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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Restaurant opening times

52 replies

MissMarpletheMurderer · 01/12/2019 21:26

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

OP posts:
Sparklesocks · 01/12/2019 22:37

Yeah they shouldn’t take orders at that time definitely. But I also don’t think I’d be able to enjoy my meal knowing I’m singlehandedly stopping everyone working on and serving my meal from going home!

stucknoue · 01/12/2019 22:42

Most restaurants publish a last seating or orders time rather than closing eg our local independent is last seating 9pm so it's fine to order 3 courses at that point, that take Deliveroo until 10pm though

countdowntochristmas · 02/12/2019 08:34

@StillCoughingandLaughing
Ffs isn't everyone having a opinion Hmm

StarlightLady · 02/12/2019 08:45

It is very unusual to close so early. Where is it?

Maybe they should become a breakfast restaurant? Some restaurants are bursting at the seams at 10:00pm and beyond. I think the opening times the OP cites are very unclear. It should say last orders at XX:XXpm.

I think the op

StarlightLady · 02/12/2019 08:47

Whoops! Pressed send to soon. I think the OP should take her custom elsewhere.

StillCoughingandLaughing · 02/12/2019 08:55

@StillCoughingandLaughing
Ffs isn't everyone having a opinion Hmm

Yes, but (almost) everyone is sharing their opinion on the topic. You think 9.25 is too late to eat - fine, eat at 8. But it’s not relevant to the question of what time a restaurant closing at 9.30 should stop taking orders. Do we also need your opinion on whether three courses is too much or if it’s better to stick to main and dessert? Whether to have red or white wine?

Boireannachlaidir · 02/12/2019 09:06

You really have to ask? Confused

BarbaraofSeville · 02/12/2019 09:46

Depends what they mean by 'open until 9.30 pm'. If they expect to be closed and ready to go home by 9.30 pm, or even 10, yes, it's unreasonable to expect a 3 course meal at that time.

But if what they actually mean is that the latest time you can book a table is for 9.30 pm and in reality they expect to be there until about 11, then that's fine, as long as you don't unreasonably drag out the ordering and eating process and are happy that some options may not be available at that time, either because they have run out, or take too long to prepare/cook.

lanthanum · 02/12/2019 10:40

Definitely up to front-of-house to handle. They can say no, yes, or a halfway house such as only two courses or a warning that they'll be shutting at 11 so you shouldn't expect to linger. They do it all the time - I've often had "we'll need you out by 7.45" because the table is booked later.

Original poster
MissMarpletheMurderer · 02/12/2019 10:42

Thank you, (and yes I did have to ask as how else would I garner opinions) aside it's funny people saying 9.30 is early as this is the only restaurant locally that is open after 9pm, shows how different places are.

Anyway, it's my sister business she has run it for five years and just recently has had several people turn up just before 9.30 and then have three courses and coffee meaning at least two people are working until midnight (this is weekday nights)
Maybe her village is catching up with the rest of the UK and wanting to eat later. I agree she needs clearer opening times, she has never put kitchen closes at 9.30 as didn't want people to think they had to have had their desserts by then.

OP posts:
ShetlandWife · 02/12/2019 14:23

Maybe she needs to put last orders 9pm (or whatever time suits her), rather than a closing time then. Its really not worth a restaurant paying staff for one table past normal closing time, imo.

bobsyourauntie · 02/12/2019 14:37

This is always a bone of contention - are they open between those hours or are they serving food between those hours - I have always thought that it should be a lot clearer - so Closing time 10pm, last orders 9pm, so you know that you only have an hour if you go in at that time and the staff are expecting to work til 10pm.

Our local McD's, before they went 24/7 they would state closing time 11pm. You would go in at 10.30pm and they would say that they were closed or had finished cooking as had to clean up. We used to say but if you are open til 11pm, you should be serving til 11pm

Our local pub says "food served 7-9pm" and won't take any orders past 9pm. Once you are in the system of course you can order subsequent courses past that time.

When I worked as a waitress that worked quite well. I expected to work until the last person left, so often until 10.30-11pm if people ordered late.

I think your sister would be doing herself, her staff and her customers all a favour if she clarified the situation. I think she should say last orders at 9 but closing at 10pm. If people want 3 courses then they need to get in earlier than 9. Or your sister stays open til people are gone and advises the staff of her expectations.

BigChocFrenzy · 02/12/2019 14:39

Maybe put "last orders for mains at 9:30" ?

Then people know they can still order pud, coffee, drinks etc

BigChocFrenzy · 02/12/2019 14:41

Ah, îf she wants them out by 10pm, that would need to be
"last orders for mains at 9:00"

runoutofnamechanges · 02/12/2019 15:32

IME (London) normal for restaurants to give a time for last orders/when the kitchen closes rather than just a closing time. If they don't, the rule of thumb is that the last orders (other than desserts) are 30 minutes before the closing time, although I would usually check that if I was planning on arriving late.

TBH, if a restaurant (rather than cafe) said it closed at 9.30pm, I would assume that meant the kitchen rather than the restaurant as it is so early! But then, if I didn't check and turned up at 9.25pm, if front of house turned me away, I wouldn't complain.

How does your DS manage to have more than one sitting per table if she closes at 9.30pm? I would expect to have a table for at least an hour and a half for dinner. Not many people will want to eat out before 7pm so most tables will be in use until 8.30pm/9pm from just the first sitting.

heartsonacake · 02/12/2019 15:54

Of course it’s unreasonable. 9.30pm is closing time, ie. the time the business closes. So no, considering you can’t eat a full course meal in 5 minutes, one would be very unreasonable to do this.

It’s very selfish and entitled.

doritosdip · 02/12/2019 16:06

You mean a sit down meal not fast food right? I would have thought 5 minutes before closing they were cleaning in the kitchen

Dustarr73 · 02/12/2019 16:28

Is it really worth opening for 4 1/2 hours.Thats just a small timeframe.To me open earlier and close at 9.30.Or keep it open till 10.30.

adaline · 02/12/2019 16:39

Is it really worth opening for 4 1/2 hours. Thats just a small timeframe. To me open earlier and close at 9.30. Or keep it open till 10.30.

If you make no/very little money outside of that timeframe, there's no point opening any longer, though. Staffing costs, basic overheads etc. add up and if you're a small business, there's no point paying out those costs if you're not likely to even break even.

There's no point opening at say, 3pm if you're only going to get a handful of customers between then and 6pm. Businesses need to cover costs - once you've paid out for a waitress, a chef, a manager, food, electricity etc. for that time period, you could easily make a loss if you only have a few paying customers in.

Mlou32 · 02/12/2019 17:04

No! I wouldn't have the brass neck to do this! That just means that staff who are meant to get home to their families, catch the last bus home etc won't be able to.

halcyondays · 02/12/2019 17:10

Can’t they just say, sorry but we close in 5 minutes?
You wouldn’t go to the supermarket 5 minutes before closing and expect to spend an hour doing a big shop.

WiddlinDiddlin · 02/12/2019 17:15

Then your sister is very silly in not posting a 'kitchen closes at xyz' time and making it clear last orders into the kitchen need to be before that time.

Her own fault then if people assume 'open until 9.30pm' means 'serving food until 9.30pm' when she actually means 'open until 9.30pm, last food orders at 8.30pm'.

BuildBuildings · 02/12/2019 17:17

Yes

PhilomenaChristmasPie · 02/12/2019 17:19

Of course.

Amanduh · 02/12/2019 17:25

Well if people turn up at 9.25 and order, they probably assume you’re not actually closing?
Why on earth would you let people in at 9.25 and allow them to order if you were closing in 5 minutes? Confused