to think cafe's should stay open for tea?

[OwlLady]

surely they are missing a trick?

they all seem to close at about 4pm and I quite often think it would be nice to take the children to a cafe for tea

and yes, I live on the outskirts of a market town where everything seems to close too bloody early anyway

Ugh, I work in a cafe and 5:00 can't come fast enough!
Staff have been working since 8am, being fake nice to people who for the most part talk to you like you're scum, we have to start cleaning for close 2 hours before closing time etc.
If I had the prospect of being there till night time or doing a split shift I would leave and work in a clothes shop or something.

At least 2 minimum wage staff=£12 per hour
Kitchen staff=more money per hour
Plus electricity etc.

They might get customers but everyone who works there would be missing out on their own lives, which HatLady says, is something a lot of us are unwilling to do.

P.s. Please put your money into staff's hand, not lobbed onto the bar for us with sore joints to scramble after!

Yes I agree but I suppose its a business decision. If they thought it was worth their whole then they would.

I agree with OP. I can see that some cafes might want to be open early to catch the breakfast trade but we don't live near a truck stop and there are plenty of places builders could get a sausage roll (Greggs for example ).

In fact I don't know why all the shops in our town don't do a late opening night once a week. they compain that trade is dying but surely part of it is because for 95% of the time they are open I am at work or doing things that working parents have to do on Saturdays such as taking children to football matches/ washing etc.

If they had late opening once a week then I could buy my veg at the green grocer/ shoes at the local shoe shop/ meat at the local butcher and have tea at the local cafe. Instead I go to Tescos. They could compensate for staying open late by opening late that day.

I don't really get the difficult/ expensive to get staff argument. All of these shops employ staff anyway and if the regular staff don't want to work late surely there are students/ 6th formers who'd be happy to do a part time job.

Sorry in last post did not just mean that "I" am at work - I meant I in common with other working people am at work.

An extra three hours wages for 3 people for another 3 hours is at least £36 a night (£250 a week. £1000 a month)... And then add in the extra utilities the staff and customers would be using. They're eyewatering just now. You don't make much of it out of £1 cups of tea.

It's is not so easy to get the staff for these shifts. You can't run a business on students and 6th formers, you need someone there to lock up, to have on hand if anything goes wrong. It's awful for small businesses just now.

I don't know about not making enough money, I was specifically thinking that I would take the children for something to eat, so a dinner, a nice nutritious meal instead of some fried rubbish from McDonald's or something from a pub. I think it's such a shame with a culture in this country that an evening meal always has to be in a licensed establishment.

I do understand about hours and pay etc. I am not having a dig at anyone,

We have them in my local city, but the greasy spoon types in my town all shut at 2 or 2.30. They all sell sandwiches to people at work, and all day breakfasts to builders in general... I used to work in one and there just wasn't many people in after office lunch time. Breakfast was the busiest time. I often think it's a shame too. I occasionally resort to wetherspoons for cheap, healthy kids meals if out and about and I don't want to get fast food.

Sadly in this city the 2 independent coffee places that opened till 10 are now only open till 6.30. I work a normal 9-5 and it is great to socialise over tea and cake after work, I never understand all the places in town that shut at 3.30 or 4, or won't sell you lunch after 2. Mind you in rural Sctoland you are stuffed as nowhere is ever open late afternoons.

I miss Insomnia in Glasgow, purveyor of tea, cake and coffee to students and arty types