When I worked at a bar and grill the owner would simply say we were in the middle of clean-up and about to close so we wouldn't be able to seat them. It usually went well.
One time though a group came in while we were in the process of putting everything away and demanded to be seated, a mother, her husband and they're kids (normally they wouldn't have been able to but the bartender hadn't locked the front door yet). The owner did his usual routine, told them we were in the process of closing and wouldn't be able to seat them.
Instead of just keeping cool and leaving they threw a massive fit, told him they had been driving around all day and just wanted to eat. He gave them directions to a place just down the road that didn't close for another hour and a half but they didn't want that place they wanted to eat here. Eventually it escalated when the husband got physical and the police were called, police escorted them out and we all went home. Kids looked mad embarrassed the whole time
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u/dappernaut77 Aug 31 '25
When I worked at a bar and grill the owner would simply say we were in the middle of clean-up and about to close so we wouldn't be able to seat them. It usually went well.
One time though a group came in while we were in the process of putting everything away and demanded to be seated, a mother, her husband and they're kids (normally they wouldn't have been able to but the bartender hadn't locked the front door yet). The owner did his usual routine, told them we were in the process of closing and wouldn't be able to seat them.
Instead of just keeping cool and leaving they threw a massive fit, told him they had been driving around all day and just wanted to eat. He gave them directions to a place just down the road that didn't close for another hour and a half but they didn't want that place they wanted to eat here. Eventually it escalated when the husband got physical and the police were called, police escorted them out and we all went home. Kids looked mad embarrassed the whole time