Restaurant Closing Time

A somewhat interesting discussion has taken place elsewhere on the webz about whether or not it is rude to the staff to walk into a restaurant just before the posted closing time. There seems to be an unwritten rule amongst restaurant employees:

"Do not go into a sit-down restaurant 5 minutes before close (it's just rude)"

I know I'm confused exactly what closing time means. Is walking in 5 minutes before closing rude? 20 minutes? 30?

Having worked nights in restaurants, I can say that it's very disheartening to have a group walk in 5 or 10 minutes ahead of closing time. At that point, you've worked a long shift, you're in the middle of cleaning the place up, and you don't want to stay there the extra hour. I avoid going into places right around closing times just because of that. I'd probably put the cutoff at 15 - 20 minutes ahead of closing, most of the time.

Whatever the frustration of this situation, though, no one who works in a restaurant should ever let it show to the customers. If we gave the tiniest of hints that we were unhappy with people showing up even one minute before the doors were locked, we were pulled aside and told to knock it off in no uncertain terms. When the sign says you close at 11:00, you close at 11:00. Not 10:45 or 10:55 or 10:59. If you're anything close to a professional, you suck up your frustration, smile at the customers, and worry about your aching feet when you get home.

When I was working at the Connaught Hotel, Peter O`Toole, Richard Burton and Dirk B would show up around 11pm. They always ordered pommes souflees with their main course which was a real pain in the butt. Those nights I had to hope the night bus was running west to Ealing Broadway.

As a customer I'd always ask if it was ok, for anything within ~ 15-20 mins of posted closing time. Always happy to compromise, e.g. by skipping starters or avoiding a dish that had a lengthy cooking time. Happier to find a suitable compromise as we're all winners if one is reached. I can recall only one instance where they'd cleaned up the kitchen after the last of the previous diners and with maybe 20 mins to closing, they were somewhat reluctant to cook. For me that was fair enough, because as it was in a city centre, it was easy to go somewhere else to eat.

I recall arriving at A'Paranza in Atrani maybe 30 mins before lunchtime 'closing' and asking if it was ok and indeed ok to order the degustazione menu. They said it was fine and 2 and a bit hours later we'd had plate after plate of interesting seafood dishes. Only one other table (a mother and child IIRC) in the restaurant at the time. In truth we still felt slightly uncomfortable in ourselves, even despite their saying it was ok.

Don't most restaurants have a closing time for the kitchen that is earlier than the 'official' closing time for the restaurant. So you could walk in and see other people finishing their meals but be told that the kitchen was closed for new orders. That's always been my experience.

Don't most restaurants have a closing time for the kitchen that is earlier than the 'official' closing time for the restaurant. So you could walk in and see other people finishing their meals but be told that the kitchen was closed for new orders. That's always been my experience.

That approach makes sense, but I don't get the impression it is a generally accepted "best practice", at least what I was able to gather from the other discussion.

When Gail and I got married, we stayed at in a small town named Hawi, on The Big Island of Hawaii. We went for supper that first night to a place that closed (according to the posted signs) at 10PM. We got there at 8:00, and they already were cleaning up, with 2 or 3 tables of diners finishing. The hostess seemed reluctant to take a new order, but she did when I pointed out that there was still two hours until official close. That as our first encounter with "Hawaii Time", but not our last.

Don't most restaurants have a closing time for the kitchen that is earlier than the 'official' closing time for the restaurant. So you could walk in and see other people finishing their meals but be told that the kitchen was closed for new orders. That's always been my experience.

Not the places I worked (a couple of coffee shops, a mid-range bar/steak place, and one fine dining establishment). The kitchen would start shutting down ahead of closing time but everything on the menu was always available at closing time. That was more than a few years ago, though, so things may well have changed since then.

As a past restaurant owner and manager I wanted every customer I could get. The wait staff works for their tips. Anyone who doesn't want another table where they really could concentrate on their service and sales skills to make more money doesn't belong working in the restaurant. The problem now is that most owners/managers no longer work the floor. I

I worked mainly FOH, as a server, and then was service manager at a couple places. Everything on the menu was available until closing, even if some of the staff were released early.

Now I have a couple friends who own restaurants and they follow the same practice.

In both instances, the managers and/or owners were always there and always working, not hiding in an office. Hard to make money in the food/bar arena if you don't keep your hand in and your eyes open.

Ditto with Mike and Cynthia.

Whilst working in a restaurant, everything on the menu was available right up until closing time.

I have seen/experienced some few restaurants that don't follow that practice. You know what? That's okay. One of the best signs of all that I wouldn't want to eat there anyway, since they've apparently forgotten why a good restaurant is open---to feed people, make money and build a loyal customer base. Now I know not to go back again. Ever.

When I was working at the Connaught Hotel, Peter O`Toole, Richard Burton and Dirk B would show up around 11pm. They always ordered pommes souflees with their main course which was a real pain in the butt. Those nights I had to hope the night bus was running west to Ealing Broadway.

A pain in the butt at the time but that has to be a pretty good memory now though, right, Bob?