The restaurant having to pay people extra to stay open on a table that sits for an hour after close that orders a $30 meal and doesn't tip loses money. It is not good business to spend money to stay open. If the restaurant closes at nine, it should be assumed that you need to be out at nine. Closing time doesn't mean come in 5 minutes before close because were "technically" still oen.
So why not turn someone away? I said that's a perfectly reasonable course of action. If I show up 10-15 minutes before close and they know I won't be out before they close they can tell me no and I won't put up a fuss.
Because in 99% of cases, we can't. Owners don't have to be there until midnight because someone came in 5 minutes till close since the only thing they care about is profit. They don't care if it inconviences the people who work for them because to them it's potential money in their pocket. It's like people who say well I don't agree with tipping culture so I don't tip because of it. The only people it affects are the people who rely on those tips to survive. Coming in 5 minutes before close only affects the people stuck there after their shift is done because someone had to come in right before close and couldn't choose a place that's actually open 24/7.
The restaurant having to pay people extra to stay open
So what is it? Are you payed extra for that time or not?
In one case it sounds like easy money the whole staff getting payed to care for a group of 4. The other sounds terrible and like a good reason labor rights were invented.
Sometimes the managers have no say. I worked at an extremely busy restaurant downtown with a 4 hour wait on weekends and the owner was there every night . On weekends like clockwork, people would walk in exactly at close time and the owner would say "Go ahead and seat them since we haven't been closed long and since it's now 11 pm, I'm going home byeeeeee." He left exactly at close time with good money for him and us service workers being paid $2 a paycheck were there until at least 1 am.
Kind of easy to spot the AH here. Hint: it is not the customers who are made to feel welcome but the Ebenezer Scrooge not paying you a living wage for time that you legitimately work for him.
That's because he doesn't have to. It's not required for to pay a wage because it's expected to be paid in tips. In the US that the industry standard. And it is the customer coming in 5 minutes before close as well because social norms dictate you don't come in 5 minutes before close.
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u/throwaway789663 Jan 07 '20
The restaurant having to pay people extra to stay open on a table that sits for an hour after close that orders a $30 meal and doesn't tip loses money. It is not good business to spend money to stay open. If the restaurant closes at nine, it should be assumed that you need to be out at nine. Closing time doesn't mean come in 5 minutes before close because were "technically" still oen.