What is a reasonable time for a café to stop serving before it closes?

[ohxmastreeohxmastree]

If a coffee shop closes at 6, when would you expect the last time to order a coffee and a snack to be before they close the tills?

5.15?

5:30?

Well I’d say they “closed” when the last food was served and the doors closed 30 mins later.

To sit in, about 5.30. Takeaway about 5.50.

5.40 It’s pushing it but it is doable.

5.45 at the very earliest.

If kicking out is at 6 then I'd expect to be warned when ordering any time after about 5.30. But I guess they could be doing take out any time up to 6.

To eat in or take away?

To eat in 20/30 minutes before closing I think, that’s about a last orders call in a pub but I think on average people linger over coffee longer than a pub drunk, so I’d expect the customer to be on board with it being a quick pit stop at that notice.

5.30.

I’d expect to be served if they’re open, up until 6pm. Why?

If it closes at 6, it's open for business til 6.

But I'd expect last sit in orders to be 5.30, and upto 6 for take away.

If it was closing a kitchen I'd say 5.15 but not a till. In fact I would expect the till readings to be done after closing time.

If the staff have to clean out the coffee machine and everything else before they go home, then 5.30 at the latest really. They can't really leave that for the morning staff to do, it would be unhygienic.

5:30 for coffee etc and eating inside. Anything that’s takeaway and doesn’t involve preparation, heating up or a coffee machine -5:55.

Coffee shop closing at 6 and I just want coffee and a slice of cake, I'd probably think 5.30 -5.45 last orders so they can clean the machines etc.

A cafe that cooks fry ups though, that's different. If it shuts at 6pm then last order for cooked food I'd say 5pm.

A sit in coffee until 5.45, takeaway until 6pm.

Come on OP, why do you ask?

About 30 minutes if you are sitting in.

Depends what time they pay the staff until. A lot of places won't pay after the doors close but still expect staff to clean & finish up, so I don't begrudge those who stop serving well before closing.
Sit in I would expect last orders 30 mins before, takeaway at least 20.

This is what I was going to post pretty much word for word.

This is how it worked when I worked in a coffee shop as a teenager. We then cleared up around stragglers. There was plenty to do after closing so they rarely stayed beyond a point where we needed them to go.

5:30 for sit down, but I’d like to be warned in ordering they’re closing at 6.
6 for take away.

5.50pm.

If they're open till 6 then I'd expect to get a coffee and cake up until that time to take away, 5.45 to sit down. If they're serving cooked food (beyond a panini or toastie) then I'd expect last orders to be around 5.30.

The problem is that many places don't pay their staff past the closing time advertised, whereas they should be paying up until 6.30/7 if they're closing at 6 to allow staff time to clean up and get everything ready for the next day.

Why do you want to know? Have you ever worked in any type of hospitality in a minimum wage job?