Restaurant shop at closing time

Has anyone ever had a shop where you enter a restaurant 10 minutes prior to closing? I will be doing my 1st one tonight and not sure what to expect. This is a popular restaurant that closes at midnight. We are to arrive at 11:50. We must have an appetizer or a dessert and a meal. Obviously, even if we eat as fast as possible we will be there until at least 12:30. What if they refuse to wait on us since it is so close to closing time. Just wondering about other's experiences here.

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How you are treated is precisely what is being evaluated. If a restaurant closes at a specified time, that is supposed to be the time at which they stop serving. If you are in before that time you should be served and treated as a valued guest, just as if you had appeared 3 hours before. You may find they are 'sold out' of some items, and that is to be expected as normal. But they should be able to handle your meal graciously and politely--even though it may make them an hour late getting home themselves.

Apparently there are different standards as you move up the fine dining ladder. Some restaurants close their kitchens an hour before the posted closing time. Others keep the kitchen open through closing time. I learned, the frustrating way, best to call ahead for any restaurant if you plan to be dining late and verify their policy. The locations bar hours for example could run several hours after the kitchen closes.

My posts are solely based on my opinions and for my entertainment, contact a professional if you need real advice.

When you get in debt you become a slave. - Andrew Jackson

I used to work at Red Lobster PT along with my FT job. The restaurant closed at 11 p.m. but if someone came to the door at 10:55 p.m., we were told to let them come in.

From their ordering, appetizer, drinks, dinner and dessert, plus relaxing afterwards, this could put us in the dining room to almost 1:00 a.m. and you could not rush the customer(s) and had to allow them to fully enjoy their meal.

I wouldn't recommend calling and asking about closing policy unless the guidelines said too since the shop is supposed to be performed near closing. Now if it were an anytime shop and the OP chose to go near closing that would be different.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/04/2016 01:50PM by wwin.

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Restaurant shop at closing time

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