyalty.

There is a book on running successful restaurants- nay, many of them. And they are all in agreement on this subject.

A hospitality business should be... hospitable.

I agree that a restaurant should be hospitable- that goes without saying. I am reacting to the fact that there seems to be a theme of, "I am the customer you will do what I want, whenever I want and I will stay here as long as I want, tough". The simple fact is that people can run their businesses how they would prefer.

When I worked at a wonderful French restaurant years ago and the thing that always impressed me the most was the respect that went both ways. We did everything in our power to make the guest happy. From the first greeting, to the aperitif, multiple courses with chocolates to finish, to helping on with the coat before they left, telling them how lovely it was to have them that evening. In return, there was an attitude of respect from the guest. Good manners all around. I loved that. Part of that would be that there would not be an expectation to walk in at 1030 at night and eat a 7 course meal until 130 in the morning with no one else there. It just wouldn't be done. This was sort of an old school place, definitely. I gained an appreciation to how the owner saw his business. You were a guest in his house, not a customer. Along with that though meant that guests just didn't do whatever they wanted.

I am not trying to stir this fight up, just offer some different insights. Again, the advice to call seems like a good one, especially in Louisville where it seems even on Saturdays, some restaurants get quiet, earlier than I would expect.

In the end, I just like well mannered behavior from all. The upside is, I find I get the best service that way as well.

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.

Since you're about strict adherence to the posted hours, then in your scenario, you would have 1 minute to order, get served and eat. After all, the sign says open until 10. Open is open and closed is closed. At closing time, it's time to leave. The end.

We wouldn't be having this discussion if all restaurants posted a "Last order in by ____" time.

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.

Since you're about strict adherence to the posted hours, then in your scenario, you would have 1 minute to order, get served and eat. After all, the sign says open until 10. Open is open and closed is closed. At closing time, it's time to leave. The end.

I would expect that if said restaurant allowed me in and seated me at 9:59 that they'd allow me to order and eat as well.

I agree with your second post 100%.