Restaurant opening times

[MissMarpletheMurderer]

If a restaurant is open 5pm-9.30pm is it unreasonable to turn up at 9.25pm and order a thee course meal?

Yep, very.

Extremely unreasonable.

Yes, very.

I’m surprised they even took orders at that time tbh!

Yes, presumably they’d not take the order.

If it’s the closing time not the hot food orders accepted until time yes. You cannot make it or eat it in 5 minutes.

If it’s orders accepted until I’d check when they actually close.. some places do this but remain “open” for drinks etc for an hour or so.

As someone who has worked in kitchens, please never do this! Unless it's for a light bite try to get there at least half hour before closing. Staff can't go home till everything's cleaned up which means they have to wait on the last diners to leave. If you're having 3 courses that's at least an hour and a half of you being there after you order an that's if you eat each course right after each other a go straight after pudding. I used to hate late comers as I meant I missed my last bus home.

That's ridiculous.

I would say so yes
If it’s last seating before 9.30 then perhaps not, but if it’s close at 9.30 then yes

i work at tgi fridays and our last orders for food are at least half an hour before closing, thats food order going to the kitchen you would be refused you would be very unreasonable to order five minutes before closing you know the hours so be reasonable and turn up at 8.30 unkless you think its funny to make the staff work till midnight

Yes, totally unreasonable.

Yes it’s unreasonable but the restaurant should give a time for last orders.

People saying it’s fine have never worked in a restaurant trust me.

One way to piss off every chef and waitress is by ordering 3 courses at that time

I asked a restaurant about their hours as it seemed very short (like 12-2 for lunch). They said it was the last time they took orders but you could stay longer. Check with the restaurant when last orders are.

Depends on how happy the staff are to serve it.

It'd be a strange thing to do though.

Yes ! That kitchen will already have grills turned off and be cleaning down. Only having dessert station still up and running for the last tables.

However I hate it when they state the opening times but start shutting up half an hour before - there's a bakery/cafe near me and when they say they close at 3 (for example) they mean they have cleaned up and are out the door, not that's when they stop serving, so of you haven't chosen your cake or whatever by 2.20 they'll have put it away and act all huffy at having to get it out again.

yes

Yes 9.25 is late to want to eat anyway .

Restaurants are pretty capable of turning people away. If the waiting staff let them in then that's their fault.

Yes. I’m guessing you’re a restaurateur?

To me ‘closing time’ at a restaurant is the time the kitchen closes, not the building. If that’s the case, it’s fine to order at 9.25.

One way to piss off every chef and waitress is by ordering 3 courses at that time

Aren’t restaurant staff there to serve diners rather than vice versa?

Some publish opening and ordering times separately. You need to check whether it closes at 9:30 or the chef cooks his last meals at 9:30.

@StillCoughingandLaughing not past their shift time though

But if the restaurant is taking orders until 9.30, the staff shift end times should be based on that - not on no one ordering after 9. The shift times are for restaurants to plan, not customers.

Yes 9.25 is late to want to eat anyway .

Your view on that isn’t really relevant to the topic.