How Late Is Too Late To Dine?

How Late Is Too Late To Dine?

Zach Steffens
Jason Harper
Fort Hays State University

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How late is too late when going to a dine-in restaurant to eat. Some may
argue that they should serve until the posted closing time. Some may argue that
people should not come into a sit down restaurant within the last 15-20 minutes
before the restaurant closes. I say this because I work in a restaurant kitchen and
nothing is more annoying than when someone comes in while we are closing. An
example of this happening was last weekend when I was working, we were trying
to get things done so we could head home after a long day when we had a five top
ring in. Just when we had things wiped down, cleaned up, and some even put
away, we had to take it back out and make a mess again. This can be a pain for the
staff because not only does it dirty more dishes, but it can make our days longer
than they already are. Some people may argue that it is your job or that is the
reason that you are open so late but they must not understand what it is like
working in a restaurant until ten or eleven at night. I will further explain my
argument in the following paragraphs.
There are many reasons as to why customers should not walk into a
restaurant within fifteen to twenty minutes before they close. By that time the staff
is trying to get some of their closing checklist done so they do not have to be stuck
at work later than they have to be. The servers have more tables to clean or

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silverware to roll and the kitchen staff just has more dishes that they have to get
dirty and clean up. I do not know what a servers closing duties are, but I do know
that the kitchen staff has a long list and is usually the last to leave. Another reason
why people should not come in around closing time is because of restaurant
etiquette. What some people do not understand is that they are not the only ones
who may want relax after a long, menacing day. Some days, especially on
weekends, shifts can be really long. By the time closing time rolls around, the day
has already dragged on so the staff is anticipating getting out of there. When they
come in late it is just more work for the staff.
According to Distasteful Diners: A servers perspective by Hunter Harper,
customers of a restaurant rarely understand the background aspects of going into a
restaurant. All that the customer really sees is the frontage of how a restaurant is
run. According to Harper, customers show a huge disregard to the proper etiquette
of going to a restaurant. The late night stragglers that he, and many other
employees, strongly dislike are usually the rude ones and are the type of people to
stiff out or leave smaller tip amounts than what is probably necessary. He also
states in his article, that even though servers may not be happy with people coming
in late, the staff still serves them with a smile. Walking into a dine-in restaurant ten
minutes before they close just proves how ignorant some people can be. They think
that their food will be out quickly, but what they do not understand is that they are

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not in a fast food restaurant. Cooking the food will actually take time to do. This
and giving the customer time to eat, in turn, causes the closing process to take
longer than originally hoped.
In an article that we read in the class, American Jerk: Be Civil or Ill Beat
You to a Pulp, the author talks about the civility of mankind and how people are
losing the ability to be civil towards others. This article ties in with my topic
because the fact that some people choose to wait so long to go into a restaurant
could show how much that they only think about themselves and not about the
people who have to work. In this article the author talks about how people do not
really pay attention to what is happening around them. They focus on themselves
and what may benefit their own life. Who cares about being an inconvenience to
someone else right? Civility and proper etiquette are closely related to each other. I
believe that you cannot have one without the other. With both of these things, you
have to have an understanding and compassion for other people. Keep away from
the selfish thoughts and acts. Just think how much simpler life would be for
everyone if thought of other rather than just themselves.
When working in a restaurant, there are many things that go on behind the
scenes that customers are unaware of. Servers are responsible for rolling the
silverware, plating salads and desserts, and making sure that things are ready and
looking nice for customers. The kitchen staff is responsible for making sure dishes

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are clean, the fridges and cooler are stocked, and that the food is made to the
customers perfection. Most of the staff is college aged students or people trying to
provide for their families. By the end of a shift we are either super tired or have
homework that we need to get done. Sometimes it is both. I work at Thirstys Brew
Pub and Grill in Hays, Kansas and one thing we value is our customers
satisfaction. We make sure that everything is cooked and prepared as the customer
wants it. As important as their satisfaction is however, we also value getting out of
there at a decent time. When working a close shift, we can usually be done with
everything around thirty minutes after the restaurant closes, which is pretty good
timing. When people come in late, especially big parties of five to ten people, we
sometimes do not get off of work until about an hour or so after close. This is due
to having to wash the final dishes that had to be dirtied in order for them to eat.
Thirstys will not turn down a customer though as long as they show up before
closing time.
When it comes down to closing down a restaurant for the evening, the staff
member have their own needs and values that they need or at least would like to
attend to. I completely agree with the fact that, yes our closing time is posted and
people have the right to come in until said posted time. However, I also know what
goes through the minds of employees when a customer does happen to walk in.
The staff values having the time to get their side work and other duties done in a

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timely manner. When somebody walks in and orders food, it can take
concentration off of whatever was being done beforehand. Not only that, but when
a staff member is given a table so late, they are now having to focus on doing two
things. The employee has to make sure that their table is happy and taken care of,
and they have to get all their other work done too. The serving staff also values
making good tips and sometimes when a table comes in late, regardless of how
good the service may be, the table may not tip appropriately. This also ties in with
the previously discussed civility and understanding that many people may lack.
Values are not all that play roles in this discussion. Needs also have a role in
the closing process, such as the needs of the restaurant in order to close their doors.
Before any of the serving staff can go home for the night, they have to make sure
that all tables are wiped down, all the trash is picked up, all the silverware is rolled,
cups are put away and all final dishes have been taken to the kitchen staff to be
washed. The list of needs for the kitchen staff to leave is not as long, but what they
have to do takes more time. The kitchen needs to make sure dishes are put away,
everything is wiped down, and the kitchen is clean and mopped. However, these
two different types of employees do share the need of wanting to get off of work to
go home to their families or students needing to get homework done. Also,
With as many arguments as there are to state why customers should not
come in within the last thirty minutes a dine-in restaurant is open, there are also

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plenty of reasons as to why it should not matter what time they come in, as long as
it is before the posted closing time. According to the article Dining Out Near
Closing Time: How Late Is Too Late? food critic Robert Sietsema stated that if a
restaurant did not want serve until the posted closing time, then they should do
what some laundromats do, and post a sign stating what time the last meal to be
cooked or ordered would be. Some people, when coming in late, may get the sense
of feeling rushed to eat their food, but that is not their fault. The servers who are
working should not try to rush them for it is their job to provide quality customer
service. It is also their job to seat and serve anyone who comes in until closing time
arrives. This article also states that if a customer knows they will be coming in late,
one way to help out the staff is by calling ahead of time.
Another article that I had read, titled Feeding the Night Owls, had stated
that late night dining is becoming a bigger trend among the younger crowd. It is
also popular among people who are up in the late night hours consuming alcohol.
In cities such as New York, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles, late night dining areas
are already pretty common. Since businesses in these places have had quite a bit of
success, more late night dining businesses have opened up in smaller cities.
According to surveys taken, males are likely to eat later than women and over sixty
percent of late night diners are aged thirty-four or younger. The reason people go
into restaurants at a later time is because they want something that is better than

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fast food. I can understand this because sometimes fast food just is not enough, but
it is all that is available. Especially when you get hungry in the late night hour.
In many restaurants, when it comes to the posted closing time, that is when
most staff members would like to be leaving. Unfortunately that is not the case and
most customers and staff do not see eye to eye because of this. Customers will see
this posted time as the last time that someone can be seated. If posted otherwise,
they are not wrong. Any restaurant that has employees that want to get off of work
at that time should post a sign stating when the last seating will be. Since most late
night dining places do not have this posted, customers that come in late are treated
more disrespectfully than customers who come in at an earlier time. If were to ask
anyone on their opinion of this subject, they would most likely tell you the exact
same thing. The customer that gets treats poorly is most likely to be the one that
will stiff out on giving tips, or they will leave a less than satisfactory tip for their
server. Of course it is not possible to please everyone, but every customer deserves
to be treated with respect. Of all things, respect and quality service is expected of
the staff when going into a restaurant, or any business for that matter, regardless of
whether it is close to the posted closing time, or if it is many hours beforehand.
To conclude this argumentative essay about why people should not go into a
dine-in restaurant, I am going to sum up the major key points of this paper.
Whenever you are going out to eat, do not just think of yourself. Yes, the posted

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closing time should be when the last person can sit down, but in most cases that is
when the staff would like to start getting their final closing duties started so they
can leave as soon as possible. Also, if you are looking for something fast, go to a
fast food restaurant. It takes time to cook the food at a dine-in restaurant, especially
during the late hours close to closing time. There are a lot of people who would
like to argue otherwise, and their arguments are very well justified. Unless the sign
outside of the restaurant is posted otherwise, the last seating is when at the posted
closing time. Customers should not feel rushed when coming into eat. They should
feel welcome regardless of what time it is. With all of this information that has
enlightened you on why people should not go into a dine-in restaurant, hopefully
you will think of these things when wanting to go dining close to the closing hour.
Be considerate, think of others, tip your servers well, and above all, do not be one
of jerks that made me decide to write my paper over this topic.

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Sources
FHSU central authentication service. Retrieved December 9, 2016, from
http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.fhsu.edu:2048/ehost/detail/detail?sid=8cc2cd0
6-8c4a-4b82-8ecca89c0080462c%40sessionmgr105&vid=0&hid=127&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3Q
tbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=28817807&db=b9h
FHSU central authentication service. Retrieved December 9, 2016, from
http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.fhsu.edu:2048/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=
cba8bce6-9c72-4cd6-8190-da11103b2585%40sessionmgr120&vid=1&hid=127
Harper, H. (2015). Distasteful Diners: A server's perspective. Retrieved December
09, 2016, from http://ncclinked.com/2015/05/11/distasteful-diners-a-serversperspective/
Meghan Isaacson- former restaurant employee
My own personal experience
Schwartz, T., Humanities, O., & Publications, O. (2009, August 6). Utne.
Retrieved December 9, 2016, from http://www.utne.com/arts/american-jerk-becivil-or-ill-beat-you-to-a-pulp?pageid=1#PageContent1
Shilcutt, K. (2016). Dining Out Near Closing Time: How Late Is Too Late?
Retrieved December 09, 2016, from

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http://www.houstonpress.com/restaurants/dining-out-near-closing-time-how-lateis-too-late-6407033