Is it common for restaurants to deny service leading up to, or kick people out exactly at closing time?
Posted by exploristofficial@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 43 comments
I was once turned away when asking for a table for two at 9:20 when the restaurant closed at 10. This was in a smaller city (Grantham) so I figured that had something to do with it and thought maybe staff just wanted to get home. The restaurant was always practically empty, so I assumed it was probably due to that being a part of their overall service being an issue.
But it happened again, this time in Manchester. We didn’t know when the place closed, but at 9:01 we both had half a beer left and they were literally going around from table to table asking everyone to “please leave.” We downed our beers and left, but other guests seemed to ignore them and kept chatting.
Most places we’ve been will serve up to closing time, then let you finish as long as it’s reasonable—not like 10 people showing up a minute before closing, or just sitting around after finishing.
Would love some insight if there is some general guidance, or if it’s a restaurant vs pub thing, perhaps.
Beartato4772@reddit
Do you expect them to work for free? I would assume if it closes at 10 I need to be out by 10.
W35TH4M@reddit
Why wouldn’t they get paid?
CupofCursedTea@reddit
Typically you only get assigned until 30mins or 1he after closing, and aren’t allowed to do certain tasks with customers still in the place. You won’t get paid staying longer, and if you leave jobs not done then the next day shift will be pissed.
W35TH4M@reddit
Bizarre, I’ve never worked hospitality but I’ve always done retail. Any time spent there we’d get paid and if they didn’t want to pay you to stay later it would just have to get done the next day. Working for free was never even in anyone’s heads
Beartato4772@reddit
You've got very, very lucky. I worked retail for 3 different companies and you stopped getting paid at close.
W35TH4M@reddit
Surely that just encourages leaving the store a tip or leaving jobs half done?
Beartato4772@reddit
If you want to get fired.
W35TH4M@reddit
Bizarre, couldn’t imagine having such little self respect that I’d work for free, even when I was younger
Beer-Milkshakes@reddit
Because their contract likely states a specific number of hours to work and be paid for in any given week. Overtime usually needs to be authorised by management ahead of time and by law usually needs to be voluntary unless stipulated in the contract.
W35TH4M@reddit
But then if you can’t stay to do it then it would have to get done the next day? I just don’t understand where working for free comes into it, I work retail and never had this concept come up with anyone
Beer-Milkshakes@reddit
Its a kitchen. You can't leave it until tomorrow. Everything needs to be cleaned and packed away that same night. There is no "can't stay" you stay or you don't come back. That is the nature of working in a kitchen.
W35TH4M@reddit
Which then circles back to the fact that people aren’t slaves. If you stay, you get paid and if they’re not willing to pay you then you leave it if you have even the slightest bit of self respect
Beer-Milkshakes@reddit
Or. They refuse service when its late and everyone finishes work on time and goes home on time and gets paid.
Why is this all on the staff and not the customer who is very late appearing for dinner
W35TH4M@reddit
I never said anything to the contrary? My question was just asking about the working for free aspect. When did I put anything on the staff? I also wouldn’t like customers doing that, it’s the same in the shop where people come in with trollies 5/10 mins before we close. I don’t understand your point when I never said that
W35TH4M@reddit
Why wouldn’t they get paid? Also that second part doesn’t take into account the fact it happened at 9:20
xxxxsteven@reddit
They should have a lady orders time published
Beartato4772@reddit
What like, a salad and a white wine?
ukbot-nicolabot@reddit
OP marked this as the best answer, given by /u/Silvagadron.
^(What is this?)
Silvagadron@reddit
I’d say it’s an unwritten rule that you don’t go to a restaurant any closer to an hour before closing time. Most people will stay for over an hour to eat 2-3 courses, and the restaurant wants the majority of people out by their closing time. They won’t typically accept advance bookings any closer than 60-90 minutes before closing, so walk-ins would do well to heed that etiquette too.
exploristofficial@reddit (OP)
!answer …Thank you for your kind, helpful answer!
Nolsoth@reddit
General rule from my time in hospo was last call starts half hour before closing and you get the punters out the door on closing.
Staff have shit to do once the doors are shut and alcohol licenses can be tied to very specific hours (at least in my country they are).
But some places are just crap at communicating properly with customers.
JensonInterceptor@reddit
Im sure all of us have been that person/group that doesnt leave cos you are too drunk and chatting too much. It must be the most annoying job to kick out drunks after a full shift!
dinkidoo7693@reddit
Yeah it’s normal. Staff want to leave at 10. If you are ordering that close to close they won’t have finished cleaning up by 10z
shak_0508@reddit
Why would they serve you if by the time you get your food and finish, it is after closing time?
W35TH4M@reddit
Why wouldn’t they get paid?
G2022B@reddit
You must be new to capitalism.
W35TH4M@reddit
Can I have an actual answer instead of a typical condescending Reddit answer?
Prudent-Pressure2146@reddit
I’ve worked in various hospitality jobs and they wouldn’t pay past the point you’re rotated on to, even if it wasn’t your fault that closing ran on. I’ve heard all the reasons under the sun for it but the most common is ‘well it shouldn’t take you any longer than that to get the place closed’.
W35TH4M@reddit
That’s so weird. I’ve always worked retail and we obviously have our end time for our shifts but if something runs over, we get paid because we’re not slaves. I just considered that to be normal
Prudent-Pressure2146@reddit
it’s just people being cheap and also hiring very young staff who don’t know their rights. If it happened to me now I’d be furious but back then I assumed it was par for the course
W35TH4M@reddit
Yeah I guess, I can imagine a lot of places being like that
shak_0508@reddit
Because unless overtime is explicitly agreed by the employer, they ain’t getting paid extra for working until 10:30 due to cleanup even though the restaurant closes at 10.
Short-Shopping3197@reddit
Most better organised restaurants I go to advertise both a closing time and a final seating time. If there’s a chance on walk-in that the place might close while someone is seated I’d think it was just good hospitality to be clear to patrons that the restaurant will close at a certain time to avoid any half drunk beers or half eaten food.
finalcircuit@reddit
We once turned up to a restaurant in a fairly remote place (Leversburgh on Harris) with no other alternatives and they said (very nicely) that if a table cleared by 8.30 we could have it, otherwise no. It was a nailbiting few minutes but we did get a table. I still dream about how good the cod and chips I had was, advantage of being in an Atlantic fishing port I guess.
Remote-Pool7787@reddit
Yes it’s coming. A closing time isn’t advisory. Shops close at their closing time, why should a restaurant be any different?
Prudent-Pressure2146@reddit
Assuming that 9 was the closing time then yeah that’s super common. I worked in pubs decades ago and we had last orders and we’d still need to ask people to leave who were sat there half an hour later.
LilacRose32@reddit
The first one doesn’t sound unreasonable. I’ve been to plenty of places that note ‘kitchen closes one hour before closing’ or a last food order time.
G2022B@reddit
Yeah, no shit. They're not your personal slaves, 21:20 is way too late to show up expecting a table.
nezukobites@reddit
Go work in a restaurant for a couple of years, then you’ll understand 😂 I did it 20 years ago, and shop work too. I will never go in close to closing time, I know what it’s like for the staff
Big_Wrongdoer1042@reddit
Probably, people want to go home. I'm guessing it was a chain, and those employees want to go home on time.
If it was a small family run business, I don't think the owners would care if you stayed past the closing time.
CriticalCentimeter@reddit
You've pretty much answered your own question.
It depends
dayus9@reddit
Best guidance I can think of is to phone in advance and ask them.
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