What does restaurant "closing time" mean?

[Anonymous]

Last seating? Kitchen shuts down? Doors locked and lights out?

Had a 1:30 lunch reservation yesterday. When we arrived (5 minutes early), we were rather brusquely informed by the hostess that they'd be shutting down brunch service at 2 to prepare for the dinner shift. I was confused and asked whether they were going to honor our reservation or not; she said they were but wanted to make sure we were aware of the closing time. To be honest, I hadn't been aware they closed between brunch and dinner service, but it never occurred to me a fairly upscale restaurant would accept a reservation and then not be prepared to give the patron the full experience. We considered leaving because we while we weren't intending to linger over multiple courses, we weren't looking for a quick in/out either. But we decided to stay and our server greeted us and seemed friendly (or at least not annoyed that we were... dining under the reservation we made days ago). We ordered our drinks and meals and midway through eating (right around 2), she dropped off the check and informed us the kitchen just closed - no offer of coffee or dessert. We paid up and left (and tipped her 20% because the service was otherwise decent and I know she doesn't make the rules) but the whole thing was off-putting.

Many years ago I worked at a high end, non-chain steakhouse. If we closed at 10, anybody could walk in up to 9:59 and get seated and given the full experience. I thought that was normal, but maybe not?

[Anonymous]

It is considered polite to make reservations at least an hour before closing time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is considered polite to make reservations at least an hour before closing time.

they shouldn't allow reservations if they aren't open

[Anonymous]

I think it's on the restaurant to not take the reservation, so I wouldn't feel bad about some 17 year old kid who wants to get off their shift at 2 on the dot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's on the restaurant to not take the reservation, so I wouldn't feel bad about some 17 year old kid who wants to get off their shift at 2 on the dot.

Women like you are the ones having fits and yelling at 17 year old kids who have nothing to do with the restaurant's rules or policies. Grow up and stop being rude to teenagers doing a job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last seating? Kitchen shuts down? Doors locked and lights out?

Had a 1:30 lunch reservation yesterday. When we arrived (5 minutes early), we were rather brusquely informed by the hostess that they'd be shutting down brunch service at 2 to prepare for the dinner shift. I was confused and asked whether they were going to honor our reservation or not; she said they were but wanted to make sure we were aware of the closing time. To be honest, I hadn't been aware they closed between brunch and dinner service, but it never occurred to me a fairly upscale restaurant would accept a reservation and then not be prepared to give the patron the full experience. We considered leaving because we while we weren't intending to linger over multiple courses, we weren't looking for a quick in/out either. But we decided to stay and our server greeted us and seemed friendly (or at least not annoyed that we were... dining under the reservation we made days ago). We ordered our drinks and meals and midway through eating (right around 2), she dropped off the check and informed us the kitchen just closed - no offer of coffee or dessert. We paid up and left (and tipped her 20% because the service was otherwise decent and I know she doesn't make the rules) but the whole thing was off-putting.

Many years ago I worked at a high end, non-chain steakhouse. If we closed at 10, anybody could walk in up to 9:59 and get seated and given the full experience. I thought that was normal, but maybe not?

Your high end steak house got away with making the kitchen staff work late. Now, either the kitchen closes or you pay more to keep them late, or your quality disappears as line cooks go to places where the hours are the hours or the pay is higher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's on the restaurant to not take the reservation, so I wouldn't feel bad about some 17 year old kid who wants to get off their shift at 2 on the dot.

Women like you are the ones having fits and yelling at 17 year old kids who have nothing to do with the restaurant's rules or policies. Grow up and stop being rude to teenagers doing a job.

ok, lady. Get over yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's on the restaurant to not take the reservation, so I wouldn't feel bad about some 17 year old kid who wants to get off their shift at 2 on the dot.

Women like you are the ones having fits and yelling at 17 year old kids who have nothing to do with the restaurant's rules or policies. Grow up and stop being rude to teenagers doing a job.

ok, lady. Get over yourself.

I am over myself. I'm not an asshat making up assumptions that a 17 year old actually makes the rules. Try being kind to people in the service industry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last seating? Kitchen shuts down? Doors locked and lights out?

Had a 1:30 lunch reservation yesterday. When we arrived (5 minutes early), we were rather brusquely informed by the hostess that they'd be shutting down brunch service at 2 to prepare for the dinner shift. I was confused and asked whether they were going to honor our reservation or not; she said they were but wanted to make sure we were aware of the closing time. To be honest, I hadn't been aware they closed between brunch and dinner service, but it never occurred to me a fairly upscale restaurant would accept a reservation and then not be prepared to give the patron the full experience. We considered leaving because we while we weren't intending to linger over multiple courses, we weren't looking for a quick in/out either. But we decided to stay and our server greeted us and seemed friendly (or at least not annoyed that we were... dining under the reservation we made days ago). We ordered our drinks and meals and midway through eating (right around 2), she dropped off the check and informed us the kitchen just closed - no offer of coffee or dessert. We paid up and left (and tipped her 20% because the service was otherwise decent and I know she doesn't make the rules) but the whole thing was off-putting.

Many years ago I worked at a high end, non-chain steakhouse. If we closed at 10, anybody could walk in up to 9:59 and get seated and given the full experience. I thought that was normal, but maybe not?

This is not uncommon, but it's a really, really shitty thing to do to the staff. I think there should be a "kitchen closes" time on every restaurant's website, so it's very clear that no food will be coming out after that time.

That said, I think it is odd that the restaurant you went to today accepted a reservation for 1:30 but was so terse about the "kitchen closing" time. If they've encountered problems with this, they should stop accepting reservations at 1 pm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is considered polite to make reservations at least an hour before closing time.

(OP) If they had told me when I made the reservation that the latest they could accommodate was 1 PM, that would have been fine!

[Anonymous]

If they are not prepared to offer a full service experience at 1:30 they should stop reservations at 1. If you just walk in at 1:30, it is fine to let you know what the situation is and let you decide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's on the restaurant to not take the reservation, so I wouldn't feel bad about some 17 year old kid who wants to get off their shift at 2 on the dot.

Women like you are the ones having fits and yelling at 17 year old kids who have nothing to do with the restaurant's rules or policies. Grow up and stop being rude to teenagers doing a job.

ok, lady. Get over yourself.

I am over myself. I'm not an asshat making up assumptions that a 17 year old actually makes the rules. Try being kind to people in the service industry.

No, you're just an asshat making assumptions that I'm rude to people in the service industry. See you at the annual ass-hattery meeting.

[Anonymous]

Closing time, open all the doors
And let you out into the world
Closing time, turn all of the lights on
Over every boy and every girl
Closing time, one last call for alcohol
So, finish your whiskey or beer
Closing time, you don't have to go home
But you can't stay here...

[Anonymous]

That’s definitely on the restaurant. They should have a disclaimer on the reservation platforms or tell you on the phone that the kitchen closes at x and last reservation or last seating, is at Y.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If they are not prepared to offer a full service experience at 1:30 they should stop reservations at 1. If you just walk in at 1:30, it is fine to let you know what the situation is and let you decide.

This.
FWIW, I've worked in the restaurant business and like a PP said, if we closed at 10 but a patron entered at 9:59 it was expected that they'd get the full experience. It's rude of the patron and we staff didn't like it but would deal with it.

It's also rude for patrons to linger at a table long after they're finished but that's another story.