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IF you go just before closing expect to have your meal rushed out to you and your service to be prompt. They want to get you out of there. Sorry, it's true. Make sure you tip well too.

Yeah, after a 10 hour shift, the last thing anyone wants is a single table to babysit for 15%.

I'm not a chef, and I've never been a server either, but when I was a barista at Starbucks, I dreaded these customers. It was a little different there - we could kick our customers out at closing time (they were welcome to stay at the tables outside as long as they wanted), but it was extremely annoying when people would come in five minutes before close, and half the store (ie: espresso machines, frap blenders, pastry case, etc.) had already been cleaned and shut down. Of course it was even worse when an entire group came in. I know sometimes it can't be helped, but most of the time, it can. I try to avoid doing it whenever possible.

We usually walk away from a restaurant when we see that it's 45 minutes before closing...unless it's our usual place we eat pho. We know that we're ordering our food, eating, and paying within 30-35 minutes. They ask if we're having the usual, we nod, so they don't give us a menu. I have seen them turn customers away before, however.

We've been denied entry to a restaurant 45 minutes before closing because the kitchen was closed at 9:00 p.m. We hadn't realized it closed so early on certain days -- you know, the kind of restaurant that has 4 different hours of operation every day of the week.

We once walked in 2 hours before a restaurant closed. By the time we were served our entree 20 minutes later, half the lights were turned off and the staff was vacuuming (electric) the carpet. We could not hear ourselves talk. I'm sure the 5 other tables felt weird too.

I think people may be a little more forgiving in this economic climate. None of the restaurants I frequent have closed, but based on some of your posts in a different thread on this topic, closings have been significant. I don't see a successful restaurant bending over backwards though -- then again, maybe they do and that's why they are successful...?

I won't do this unless I'm absolutely starving, and usually then it's the only option available and you gotta jump on it. My mom and I got so turned around in Caesar's when we went to Vegas a few weeks ago that by the time we figured out where we were/had gotten lost, there was pretty much only a few restaurants open, and when one place told us they were closed for the night, we were thrilled the place next door let us sit. The hostess's attitude was effing UNREAL - you don't roll your eyes when seating someone - but the server was really nice and we made sure to get in and get out as we were also practically falling asleep ourselves.

I only waited tables in 24-hour joints (classy, I know), but I always tip well to begin with, so I always keep their quality of life in mind when I do end up doing this, and I have no problem getting take out back to my house or even just a table or bench down the street.

However, in the opposite direction, my bf and I were out at our favorite Indian restaurant back in Pittsburgh when I still lived there, and we walked in around midnight, which actually wasn't bad since the place was open until 1. About 20 til 1, we were basically asked to pay our bill and leave, being hassled the whole time about how they close at 1 so they want to leave at 1. Worst server attitude of my LIFE, with absolutely no basis to the harassment. The most absurd part of that incident, though was that we hadn't received the check yet. We were still eating but close to done, and it took another 10 minutes after the harassment for them to bring the check, which we had to ask for.

I think that the level of acceptance of late customers depends a lot on whether a person is an owner (or otherwise shares in the profits) or is an employee. An owner would be more likely to want to bend over backwards to make the customer happy. But a chef who is just a chef and not an owner doesn't get any additional pay for staying later.

It might also depend on how far along they are with cleaning up after the last people ordered. If you walk in and there's no one there, they've probably started a lot of cleanup, and are hoping to get out early. If you walk in and there are plenty of customers, and everyone was just served, and you can order quickly, it's not as bad.

I'd rather have a place tell me what time the kitchen closes than what time they lock the doors. And if I am a late diner, I'd have no problem with them telling me that certain things aren't available because those sections are shut down. If the problem is that I'm really hungry in an unfamiliar city, I'd be fine with them making me a cold sandwich.

I've worked with chef-owners and my parents owned restaurants and I can honestly say the professional will NOT let you know that it totally sucks that someone came in 10 minutes before closing and they are only ones in the entire place an hour or two after closing. We will ALWAYS make you feel welcome and provide a great dining experience--hello, it's called the hospitality industry for a reason. But, hey we are people, too. I know people who work 9-5 jobs who start packing up at 4:45, I could be IM-ing with my sister, but at 4:50 she's signing off. Likewise, when it gets close to closing time, breaking down the line, the bar, the service area, etc. starts or has started. The customers are not or rather should not be aware of this, but the staff has already started closing duties--it's not just that workers want to go home, but the owners and managers don't want to keep 20-30 people on the clock any longer than necessary.

You said On the other hand paying customers, no matter if they walk in five minutes before closing, are still paying customers. Of course that's true, but there's a difference between a $400 dinner tab and a $75 tab. If you can't avoid being the last people at least spend some money the entire time you're in the restaurant and tip well. Don't linger after you've told the server that you're done. If you want to keep talking with your datefamily/colleague/client/mistress, go get an after dinner drink somewhere else, if you know that everythng is closed then take that as a sign.

Oh, and that chef-owner I worked for, would smile at the late-comers, welcome them, make the food, disappear into the back office and periodically poke his head out to ask the server "have they gone yet?"

Of course if you're Johnny Depp you know how to take care of your server when you stay way past closing.

@Cary--I meant that Cassaendra was eating quickly enough (within a half-hour), with the owner's knowledge, so that the crew could get out when the place was supposed to close--as opposed to someone lingering an hour after the restaurant locked its doors.

I wonder if people who do this in a really over the top and annoying way, like @sailordave said, coming in 5 minutes before the place closed, then staying for hours, have a kind of 'self-indulgent' mentality, and are doing it more to feel 'special' rather than because they need to.

if you're in the industry you'd understand..... the worse case scenario is, and i hate to say this ladies, because i'm a lady myself.... the two women who ask for water with lemon, share an entree - share a dessert and then sit there until you have to turn the music off, or dim the lights to give them the message..... i always hated having to say, "we're closing...." but sometimes people just didn't get it.

this is great, restaurant group therapy.

OH is a chef and is sooo sensitive to the needs of the kitchen when we go out. If it's an hour before close, he'll ask the staff if it's ok if we order. He would rather go hungry than be "That Guy."

I think he's a bit excessive, but ultimately right. It's not nice to show up at the last minute.

@janaatwg had the best idea. Call and give the restaurant the opportunity to accept or decline.

I disagree with the theory that you should "order more to make it worth the staff's time". Order something that is quick (NOT the 7 course tasting menu) eat it, pay your bill, and leave. Trust me when I tell you that when you order that $40 dollar cote-de-boeuf for two well done (cooking time 45 minutes) five minutes before close, and you hear slightly muted (or not muted at all) moans and curse words coming from the kitchen. Those moans and curse words ARE directed at you. DO NOT confuse them as moans of elation, or imagine them to be the line cooks saying "WOW, we get to cook something fabulous for these nice folks!"

If you think for a second, the people who are preparing your food are happy to mess up their stations when they should have been walking out the door to go do "that thing." THEY ARE NOT! Most people have the luxury of knowing when they are getting out of work, or when their employer wants them to work overtime... Line cooks do not, and you could make the argument that they chose their profession, and you would be right. But they will also be picking out and cooking the food you will be eating, with extreme malice and discontent.

The word is courtesy... don't at all costs, be an asshole... these good folks are cooking the food that you are going to eat. Order something easy (the fewer courses the better, and even better, something they don't have to break into their mise for, maybe soup or a sandwich) thank the staff for doing you the favor of staying open late FOR YOU because YOU.... don't own a watch... can't tell time... have no regard for other people's time.... are rude and insensitive.... Then tip them well, and leave. Keeping in mind the tipping will never mean anything to the kitchen staff.

I would never be one of those people. The management will never tell you you are being rude, hell they love it! But if you imagine the line cooks will give 2 pinches of rat shit that you get the garbage they wouldn't serve the rest of the night when you order 5 minutes to close... you would be sorely mistaken!

Many years ago, my wife and I flew to London with our 2-year-old (our one and only trip to Europe, alas) and then met some friends at a country inn in Kent. An attraction of the inn was a small but splendid restaurant. Our friends, Nancy and Rob, were stationed in France at the time, and they had ferried their 2 young children and their au pair across the Channel in 2 automobiles to meet us. The inn was our base for exploring the south of England before we returned to France with them. One day, our 2 vehicles were involved in a mishap in a roundabout, in which 1 of the vehicles was rendered inoperable. My wife, Rob, and the au pair used the operable vehicle to return with the 3 children to the inn, and I stayed behind with Nancy to attend to the damaged car and secure a rental car. The mishap occurred late in the afternoon of the Saturday before Easter, which complicated matters considerably because most repair shops were closed for the long weekend. It also was raining. When we finally returned to the inn, it was very late. But the innkeeper was waiting for us, having learned of our predicament from the other members of our group, and he had 2 snifters of Scotch in hand. And then he informed us that he had asked the chef to stay late in order to serve us dinner, long after all the other customers had departed. Twenty-five years later, I have no idea what we ate, but the extraordinary thoughtfulness of the innkeeper still brings tears to my eyes. Perhaps the chef was cursing us (and the innkeeper) all the while, but perhaps not.

@dbisping, I wish all restaurants would have signs that say when they stop serving. Because although a sign can say when a place closes, some places stop serving early. I agree that it's important to communicate with customers.
@jackalan that was a lovely story.

I think a lot of people don't understand that when a restaurant lists a closing time, that's when they want you out. They think that's the last seating time, or the last minute you can walk in. So they see nothing wrong with popping in 15 minutes before closing. Not in a malicious way, they just don't know.

But it's not just restaurants. I used to own a retail store and people would come in 5 minutes before closing and browse. Half-hour later, they'd leave without buying anything and I'd be muttering under my breath. It was bad enough when it was just me at closing but if it was an hourly employee, now collecting overtime...grrrrr...

Then again, I went to a restaurant that listed a late closing time, but the kitchen closed much earlier. The late close was for drinking, but if you thought you could pop in at 10 pm and get a pizza, you were out of luck. A little clarity on the restaurant's part would have been nice.

I remember one time I was working at a chain sandwich counter at the college I was attending, and we would get customers who would wander over and stare at the menu on the wall (completely ignoring the fact that the the meat counter was empty, the vegetable counter was closed and cleaned, everything put away and I'm sweeping the floor) and then order something, and look all dissapointed and try to wheedle a sandwhich out of me when I told them we were closed.

I was in the habit of stashing a sandwich for myself under the counter just before closing and was sitting on my milk crate thoroughly enjoying my sandwich after closing time when a customer appeared, and as usual asked if we were open, and I told him no, to which the usual reply of wheedling and whining came, this time about him having mean teachers that kept him late in class, etc. After my last repetition of "no, we're

Worst treatment I got near closing resulted in a firing. My husband and his best friend and I went into a Bennigan's near closing time (I can't remember just how close it was) and we were the only customers. The staff was hanging out around the bar. Instead of telling us they were no longer serving, they seated us. Then they ignored us. I'm not even sure if we got drinks or menus. We stayed for maybe 10 or 15 minutes then left. As we were leaving some smart ass in the group at the bar started clapping. We were pissed, of course, and made our way to the car and another restaurant.

The friend called the manager the next day and told him/her what happened. The smart ass got fired. I'm assuming that was not his first offense and sadly that kind of poor service is prolific in the Bennigan's organization, at least in my area.

I do appreciate it when restaurants post their last service time. If I'm arriving near closing time I ALWAYS ask if I/we can still be served and then get out as quickly as possible. I related it to the assholes that email me at 3:50 asking for something to be done - I'm done at 4- and invariably the task will take longer than 10 minutes to complete. Sometimes I play nice, sometimes I pretend I didn't see it and I go home.