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AIBU?

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Original poster

Cafe keeps closing at short notice - AIBU?

28 replies

Tobythecat · 05/02/2018 14:39

There's a lovely little cafe near me that serves amazing food and cakes. The husband and wife who run it have a young child; and always seem to close at short notice to take their child to an appointment, or to hire it out for parties/baby showers.

Sometimes they will update their facebook page to say that they will be closed today for a baby shower OR if they have to take their son to an appointment and sometimes they won't bother updating it or putting a sign on the door to say they are closed. A few people have commentedto say they drove 20/30 minutes to find it closed but with no sign so they were very pissed off. The cafe has loads of 5 star reviews though because the food is lovely.

AIBU to think that this is unprofessional and bad business practice, to frequently (a few times a month) close at very short notice and sometimes not bother to post anything on their business page on facebook or put a sign on the door?

OP posts:
PinkHeart5914 · 05/02/2018 14:42

It won’t be a business for long, when you own a business you can’t just be closing when you feel like it if you wish to survive.

superking · 05/02/2018 14:44

Yes it is unprofessional, I stopped going to a play cafe which did similar after one too many wasted journeys.

Rachie1973 · 05/02/2018 14:46

Possibly, but their café, they can do as they please.

ArsewipesAreWet · 05/02/2018 14:48

I'm shocked people drive 20-30 minutes to go to a cafe. Really? For a cafe.

falsepriest · 05/02/2018 14:51

ArsewipesAreWet

Doesn't seem too odd. It's probably a 25 minute drive from my house to the middle of town, and if I'd said to a friend that I'd meet them there for a coffee, cake and chat then it would be a bit of a PITA.

That said, can't swing a cat down here without hitting an alternative.

Chocywockydodahhhhhh · 05/02/2018 15:07

They wont be in business very long, we have a nice cafe near us that takes baby shower bookings on a Sunday afternoon and is open the rest of the time

Thistlebelle · 05/02/2018 17:36

If they are taking their child to appointments regularly there may be all sorts of things going on that you aren’t aware of.

Just use another cafe.

Ellendegeneres · 05/02/2018 17:44

Yeah that would put me off, no matter how good the food is I’d be put right off. I’d give them another chance by giving them a call to say hi, I don’t know if you’re aware but your irregular closures are making you known but for the wrong reasons; it’s hard to support a small business however much you like it when it is so unpredictable as to when you’re going to be open.

EatSleepRantRepeat · 05/02/2018 18:36

It's a private business not a public service - they may have opened their own business precisely because they needed the flexibility.

Mrskeats · 05/02/2018 18:39

They won't survive. It's v tough out there for small businesses

pasturesgreen · 05/02/2018 18:45

They'll be out of business before long, lovely food or not.

TenancyTroublesAgain · 05/02/2018 18:47

Extremely unprofessional.

safariboot · 05/02/2018 18:51

A cafe I often visit is about 20 mins away. They have free parking and are next to a retail park. And we know they do good food.

Buglife · 05/02/2018 18:54

Meh, there’s a cafe near me that is run by one lovely young woman, it’s her business and she works there all hours. Over the winter she’s had to close due to being ill a couple of times and once as she was a bridesmaid at a friends wedding. I just went somewhere else while it was shut, but I really like it there so I will walk past and go in if it’s open. If you like it keep going and if you don’t then stop.

womaninatightspot · 05/02/2018 18:58

I had this with a cafe I liked, drove there parked to find it closed. Haven't bothered since and stick to the one that's not as nice but is open/ closed when they are supposed to be.

DeniseBest · 06/02/2018 03:12

There was a cafe like this near where I used to live. Open and closed at random and wierd times (including lunchtime) as and when it suited the owner.
She did nice food though with great veggie options so had loyal customer following.

However, the problems started when another cafe opened up nearby that served similar style food that was just as good and stuck to regular opening and closing times.
People started drifting over to this one when finding the other one shut.
The random cafe owner then shot herself in the foot further by refusing to serve people that she'd seen going in the new cafe.

I wasn't witness to it but apparently she ended up screaming in the street outside the the new cafe and its patrons most of whom were the ones she'd told to "fuck off over the road" when they'd come into her cafe. Police were involved.
Never a dull moment around here.

She's still battling on though.

BlueMirror · 06/02/2018 03:19

Well they'll certainly lose some business but if the food is really good and they get a lot of passing customers maybe they can afford to.
It would be more professional to update their fb page though.

CheapSausagesAndSpam · 06/02/2018 04:01

I wonder why they both have to go to appointments! Also, they should do showers only in the afternoon so they don't have to close all day.

My friends run a similar business and one is in the shop whilst the other does the appointments etc.

OuaisMaisBon · 06/02/2018 04:06

Thistlebelle may be right, there may be circumstances beyond their control meaning they have to close at random times and they may be so discombobulated by something else going on in their lives that they can't keep up with themselves and keeping customers posted about opening times.

Klobuchar · 06/02/2018 04:16

Of course it’s up to them when they open and close, but it’s entirely unprofessional and will only alienate customers, existing and potential. I’m sure they have their reasons but they’re not really relevant. It’s tough enough to run your own business successfully, don’t know why you’d self sabotage like this

RadioGaGoo · 06/02/2018 05:04

They might not be relying on the revenue, which is why they close for their own private reasons.

BothersomeCrow · 06/02/2018 05:21

One round the corner from me had that - relying on family to work there as they grew the business, but as they were unreliable it backfired. Proprietor finally ditched family (went down like a lead balloon), worked all hours herself and it was starting to take off when the freeholder decided to sell up and evict her.

ivykaty44 · 06/02/2018 05:32

Sorry but surely a cafe isn’t a professional business

If they need to shut at short notice are they actually making you leave after you purchased food - or shut when you turn up?

The former I’d be annoyed and ask for a refund, the later I’d go else where

TenancyTroublesAgain · 06/02/2018 08:17

I had a similar problem this morning. They were 10 minutes late to open while I awkwardly stood outside.

Foaming at the fucking mouth I was so angry.

Wink
thecatsarecrazy · 06/02/2018 08:23

My bil does this. He runs a take away. Its his only income to pay his mortgage and support his partner and child. He only opens 10-3 and closes all the time. Sometimes me and dh will go round for lunch and hes closed. How he can make any money I've no idea. He wont open any earlier either and he sells breakfast.