Not So Closed Minded: The Series

(As a small casual dining restaurant, we get our fair share of rude or clueless customers. Note that even after closing time, we usually only lock the entrance door once we’ve finished all our closing duties and every employee is out the door. This sometimes results in a customer or two walking in past closing time while we’re cleaning up or even while we’re just about ready to head out. When that happens, we simply inform them that the kitchen is closed. Usually, they understand, maybe buy a ready-made combo from our front fridge if we have any left over, and leave. The following is a collection of stories in which certain customers have been… memorable. Incident #1. A customer walks up to our door, stares at our posted opening hours on the door for a while, checks his phone, stares at the opening hours again, and then finally opens the door and walks in.)

Coworker: “Sorry, sir, we’re closed.”

Customer #1: *with genuine surprise* “Really?”

(Incident #2:)

Customer #2: *walks in and grabs one of our menus to look over*

Cashier: “I’m sorry. As we’re closed, we can’t take any more orders.”

Customer #2: *huffs and puffs* “What? Why not?”

(The cashier explains our closing time and that the kitchen is closed for orders.)

Customer #2: *flustered and indignant* “Well, why didn’t you guys lock the doors, then, huh?! If I’m able to walk into here, then that means you’re open! You guys should be able to take my order! I don’t understand!”

(He continues to throw a fit until he finally leaves. Incident #3: We’ve finished all closing duties and everyone is gathered in the front with our bags as our manager flips off all our lights. Just before she goes to set the alarm, we hear the chime of the front door.)

Customer #3: *walks in, talking to her husband presumably*

Coworker: “Umm, we’re closed.”

Customer #3: *looks at all of us, startled* “You are?”

Us: *standing in the complete pitch dark with all our bags and none of us in uniform* “Yes.”

(Incident #4: In this one, it is the rare instance we do lock the door before we start closing duties, due to being so busy that it is past closing by the time we finish all our orders. A customer walks up to the door and starts jiggling the locked door unsuccessfully. One of my coworkers pauses her cleaning to go up to the door and speaks up to be heard through the glass.)

Coworker: “I’m sorry, madam! We’ve been closed for over thirty minutes!”

Customer #4: *sees my coworker approaching and starts shouting through the glass* “HI, YES, I WOULD LIKE TO ORDER ONE OF YOUR BOWLS, TO GO. I WANT THE SALMON ONE, WITH WHITE RICE—”

(Eventually, my coworker was able to get her to understand that we were closed.)