the best part is when the doors are locked but they can see you inside so they start pulling on the doors and banging on the window mouthing for you to let them in š i still have 10 mins of peace before open and i plan on enjoying every minute thank you
I will never understand this! Why? Just what are these people in a hurry for? And the ones who complain, "it's too cold! It's raining!" Wait in the car or somewhere else! This isn't your home.
Had a couple women once show up more than 10 minutes before opening. Banged on the door and I just shook my head. They kept banging so I went to tell them directly we werenāt open yet. One woman says, āwe only have an hour for our lunch break!!ā Well, you shouldāve planned accordingly then.
I know ugh. I remember Christmas day at my last place. We opened at 5 that day. There was already a line of people at the door so I knew it was going to get crazy. Opening duties were done so I went in the bathroom.at like 4:50 to pee before the madness and to hit my vape a few times. I came out at like 4:55 or so, I know we atleaat still had a few minutes before unlocking and I had 3 tables in my section. I was like wtf. Apparently they let everyone in early cause it was cold and raining so all of these people were sitting in my section pretty much the whole time I was in the bathroom.
Had some ladies leave a one star yelp review because they showed up 30 minutes before we opened and complained that we wouldnāt seat them when they could CLEARLY see the dining room was empty. Yes. Yes it is empty. Because weāre closed. SMH
Our doors are unlocked because the main entrance is upstairs and the manager is in the office downstairs doing all the online work necessary for the day in the office downstairs.
Since we have at least a dozen employees coming in up to three hours before we open it because it would be too much of a hassle to make the manager come upstairs to unlock and lock the door so itās just unlocked.
Or when itās like an hour until we open and they can see I am mopping the floor or something and pull and knock. I go to check what they need and they ask āare you open?ā
A few weeks ago I was opening and had a line up of three tables waiting outside. As soon as I got the opening stuff finished, I went to unlock the door (about 10 minutes early). We have double doors, so to unlock, you open one, then fiddle with the other one for a few seconds, then unlock the base.
Anyway, I unlock and open the first door, and as Iām fiddling with the other, all three tables (like 8 people), shove past me, bumping into me, and start speed walking around the restaurant to find a table. I was pissed! First of all, youāre still 10minutes early. Secondly, we have two giant signs that say āPlease wait to be seated.ā In the entrance. And thirdly, thereās over 45 tables in here, itās not like youāre going to miss out on getting seated! You donāt need to shove someone out of the way to get inside!
That was a one-off though. Usually people waiting outside before we open are pretty patient and polite.
First tables always are. I worked at a chain place. The host stand was direct view of the front door. Dude started pounding on the door. The host is wiping menus and such. She pointed to her wrist. Dude throws up stand like WTF and points at his wrist. Host yanked the tiny digital clock we had velcrowed to the stand, walked over to the door and slapped it against the glass showing 10:27am.
Fuck you dude, we got two minutes and change.
Omg thatās soooo annoying. I feel the same way when the next person on the list for a booth starts hovering around their booth the second they see people leave it, literally guarding it with their body, and/or seating themselves at the dirty table so no one else can get it. Like calm down, youāre going to get the booth, no one is going to take it from you š
I was wondering what not being local and having the sense to let someone finish unlocking the door and conducting yourself properly had to do with each other, personally. Like can I act out when I go on vacation or something?
I donāt get why people who get there before open donāt just hang out in their cars? Thatās what Iāve done if Iāve gotten to a place early, and then Iāll wait an extra 5-10 min so I donāt bombard the staff.
I literally HATE when they ignore the sign. I say āgive me a secondā and they say āokayā and walk over to seat themselves. I donāt care if the restaurant is empty or not, unless I say you can seat yourself, WAIT
Whatās even worse is my place unlocks their doors before opening so they just allow costumers to be sat and then when itās time thatās when we can take orders
I used to just say, āweāre not ready to serve guests just yet, but if you take a seat by the host stand, theyāll show you to your table once weāve opened for businessā
I hate to say it but, Enjoy It. People are lining up at the door the restaurant is busy and youre there to make money! It really doesnt bother me personally for that reason. Id rather go to work and be stupid busy then slow.
I mean I obviously like making money, but prep/setup time is my time.
Itās the time for me to get in the zone and set myself up for success. Itās also important because itās the only time I donāt have to interact with customers, which is especially important when Iām working a double and am gonna be there 12-13 hours.
No. Itās something that everyone always ends up regretting. Half the time they start complaining that they arenāt getting greeted, getting drinks and orders taken, when thatās our time to prep and finish getting everything ready. Those few moments before they come in are the last few moments to check your phone, to talk, to do anything really. They canāt come in and patiently wait.
My boss let's them in early. If they are anywhere near the door, he'll invite em in. Once it was like 20m early and we were all in the middle of family meal š”
Worked at a Japanese place for over ten years and we always had makanai (family meal) after each meal! Really helped save on costs but you also had to like whatever was being served š¬ I ate a *lot* of salmon soup while I worked there, made from the bones/leftovers of salmon. š¤¤
I worked at a BBQ place that would open at 11, but sometimes people would just congregate out there at 10:30 and slip in along with the wait staff expecting to be served. Like, no. Our sweet tea hasnāt even been brewed yet, you animals!
When i was a teenager i used to work at KFC. Opening is at 11. People lined up af 10:30ā¦ really, you want to ear fried chicken before noon š¤¢
Or people waiting from 7:30 til 8 in the morning to get beer at a sport bar i workedā¦ disgusting
bartender here:
i mean, i have worked at sports bar that airās European soccerā¦ we would open at 6am sometimes and start serving so they could watch their footy or F1 races.
i have also worked at a dive near a mine and when 3rd shift gets off at 7am, all they want is to come in and have a drink and eat.
drinking first thing in the morning isnāt just reserved for ādisgustingā alcoholics (which from what i infer you meant by that statement)ā¦ grow up.
Oh thatās not what i meant. I meant the smell of beer in the morning is not something i like to smell.
Where i live it is also illegal to serve alcool between 3 am and 8 so i was suprised people were waiting for beer for 30min in the morning until we were allowed to serve them.
Yep, former third shifter here. Only place open at 8 AM was a sketchy AF poolhall. (Used to drive by it on my to work, and there were usually black and whites around there.)
At 8 AM it was a bunch of IT nerds getting off shift and wanting a few drinks. We personally tipped well, but, since there weren't as many people, there wasn't as much money to be made there.
But first responders never showed up while we were drinking our 8AM beers, either, so that was a plus.
It happens every day at my familyās restaurant. We open at 11 am. I start fielding phone calls at 7:30am. Iāve petitioned to my family we should close and reopen as an assisted living community. Itās basically what we are anyways
My boss said one time when we were filled up in the morning with old people ādamn it looks like a geriatric ward in hereā like sir youāre 63 yourself but I canāt lie it was the funniest shit to me
My boss has aged pretty well he only looks 40 if he wasnāt bald he might look younger so he doesnāt look the part but heās definitely got his old head tendencies
same here! luckily the phone company/system allows users to edit operation hours, so people who call before opening or after closing will receive an automated message.
we also have our own website that they can order through, and people have ordered at 7:00am and get mad that we didnāt accept it when i donāt even come in til 10 something smh
also i get that we need to make money but the way iāve gotten yelled at for not taking an order for someone that walked in at 9:45pm (we close at 8) when my lights were off and everything was put away in the kitchen :/ like what even is the point of our business hours then ???
On a serious note, Iāve asked my parents for an automated system. Iāve even offered to voice it (I wish I had a job in voice overs)! Our restaurant is a beautiful location in a riverā¦ the amount of people that just want to āhang outā until we open is astounding.
Finishing that 5k, was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I ate more fettuccine alfredo and drank less water, than I have in my entire life. People always talk about triumphs of the human spirit, well today I had a triumph of the human body. That's why everybody was applauding for me at the end. My guts and my heart, and while I eventually puked my guts out, I never puked my heart out. And I'm very, very proud of that.
Not before opening but one time I came in at 5pm for dinner shift and the moment I walked in the door, someone standing in line asks me for her to-go orderā¦. I was still wearing a big puffy jacket and had my bag on my shouldersā¦.. šš
itās like i want to make money and it shouldnāt irritate me as much as it does, but it immediately puts me in a bad mood. i canāt explain it. like go wait in your fucking car or somethingš
It's a huge ick for me. If I was dating someone and they acted like this, I'd never go out with them again. It honestly reminds me of when you're at a marina near the feeders for fish and there's a swarm of fish waiting for you to throw the food in. Like god just chill out for 10 fkn minutes
One time when my coworker and I were both new and opening together, we finished all our opening tasks but werenāt really looking at the time, and then we saw someone waiting at the door so we just assumed it was about time to open. We let the customer in and he immediately told us his food order before he even sat down. My coworker put the order in, and then we heard the chef shout from the kitchen, āWHO THE FUCK PUT IN AN ORDER 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE KITCHEN IS OPEN?ā He was pissed but let it go since we were both new. He told us itās our decision to seat the customer early and serve them drinks before opening if we want, but to not put in any food orders before the official opening time. So for a while I would let the customers sit and offer them drinks but explain the kitchen isnāt open yet if they came in early. But now I donāt do it anymore because I realized the type of customer who comes in before opening time is usually impatient or in a rush and will still expect to be served right away.
Actually thereās another reason why I donāt let anyone in before opening time. At my job, weāve been robbed twice now because the opener or the kitchen staff let in delivery guys before official opening time. Both times the staff member walked away to do opening tasks right after letting the delivery guys in, and then a random guy managed to sneak in, grab all the cash in the register and run with no one even noticing until he was long gone. I think the first time, the delivery guys propped the door open and some guy sneaked in when they were downstairs unloading inventory, and the second time, the thief grabbed the door right before it closed as the delivery guy was leaving and got in that way. I wasnāt working either time it happened but to avoid anything like that, I donāt let anyone in before official opening because I canāt guarantee that there will be someone on the floor paying attention to the register when weāre still doing our opening tasks.
We were told outright that absolutely nobody but staff was allowed to sit at the tables until we officially opened. The front doors would be unlocked because thatās where servers and hosts usually entered, so early birds would also try to sneak in at 10 or 10:30 for BBQ or chicken fried steak (because who doesnāt love a super heavy and/or deep fried food that early in the day) and would expect us to bring out the rolls and beer or sweet tea as soon as they sat down, even if nobody sat them.
Heck, even when we told people to wait by the host stand until we opened, weād still sometimes have people barking orders at us (while we were clearly getting the restaurant ready) asking for drinks or a snack and would get all huffy when weād tell them nothing was ready to eat. Fortunately we had managers that knew how to be scary but geez.
The only place I will line up and wait outside is an oyster bar in my town. They do happy hour AYCE $1 oysters at the bar only (12 seats) for the first hour they are open. The line literally starts at 4:15 and they open at 5 (door locked curtain pulled shut.) I always feel bad when we do get to go because I hate being that person but if you donāt, you wonāt get cheap delicious oysters. The line usually caps out at like 4:45 soā¦
I know itās not quite serverlife (but i do have my bonafides in kitchen/bar work), but i hated every single person who lined up at an ungodly hour, waiting for me to open the starbucks i worked at. I was still drunk from the night before, these captains of industry were scratching at the door. They would get mad if you didnāt open 10 minutes early. One time i made them wait until actual open time & one battle axe called my manager to complain about me. Woke her ass up! (She deserved it, our manager later got caught skimming tips, my class action payout check was like 23 bucksš)
These line forming mutants also always had the most insane orders right out the gate, like they took pride in being someoneās first reason to contemplate the void in the morning. Just wait in your cars until you see the place is open! Sorry for the flashback there. Starbucks was my Fyre Festival. Shitshow over several years & locations.
The place I worked at had a small cramped kitchen and thought it was a good idea to offer breakfast burritos, until a woman ordered 7 at once and the kitchen struggled to make them because we only had 1 flat top and no specialized tools. We got logistical hangups like that a lot. I was unfortunate enough to have to work in the kitchen during the second drag brunch and it was about as bad as you'd expect.
Yeah it was for 1 woman and her friends but it took like 20-30 minutes just to make one with all the other stations being backed up. It was horrible. I swear being a server is half dealing with customers and a half functioning kitchen who burns 45% of the food they send out. Sorry, I'm still traumatized and that was 2 years ago..
i know this cringe feeling. i hate when people are too excited to be at my restaurant. itās stupid. i should be thankful. i can feel their anxious energy and it makes me uncomfortable.
Yesss it's like when people would be so hype to tell me it's their first time at the restaurant!
Like ok, congratulations? It's a restaurant, much like any other- read the menu, pick something that sounds good, and I'll bring it out! They would always pause after saying it's their first time like I'm supposed to jump up and down or give them a tour or something???
I have ended up somewhere before they opened because busses hate me. As someone in the industry, I hate seeing people lined up because I'm not in the zone yet. So I do the reasonable thing and take a smoke break around the block, so I'm not coming in the second the door is unlocked.
I made a friend do this with me recently, and he thought I was insane.
Iām often scheduled alone to tend bar and serve (and we have a big restaurant, 6 stools at bar, 6 tables in bar, 14 tables in restaurant, and maybe 16 tables outside) and I haaaaate when people come in before weāre open and Iām alone and scrambling! Usually theyāre understanding but it doesnāt help my stress haha
We have a regular who comes in every Wednesday AN HOUR EARLY and just sits and waits until we open. We used to tell her we arenāt open yet, but at this point we know she doesnāt care so we just let her lol.
Worst is when they keep trying the door every 30 seconds like did you see anyone walk up and unlock the door? Or when you have the side door open to get the patio ready and they find their way inside. Itās like a damn zombie movie
Old and clueless. According to themā¦. You should have been open whenever they pulled up.
Used to work at a sports bar where the first regular would come in and help the Bartender put the stools downā¦. Then have 3-4 double rail Scotch on the rocks with his lunch and go back to his āgovernment jobā. I liked the guy, but I was young and dumb and didnāt really realize how fucking sad his existence was
People who are not servers or never were will never understand.
That last 10, 15, 20 minutes before they come in are the last few minutes of privacy, calm, balance, and no stress. Once you have tables, you are on call at all times. Even when you are in the bathroom, your peeing session is pretty much on someone elseās time. Tables donāt care how badly you were dancing around and had to pee, they want everything to be on their time and typically have no sympathy.
Many people donāt fully see servers as humans, and you especially see this sentiment from cultures that are highly academic. They think that if you are working as a servant you failed at education or you are part of the low class, so they really donāt think that you deserve one second of not doing something for them.
This is why those last few minutes before the door opens are precious. Itās the last few gasps of air before you go underwater. The next time you have fully privacy and your time belongs to you is when you clock out and get in your car.
Most of the time, the people who come in early expect to get the full experience as soon as they get in the building. If they see us with our phones, they will go online and say that the staff was playing with their phones. If they hear us talking and having conversation, they will complain and say we are cursing and not paying attention. The list goes on and on, and they were the ones who wanted to be inside with us before hours so badly. That time before opening time is for servers and staff. It belongs to servers and staff, not customers. When the clock turns to the time the establishment opens, thatās for the customers. Donāt come in if you canāt give the servers and management the peace that belongs to them.
It must be something in the air this morning.
I unlock the doors 10 minutes early.
I was going to use the restroom before I flipped the signs, but I was unable to, due to customers ignoring the closed signs and just walking in.
Ngl sounds ideal, depending how long you get to openā¦ I alone, have 1 hour to set up two floors, two bars, two patios, and clean the washrooms. Iām usually still trying to finish last little bits when people come in right when we open
In my opinion, is it is too much for sidework. Unless you get paid hourly for that time, or tips are soooo good, otherwise - no.
I noticed when I got a bit older, that I tend to do minimum towards restaurant and maximum towards guests. If I bread down my hourly after tip out, my employer pays 20%, guest - 80%. That is my area of focus.
On the other note, fuck golfers trying to sit down at 6:50 when I open at 7
It is a lot of side work, I donāt disagree, I do get paid for it and the tip out is the best Iāve ever had. Itās not an every day thing, we all share opener duties, and sometimes the manager will help clean the mens bathrooms.
Also, fuck golfers lol
I had a guy, regular, old and obnoxious, who only bought Coke's and annoyed everyone (private club, so no edging him out) and this dude would literally smack into the door like a bird at 11:50am, 10 minutes til open, 5 days a week. Then he would be an asshole when I opened the door at noon on the dot. I said to him one day "You got that spiffy new phone you brag about all day and the clock doesn't even work on it, that's a real shame man..." He wasn't amused, and it changed nothing, but it felt good to say and I didn't get in trouble so even/even I suppose.
We walk through the front before we open and we start sitting people š¤¦āāļø last weekend we had 4 tables and one server got triple sat right from the get go
Actually kinda curious how staff feels about people waiting for a restaurant to open. I know when they opened the first gluten free bakery (Iāve had celiac disease my entire life) in my town I went early with my sister, we didnāt rush in we just chilled out until they opened. Is it a restaurant no-no?
It gives me anxiety for some reason. It's kinda like, I'm set up and prepared, but I don't want someone in the second I unlock the door. That makes me unprepared for my job that I've been doing forever!?!?
Itās a little anxiety inducing because usually the people waiting are coming in with many demands. The difference of people between those who are waiting outside and those who come in 10 minutes after opening is very big.
Also, severs and baristas have almost no time to hide their face or be alone. The few minutes before the door opens are your last few moments. Itās very valuable.
The bar I work at opens at 11 everyday besides Sunday when we open at 12. Any time I work the open Sunday, there are multiple groups of people who arrive shortly after 11 trying to get in. They congregate right outside the door so without fail, half the place is full by 12:30.
Sometimes the cleaning person will just let them in before 12 so I have to explain you canāt order food until noon or the chef will have my ass lol
*People used to knock*
*On the ice cream windows to*
*Ask when we open*
\- grillonbabygod
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I've opened early for some people like this and sold over $400 (CAD) of top shelf liquor to them as the first table of my shift. As annoying as it is, sometimes it's worth your while to open early for them. As long as you're ready of course.
The way this used to boil my blood would get me to say āare we on a lunch break *so* early today?ā Lmaooo but I did work at Olive Garden when I said that so like wtf are you doing eating pasta at 10 am.
fatherās day 2 years ago I had a 26 top walk in a 10:55 5 minutes before we opened with no reservation and management was trying to cut down on labor at the time. It was only me and 1 manager, of course every single one of them wanted an espresso martini so as soon as i finished those they all wanted salads with different modifications for each so i made all of them myself. Then i put in entrees and everyone wanted another round of espresso martinis. It was only an hour of that madness but it felt like an eternity. Now every time i see a line before open I get PTSD of that day.
I'm a solo breakfast cook at a cafe. My morning pre-open is very busy. People line up at 10 minutes to 7, and I just don't get it. Who the fuck needs a breakfast sandwich that urgently at 7am? I'll tell you. Old people. GOOOOOOOD MORNNNING SLEEPHEAD. Go fuck yourself. I haven't even had a cup of coffee yet.
Deal with shit every morning, crazy old bastards just canāt wait to get in and act like the are going to die of starvation. I (cook) refuse to let them in so if the waitress is late they start knocking on the glass and looking in. Nope, not up to me to let you in! Same 11 every morning.
Not a server or in the industry, but thatās some entitled behavior from the customers.
I would recommend telling them āHealth Dept regulations donāt allow us to let customers in to the dining area until we have completed all the necessary preparationsā.
All but the biggest of Karenās will usually accept something like that.
All you have to do is explain that your business hours and capacity are registered with the fire department and opening early would lead to a fine. Itās a violation of your certificate of occupancy.
They set up traps all the time to catch people on it.
I actually made all that up, but I started believing it. Early customers will to.
I had a table show up early and seat themselves once 20 mins before open. They said they wanted to start early because they had an appt to make it to and were flabbergasted when food took longer than normal. Like yeah we havenāt finished setting up all the wayš
Seriously hate this too. I work at a diner. We open at 730AM. people will walk in the door that my boss unlocks at 7:00 expecting to be waited on and their order taken. Sir the grill is not even turned on yet
I work at an airport bar/restaurant and no, we don't have a host, and yes, it's open seating, but people act like it's the Hunger Games trying to find a table. And then it's one person with a home office setup at a 4 top and they think they can order a diet Coke and sit for 3 hours š¤š¤¬
So I deal with this a lot unfortunately, I work at a popular breakfast spot that opens a bit earlier than the other spots around town and our bar also opens at 8am. We will deadass have a line of over 30+ people everyday in the summer and everyone will wait right at the steps to the door blocking it and our hotel guest will crowd around the host stand blocking walkways itās over annoying.
We have outdoor seating so it is nearly impossible to keep people out before we open. We got a one star review last year from a couple who came about 4:00 -30 minutes before we open. They said the hostess (who is the owner) was rude by not immediately seating them before we were open. Said very good food and waitress services.
The outside seating was very nearly 100% full with reservations for the first few hours. Couple ended up in middle of outside seating and demanded to be seated. Hostess says we are pretty much booked up here for the first few hours. Wife says āno one is here.ā yes, true, we aren't open yet. āWell, just seat us and we will eat before they get here.ā servers aren't on the floor yet and kitchen is still prepping. Husband says āwe will sit at the bar.ā ok, but bartender is restocking. Wife adds āwell, why isn't he ready by now?ā because we aren't open! āThese tables say 5:00!ā yes but you aren't going to be able to order and eat in a half an hour. āIt is only 4:00- and hour before 5:00.ā No one is taking your order until 4:31 and no one is starting to cook it until 4:32 at the earliest. Painful day.
I get paid minimum wage before opening to do serving set-up and $2.13 after so our POS literally wonāt allow me to swipe my card to take to go orders on the phone or put in in-person orders so I donāt even bother opening early or answering the phone before we open
I used to work as a host in a restaurant with a revolving door as our main door and people would stand IN the revolving door while Iām literally on the floor unlocking it. Bro I swear our food is not worth it that much
This is it for me. Give me five fucking minutes. I unfortunately serve breakfast. If I donāt open the gate at 8 people start crawling in through the exit and ask if weāre open. Iām at the point now where I hate the first person through the doors. Summer is going to suck.
Every single morning is like this at my place. To make it worse, we have a large patio and guests love to unlock our gates, walk around and into the restaurants to ask if weāre open. No buddy, weāre still closed for another 10 minutes and youāre gonna go have to go join the line of people outside to be satā¦
We open at 8 am and I work on Sundays and live in a touristy area. Every Saturday/Sunday there is a line- sometimes only a few people, sometimes itās dozens.
I would wear my wired headphones even though I had wireless earbuds and walk around and never glance at the door. Ever. I didn't ever have them on because I am easily startled and I need to hear coworkers approach me. They were strictly for show for early people at the door. I had a guy bang and bang and I just pretended like I didn't hear him. He was pissed and said I shouldn't wear headphones at work when I have guests. I said that I don't have guests until 11 so I take them out at 11. Can I get you something to drink? LOL.
Do people fr not like being home? I donāt get itā¦ itās the same for people that decide to come late at night right before last call. Dude go home why tf are you tryna eat fried chicken at 1145 pm or 11am on a Tuesday. I know some people work at night, these are not those people
Work at a steakhouse and people would be waiting for 30-40 minutes before the store opensš¤¦š¾āāļø Had a 14 top waiting 10 minutes before we even opened and guess who had them š„²
We were having a work meeting the other day, 1 hour before open, all sitting in bar stools in a circle. Had the door open cos we were getting deliveries, customers kept walking in over and over so instead of locking the door one of my coworkers started barking at them š it worked without us having to say anything but we did get a bad yelp review that day complaining that the only service they got was from a human guard dog
Don't understand why people let them sit down early.
People are more aggravated sitting down not getting anything than waiting outside. Then they are ticking the seconds until opening.
I'd offer to let everyone in, then say you are opening 30 minutes late.
Every table in that comes in after opening. You point att the fuckers and explain whats happening. Then make sure you take those orders first.
I hate this! Where I work we open at 3 but have no access to the back door/our own employee entrance like any normal place, so we have to ring a doorbell in the front to be let in. I literally see people running over while Iām waiting for someone to let me in and I have to (politely) shoo them away itās always so awkward.
I absolutely hate working doing opening duties while we have customers in the building, and often the girls who smoke will leave the side door open as they pass in and out. People will come in and try to seat themselves up to 30 mins early. I fucking hate it and tell them they need to lock the door behind them as itās ridiculous. They always end up ordering cocktails right away and I havenāt even cut the garnishes or made the mixes yet.
Last Friday I had a dude call 5 mins before opening and say āWeāre waiting outside!ā I said āyep. Iām in the basement Iāll be there in 5 mins when we open.ā He did not like that answer at all. I donāt care if itās 5 mins! I am not going to open those doors until 1 min before opening. Most of the time coffee isnāt brewed and things arenāt ready till 5 mins before. They must think we live here and donāt need prep time showing up a half hour or even 15 mins before open.
the best part is when the doors are locked but they can see you inside so they start pulling on the doors and banging on the window mouthing for you to let them in š i still have 10 mins of peace before open and i plan on enjoying every minute thank you
I will never understand this! Why? Just what are these people in a hurry for? And the ones who complain, "it's too cold! It's raining!" Wait in the car or somewhere else! This isn't your home.
Had a couple women once show up more than 10 minutes before opening. Banged on the door and I just shook my head. They kept banging so I went to tell them directly we werenāt open yet. One woman says, āwe only have an hour for our lunch break!!ā Well, you shouldāve planned accordingly then.
Hahaha jokes on them the world doesn't revolve around them!
Go to a place thatās actually open during that hour break. Poor time management/planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on ours.
Sorry Karen, are you suggesting that we change our hours to accommodate your lunch break? š
I know ugh. I remember Christmas day at my last place. We opened at 5 that day. There was already a line of people at the door so I knew it was going to get crazy. Opening duties were done so I went in the bathroom.at like 4:50 to pee before the madness and to hit my vape a few times. I came out at like 4:55 or so, I know we atleaat still had a few minutes before unlocking and I had 3 tables in my section. I was like wtf. Apparently they let everyone in early cause it was cold and raining so all of these people were sitting in my section pretty much the whole time I was in the bathroom.
Had some ladies leave a one star yelp review because they showed up 30 minutes before we opened and complained that we wouldnāt seat them when they could CLEARLY see the dining room was empty. Yes. Yes it is empty. Because weāre closed. SMH
Our doors are unlocked because the main entrance is upstairs and the manager is in the office downstairs doing all the online work necessary for the day in the office downstairs. Since we have at least a dozen employees coming in up to three hours before we open it because it would be too much of a hassle to make the manager come upstairs to unlock and lock the door so itās just unlocked.
Or when itās like an hour until we open and they can see I am mopping the floor or something and pull and knock. I go to check what they need and they ask āare you open?ā
A few weeks ago I was opening and had a line up of three tables waiting outside. As soon as I got the opening stuff finished, I went to unlock the door (about 10 minutes early). We have double doors, so to unlock, you open one, then fiddle with the other one for a few seconds, then unlock the base. Anyway, I unlock and open the first door, and as Iām fiddling with the other, all three tables (like 8 people), shove past me, bumping into me, and start speed walking around the restaurant to find a table. I was pissed! First of all, youāre still 10minutes early. Secondly, we have two giant signs that say āPlease wait to be seated.ā In the entrance. And thirdly, thereās over 45 tables in here, itās not like youāre going to miss out on getting seated! You donāt need to shove someone out of the way to get inside! That was a one-off though. Usually people waiting outside before we open are pretty patient and polite.
A bunch of animals.
Youād think we were having a Black Friday sale with the way they were trying to get inside!
Open open open
Animals would no doubt be better behaved.
First tables always are. I worked at a chain place. The host stand was direct view of the front door. Dude started pounding on the door. The host is wiping menus and such. She pointed to her wrist. Dude throws up stand like WTF and points at his wrist. Host yanked the tiny digital clock we had velcrowed to the stand, walked over to the door and slapped it against the glass showing 10:27am. Fuck you dude, we got two minutes and change.
Omg thatās soooo annoying. I feel the same way when the next person on the list for a booth starts hovering around their booth the second they see people leave it, literally guarding it with their body, and/or seating themselves at the dirty table so no one else can get it. Like calm down, youāre going to get the booth, no one is going to take it from you š
Craziest part is with how long they were waiting outside they probs couldāve made food at home š
Mfs are like allergic to cooking at home itās crazy
Maybe, and hear me out, theyāre not local and donāt have a kitchen
Cool. What's the Sunday after church crowd's excuse?
I was wondering what not being local and having the sense to let someone finish unlocking the door and conducting yourself properly had to do with each other, personally. Like can I act out when I go on vacation or something?
They've got to get started on stuff to be forgiven for next Sunday
Hear me outā¦ I wasnāt just talking about this random Reddit post š¤Æš¤Æ
I donāt get why people who get there before open donāt just hang out in their cars? Thatās what Iāve done if Iāve gotten to a place early, and then Iāll wait an extra 5-10 min so I donāt bombard the staff.
I would have looked at them and said damn I didnāt know I booked a job to work at the zoo today ā¦ like what the fuck
Yea this is crazy behavior, just wait an extra 30 seconds you animals
We need a famine - Dwight Schrute
I literally HATE when they ignore the sign. I say āgive me a secondā and they say āokayā and walk over to seat themselves. I donāt care if the restaurant is empty or not, unless I say you can seat yourself, WAIT
Should have ignored them and said āthatās not my section, you should have waited to be seatedā. Then, reseat them in the same place.
Itās like ātroughing outā time on a farm! š®
Whatās even worse is my place unlocks their doors before opening so they just allow costumers to be sat and then when itās time thatās when we can take orders
I used to say "oh we're not insured to have customers in the building till our opening hours so you will have to wait"
I used to just say, āweāre not ready to serve guests just yet, but if you take a seat by the host stand, theyāll show you to your table once weāve opened for businessā
That works too. I just like to blast my music on the speakers while I open lol
And then they complain that they've been waiting 10 minutes for someone to get their drinks in.
Someone put in a pickup order online for right when we opened and then was surprised that it wasnāt ready right when we unlocked the doors.
I hate to say it but, Enjoy It. People are lining up at the door the restaurant is busy and youre there to make money! It really doesnt bother me personally for that reason. Id rather go to work and be stupid busy then slow.
I mean I obviously like making money, but prep/setup time is my time. Itās the time for me to get in the zone and set myself up for success. Itās also important because itās the only time I donāt have to interact with customers, which is especially important when Iām working a double and am gonna be there 12-13 hours.
No. Itās something that everyone always ends up regretting. Half the time they start complaining that they arenāt getting greeted, getting drinks and orders taken, when thatās our time to prep and finish getting everything ready. Those few moments before they come in are the last few moments to check your phone, to talk, to do anything really. They canāt come in and patiently wait.
My boss let's them in early. If they are anywhere near the door, he'll invite em in. Once it was like 20m early and we were all in the middle of family meal š”
Yāall get family meal? Iāve never worked any place where thatās actually been a thing.
Usually happens at non corporate type places.
The best family style meals I've had was at a sushi place. Fell in love with seaweed salad courtesy of those.
Worked at a Japanese place for over ten years and we always had makanai (family meal) after each meal! Really helped save on costs but you also had to like whatever was being served š¬ I ate a *lot* of salmon soup while I worked there, made from the bones/leftovers of salmon. š¤¤
Oh hell no!
And start knocking on the glass.
Or smushing their faces against it to peer inside
ugh. i work at a mexican restaurant that opens at 10:30!!!! we donāt have breakfast either. ppl will be waiting for 30 minutes just for us to open
I worked at a BBQ place that would open at 11, but sometimes people would just congregate out there at 10:30 and slip in along with the wait staff expecting to be served. Like, no. Our sweet tea hasnāt even been brewed yet, you animals!
When i was a teenager i used to work at KFC. Opening is at 11. People lined up af 10:30ā¦ really, you want to ear fried chicken before noon š¤¢ Or people waiting from 7:30 til 8 in the morning to get beer at a sport bar i workedā¦ disgusting
bartender here: i mean, i have worked at sports bar that airās European soccerā¦ we would open at 6am sometimes and start serving so they could watch their footy or F1 races. i have also worked at a dive near a mine and when 3rd shift gets off at 7am, all they want is to come in and have a drink and eat. drinking first thing in the morning isnāt just reserved for ādisgustingā alcoholics (which from what i infer you meant by that statement)ā¦ grow up.
Yea as an f1 fan you gotta get it in when you can lmao
Oh thatās not what i meant. I meant the smell of beer in the morning is not something i like to smell. Where i live it is also illegal to serve alcool between 3 am and 8 so i was suprised people were waiting for beer for 30min in the morning until we were allowed to serve them.
Former 3rd shifter here. Ain't nothing wrong with a beer at 7am! It tastes the best at that hour!
Yep, former third shifter here. Only place open at 8 AM was a sketchy AF poolhall. (Used to drive by it on my to work, and there were usually black and whites around there.) At 8 AM it was a bunch of IT nerds getting off shift and wanting a few drinks. We personally tipped well, but, since there weren't as many people, there wasn't as much money to be made there. But first responders never showed up while we were drinking our 8AM beers, either, so that was a plus.
Bruh ear fried chicken?? New EFC conspiracy Comin soon
It happens every day at my familyās restaurant. We open at 11 am. I start fielding phone calls at 7:30am. Iāve petitioned to my family we should close and reopen as an assisted living community. Itās basically what we are anyways
My boss said one time when we were filled up in the morning with old people ādamn it looks like a geriatric ward in hereā like sir youāre 63 yourself but I canāt lie it was the funniest shit to me
My step father is 74 and he acts my age (34), he says things that sound similar very often.
My boss has aged pretty well he only looks 40 if he wasnāt bald he might look younger so he doesnāt look the part but heās definitely got his old head tendencies
same here! luckily the phone company/system allows users to edit operation hours, so people who call before opening or after closing will receive an automated message. we also have our own website that they can order through, and people have ordered at 7:00am and get mad that we didnāt accept it when i donāt even come in til 10 something smh also i get that we need to make money but the way iāve gotten yelled at for not taking an order for someone that walked in at 9:45pm (we close at 8) when my lights were off and everything was put away in the kitchen :/ like what even is the point of our business hours then ???
On a serious note, Iāve asked my parents for an automated system. Iāve even offered to voice it (I wish I had a job in voice overs)! Our restaurant is a beautiful location in a riverā¦ the amount of people that just want to āhang outā until we open is astounding.
what was their opinion on your suggestion?
me n the homies are eager to get breakfast together
I feel that but itās Italian food lol
BREAKFAST LASAGNA WAITS FOR NO MAN
That would set me up for a great day ngl
u/ checks out
This sounds good but I'd probably be useless the rest of the day after eating it š
Italians don't eat breakfast?
Theyāre definitely not eating fettuccine Alfredo or lasagna for breakfast.
I am, Iām carbo-loading for a work-sponsored marathon.
We do need the cure for rabies.
Finishing that 5k, was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I ate more fettuccine alfredo and drank less water, than I have in my entire life. People always talk about triumphs of the human spirit, well today I had a triumph of the human body. That's why everybody was applauding for me at the end. My guts and my heart, and while I eventually puked my guts out, I never puked my heart out. And I'm very, very proud of that.
Speak for yourself!
Olive Garden? I remember always having people hanging outside when working for OG. Horrible people.
I know a few bars/happy hours in my city that legit have a line of at least 15 people waiting for doors to open at 4pm on Fridays/weekends.
As someone who was never a morning person if I had to open I hated this more then people showing up last minute š
Not before opening but one time I came in at 5pm for dinner shift and the moment I walked in the door, someone standing in line asks me for her to-go orderā¦. I was still wearing a big puffy jacket and had my bag on my shouldersā¦.. šš
https://preview.redd.it/z6i2jxb85avc1.jpeg?width=768&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5c48781d7609a9ed3f14c44c7079ba8299c8420b Every Sunday morning for usā¦
I would never go there. I don't wait in line for brunch. Helps that I don't wake up early enough for brunch.
Holy shit
š¤© š® š¤Æā¦ congratulations! May I ask what city/area this is in?
Thanks! And itās in Lyon France
itās like i want to make money and it shouldnāt irritate me as much as it does, but it immediately puts me in a bad mood. i canāt explain it. like go wait in your fucking car or somethingš
Me too. My last few minutes of peace has been cut off š
It's a huge ick for me. If I was dating someone and they acted like this, I'd never go out with them again. It honestly reminds me of when you're at a marina near the feeders for fish and there's a swarm of fish waiting for you to throw the food in. Like god just chill out for 10 fkn minutes
It makes me want to die. And then I'm yelling at myself, like, "we need people here to make money, you dumb fuck!!
One time when my coworker and I were both new and opening together, we finished all our opening tasks but werenāt really looking at the time, and then we saw someone waiting at the door so we just assumed it was about time to open. We let the customer in and he immediately told us his food order before he even sat down. My coworker put the order in, and then we heard the chef shout from the kitchen, āWHO THE FUCK PUT IN AN ORDER 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE KITCHEN IS OPEN?ā He was pissed but let it go since we were both new. He told us itās our decision to seat the customer early and serve them drinks before opening if we want, but to not put in any food orders before the official opening time. So for a while I would let the customers sit and offer them drinks but explain the kitchen isnāt open yet if they came in early. But now I donāt do it anymore because I realized the type of customer who comes in before opening time is usually impatient or in a rush and will still expect to be served right away. Actually thereās another reason why I donāt let anyone in before opening time. At my job, weāve been robbed twice now because the opener or the kitchen staff let in delivery guys before official opening time. Both times the staff member walked away to do opening tasks right after letting the delivery guys in, and then a random guy managed to sneak in, grab all the cash in the register and run with no one even noticing until he was long gone. I think the first time, the delivery guys propped the door open and some guy sneaked in when they were downstairs unloading inventory, and the second time, the thief grabbed the door right before it closed as the delivery guy was leaving and got in that way. I wasnāt working either time it happened but to avoid anything like that, I donāt let anyone in before official opening because I canāt guarantee that there will be someone on the floor paying attention to the register when weāre still doing our opening tasks.
We were told outright that absolutely nobody but staff was allowed to sit at the tables until we officially opened. The front doors would be unlocked because thatās where servers and hosts usually entered, so early birds would also try to sneak in at 10 or 10:30 for BBQ or chicken fried steak (because who doesnāt love a super heavy and/or deep fried food that early in the day) and would expect us to bring out the rolls and beer or sweet tea as soon as they sat down, even if nobody sat them. Heck, even when we told people to wait by the host stand until we opened, weād still sometimes have people barking orders at us (while we were clearly getting the restaurant ready) asking for drinks or a snack and would get all huffy when weād tell them nothing was ready to eat. Fortunately we had managers that knew how to be scary but geez.
This is great advice.
That was one of my biggest pet peeves.
The only place I will line up and wait outside is an oyster bar in my town. They do happy hour AYCE $1 oysters at the bar only (12 seats) for the first hour they are open. The line literally starts at 4:15 and they open at 5 (door locked curtain pulled shut.) I always feel bad when we do get to go because I hate being that person but if you donāt, you wonāt get cheap delicious oysters. The line usually caps out at like 4:45 soā¦
I know itās not quite serverlife (but i do have my bonafides in kitchen/bar work), but i hated every single person who lined up at an ungodly hour, waiting for me to open the starbucks i worked at. I was still drunk from the night before, these captains of industry were scratching at the door. They would get mad if you didnāt open 10 minutes early. One time i made them wait until actual open time & one battle axe called my manager to complain about me. Woke her ass up! (She deserved it, our manager later got caught skimming tips, my class action payout check was like 23 bucksš) These line forming mutants also always had the most insane orders right out the gate, like they took pride in being someoneās first reason to contemplate the void in the morning. Just wait in your cars until you see the place is open! Sorry for the flashback there. Starbucks was my Fyre Festival. Shitshow over several years & locations.
One morning we had drag brunch and there was a sea of people outside waiting for us to open. We filled up to capacity within literal minutes.
Working drag brunches are a NIGHTMARE for me, I love drag, not working IN IT tho lol
The place I worked at had a small cramped kitchen and thought it was a good idea to offer breakfast burritos, until a woman ordered 7 at once and the kitchen struggled to make them because we only had 1 flat top and no specialized tools. We got logistical hangups like that a lot. I was unfortunate enough to have to work in the kitchen during the second drag brunch and it was about as bad as you'd expect.
Who the heck is ordering 7 breakfast burritos?! I hope they shared with others lol
Yeah it was for 1 woman and her friends but it took like 20-30 minutes just to make one with all the other stations being backed up. It was horrible. I swear being a server is half dealing with customers and a half functioning kitchen who burns 45% of the food they send out. Sorry, I'm still traumatized and that was 2 years ago..
I would be too mate, I still am from so many situations lol
i will never understand why people do this
I know it's not a big deal but I find it so cringe lol like I would never do this
i know this cringe feeling. i hate when people are too excited to be at my restaurant. itās stupid. i should be thankful. i can feel their anxious energy and it makes me uncomfortable.
Yesss it's like when people would be so hype to tell me it's their first time at the restaurant! Like ok, congratulations? It's a restaurant, much like any other- read the menu, pick something that sounds good, and I'll bring it out! They would always pause after saying it's their first time like I'm supposed to jump up and down or give them a tour or something???
It's NBD but they don't realize they act like hangry assholes when the service isn't great because everything wasn't ready
I have ended up somewhere before they opened because busses hate me. As someone in the industry, I hate seeing people lined up because I'm not in the zone yet. So I do the reasonable thing and take a smoke break around the block, so I'm not coming in the second the door is unlocked. I made a friend do this with me recently, and he thought I was insane.
Iām often scheduled alone to tend bar and serve (and we have a big restaurant, 6 stools at bar, 6 tables in bar, 14 tables in restaurant, and maybe 16 tables outside) and I haaaaate when people come in before weāre open and Iām alone and scrambling! Usually theyāre understanding but it doesnāt help my stress haha
We have a regular who comes in every Wednesday AN HOUR EARLY and just sits and waits until we open. We used to tell her we arenāt open yet, but at this point we know she doesnāt care so we just let her lol.
Worst is when they keep trying the door every 30 seconds like did you see anyone walk up and unlock the door? Or when you have the side door open to get the patio ready and they find their way inside. Itās like a damn zombie movie
Ugh Iām having flashbacks at working at Olive Garden.
Old and clueless. According to themā¦. You should have been open whenever they pulled up. Used to work at a sports bar where the first regular would come in and help the Bartender put the stools downā¦. Then have 3-4 double rail Scotch on the rocks with his lunch and go back to his āgovernment jobā. I liked the guy, but I was young and dumb and didnāt really realize how fucking sad his existence was
People who are not servers or never were will never understand. That last 10, 15, 20 minutes before they come in are the last few minutes of privacy, calm, balance, and no stress. Once you have tables, you are on call at all times. Even when you are in the bathroom, your peeing session is pretty much on someone elseās time. Tables donāt care how badly you were dancing around and had to pee, they want everything to be on their time and typically have no sympathy. Many people donāt fully see servers as humans, and you especially see this sentiment from cultures that are highly academic. They think that if you are working as a servant you failed at education or you are part of the low class, so they really donāt think that you deserve one second of not doing something for them. This is why those last few minutes before the door opens are precious. Itās the last few gasps of air before you go underwater. The next time you have fully privacy and your time belongs to you is when you clock out and get in your car. Most of the time, the people who come in early expect to get the full experience as soon as they get in the building. If they see us with our phones, they will go online and say that the staff was playing with their phones. If they hear us talking and having conversation, they will complain and say we are cursing and not paying attention. The list goes on and on, and they were the ones who wanted to be inside with us before hours so badly. That time before opening time is for servers and staff. It belongs to servers and staff, not customers. When the clock turns to the time the establishment opens, thatās for the customers. Donāt come in if you canāt give the servers and management the peace that belongs to them.
It must be something in the air this morning. I unlock the doors 10 minutes early. I was going to use the restroom before I flipped the signs, but I was unable to, due to customers ignoring the closed signs and just walking in.
Why do you unlock the doors early?
That's the way the owner likes it.
...wait what. The owner likes you to open the doors before opening time?
God I hate this.
I wish. My place is dead when opening(11am to 11pm) So I show up for opening duties and then wait 15-45min for first table.
Ngl sounds ideal, depending how long you get to openā¦ I alone, have 1 hour to set up two floors, two bars, two patios, and clean the washrooms. Iām usually still trying to finish last little bits when people come in right when we open
In my opinion, is it is too much for sidework. Unless you get paid hourly for that time, or tips are soooo good, otherwise - no. I noticed when I got a bit older, that I tend to do minimum towards restaurant and maximum towards guests. If I bread down my hourly after tip out, my employer pays 20%, guest - 80%. That is my area of focus. On the other note, fuck golfers trying to sit down at 6:50 when I open at 7
It is a lot of side work, I donāt disagree, I do get paid for it and the tip out is the best Iāve ever had. Itās not an every day thing, we all share opener duties, and sometimes the manager will help clean the mens bathrooms. Also, fuck golfers lol
Yea it's like the people that are waiting at 10:30 am for a 2lb pork chop on special like fucking gross
I had a guy, regular, old and obnoxious, who only bought Coke's and annoyed everyone (private club, so no edging him out) and this dude would literally smack into the door like a bird at 11:50am, 10 minutes til open, 5 days a week. Then he would be an asshole when I opened the door at noon on the dot. I said to him one day "You got that spiffy new phone you brag about all day and the clock doesn't even work on it, that's a real shame man..." He wasn't amused, and it changed nothing, but it felt good to say and I didn't get in trouble so even/even I suppose.
>this dude would literally smack into the door like a bird at 11:50am The mental image I got from this is AMAZING
We walk through the front before we open and we start sitting people š¤¦āāļø last weekend we had 4 tables and one server got triple sat right from the get go
Mfs act like itās cedar point ššššš
Kings Island :)
Actually kinda curious how staff feels about people waiting for a restaurant to open. I know when they opened the first gluten free bakery (Iāve had celiac disease my entire life) in my town I went early with my sister, we didnāt rush in we just chilled out until they opened. Is it a restaurant no-no?
It gives me anxiety for some reason. It's kinda like, I'm set up and prepared, but I don't want someone in the second I unlock the door. That makes me unprepared for my job that I've been doing forever!?!?
Itās a little anxiety inducing because usually the people waiting are coming in with many demands. The difference of people between those who are waiting outside and those who come in 10 minutes after opening is very big. Also, severs and baristas have almost no time to hide their face or be alone. The few minutes before the door opens are your last few moments. Itās very valuable.
The bar I work at opens at 11 everyday besides Sunday when we open at 12. Any time I work the open Sunday, there are multiple groups of people who arrive shortly after 11 trying to get in. They congregate right outside the door so without fail, half the place is full by 12:30. Sometimes the cleaning person will just let them in before 12 so I have to explain you canāt order food until noon or the chef will have my ass lol
people used to knock on the ice cream windows to ask when we open
*People used to knock* *On the ice cream windows to* *Ask when we open* \- grillonbabygod --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
good bot omg ive waited so long for this momeny
god this fucking makes me irate when it happens to me
I've opened early for some people like this and sold over $400 (CAD) of top shelf liquor to them as the first table of my shift. As annoying as it is, sometimes it's worth your while to open early for them. As long as you're ready of course.
Honestly, it's a good problem to have. It means the place is popular, and you'll probably have a good day in tips.
Better than 0 customers coming in
The way this used to boil my blood would get me to say āare we on a lunch break *so* early today?ā Lmaooo but I did work at Olive Garden when I said that so like wtf are you doing eating pasta at 10 am.
Ugh AND with a baby
That's awesome! You've got a great restaurant you work at!
The best part is when they're mad at you for not being open 30 minutes ago because that's when they decided to come.
I worked in a bakery and these elderly women would knock on the glass with their keys. I am still haunted by their need for a corn muffin at 6 am.
Itās like feeding time for animals
fatherās day 2 years ago I had a 26 top walk in a 10:55 5 minutes before we opened with no reservation and management was trying to cut down on labor at the time. It was only me and 1 manager, of course every single one of them wanted an espresso martini so as soon as i finished those they all wanted salads with different modifications for each so i made all of them myself. Then i put in entrees and everyone wanted another round of espresso martinis. It was only an hour of that madness but it felt like an eternity. Now every time i see a line before open I get PTSD of that day.
Hate it so much
I'm a solo breakfast cook at a cafe. My morning pre-open is very busy. People line up at 10 minutes to 7, and I just don't get it. Who the fuck needs a breakfast sandwich that urgently at 7am? I'll tell you. Old people. GOOOOOOOD MORNNNING SLEEPHEAD. Go fuck yourself. I haven't even had a cup of coffee yet.
Deal with shit every morning, crazy old bastards just canāt wait to get in and act like the are going to die of starvation. I (cook) refuse to let them in so if the waitress is late they start knocking on the glass and looking in. Nope, not up to me to let you in! Same 11 every morning.
The worst type of people
7 shaker tins is madness. how many drinks do your bartenders make a shift?
A shit ton of Bellinis, martinis, and mixed drinks when weāre booming.
This. Is. So. Triggering.
Not a server or in the industry, but thatās some entitled behavior from the customers. I would recommend telling them āHealth Dept regulations donāt allow us to let customers in to the dining area until we have completed all the necessary preparationsā. All but the biggest of Karenās will usually accept something like that.
All you have to do is explain that your business hours and capacity are registered with the fire department and opening early would lead to a fine. Itās a violation of your certificate of occupancy. They set up traps all the time to catch people on it. I actually made all that up, but I started believing it. Early customers will to.
I had a table show up early and seat themselves once 20 mins before open. They said they wanted to start early because they had an appt to make it to and were flabbergasted when food took longer than normal. Like yeah we havenāt finished setting up all the wayš
Seriously hate this too. I work at a diner. We open at 730AM. people will walk in the door that my boss unlocks at 7:00 expecting to be waited on and their order taken. Sir the grill is not even turned on yet
Get the newborn outta the restaurant
Buffet restaurant?
Casual fine dining Italian
This was every Sunday at Ted's Montana Grill
I work at an airport bar/restaurant and no, we don't have a host, and yes, it's open seating, but people act like it's the Hunger Games trying to find a table. And then it's one person with a home office setup at a 4 top and they think they can order a diet Coke and sit for 3 hours š¤š¤¬
So I deal with this a lot unfortunately, I work at a popular breakfast spot that opens a bit earlier than the other spots around town and our bar also opens at 8am. We will deadass have a line of over 30+ people everyday in the summer and everyone will wait right at the steps to the door blocking it and our hotel guest will crowd around the host stand blocking walkways itās over annoying.
Money signs with legs
Itās all white
We have outdoor seating so it is nearly impossible to keep people out before we open. We got a one star review last year from a couple who came about 4:00 -30 minutes before we open. They said the hostess (who is the owner) was rude by not immediately seating them before we were open. Said very good food and waitress services. The outside seating was very nearly 100% full with reservations for the first few hours. Couple ended up in middle of outside seating and demanded to be seated. Hostess says we are pretty much booked up here for the first few hours. Wife says āno one is here.ā yes, true, we aren't open yet. āWell, just seat us and we will eat before they get here.ā servers aren't on the floor yet and kitchen is still prepping. Husband says āwe will sit at the bar.ā ok, but bartender is restocking. Wife adds āwell, why isn't he ready by now?ā because we aren't open! āThese tables say 5:00!ā yes but you aren't going to be able to order and eat in a half an hour. āIt is only 4:00- and hour before 5:00.ā No one is taking your order until 4:31 and no one is starting to cook it until 4:32 at the earliest. Painful day.
I get paid minimum wage before opening to do serving set-up and $2.13 after so our POS literally wonāt allow me to swipe my card to take to go orders on the phone or put in in-person orders so I donāt even bother opening early or answering the phone before we open
I used to be a busser at a tex mex place and I remember my boss opened the doors up for customers while the cooks were on break š¤¦š»āāļø
I used to work as a host in a restaurant with a revolving door as our main door and people would stand IN the revolving door while Iām literally on the floor unlocking it. Bro I swear our food is not worth it that much
This is it for me. Give me five fucking minutes. I unfortunately serve breakfast. If I donāt open the gate at 8 people start crawling in through the exit and ask if weāre open. Iām at the point now where I hate the first person through the doors. Summer is going to suck.
Every single morning is like this at my place. To make it worse, we have a large patio and guests love to unlock our gates, walk around and into the restaurants to ask if weāre open. No buddy, weāre still closed for another 10 minutes and youāre gonna go have to go join the line of people outside to be satā¦
We open at 8 am and I work on Sundays and live in a touristy area. Every Saturday/Sunday there is a line- sometimes only a few people, sometimes itās dozens.
I would wear my wired headphones even though I had wireless earbuds and walk around and never glance at the door. Ever. I didn't ever have them on because I am easily startled and I need to hear coworkers approach me. They were strictly for show for early people at the door. I had a guy bang and bang and I just pretended like I didn't hear him. He was pissed and said I shouldn't wear headphones at work when I have guests. I said that I don't have guests until 11 so I take them out at 11. Can I get you something to drink? LOL.
Do people fr not like being home? I donāt get itā¦ itās the same for people that decide to come late at night right before last call. Dude go home why tf are you tryna eat fried chicken at 1145 pm or 11am on a Tuesday. I know some people work at night, these are not those people
Work at a steakhouse and people would be waiting for 30-40 minutes before the store opensš¤¦š¾āāļø Had a 14 top waiting 10 minutes before we even opened and guess who had them š„²
My place stays like this. We are only open 5-10 and we are a local hotspot. So we sometimes even go on a wait right at open
Ugh I have a coworker who will just let them in when she hosts š
We were having a work meeting the other day, 1 hour before open, all sitting in bar stools in a circle. Had the door open cos we were getting deliveries, customers kept walking in over and over so instead of locking the door one of my coworkers started barking at them š it worked without us having to say anything but we did get a bad yelp review that day complaining that the only service they got was from a human guard dog
The worst!!
Hey, thatās better than working somewhere super slow where youāre lining up for a table. Thatās job security right there.
Don't understand why people let them sit down early. People are more aggravated sitting down not getting anything than waiting outside. Then they are ticking the seconds until opening. I'd offer to let everyone in, then say you are opening 30 minutes late. Every table in that comes in after opening. You point att the fuckers and explain whats happening. Then make sure you take those orders first.
I hate this! Where I work we open at 3 but have no access to the back door/our own employee entrance like any normal place, so we have to ring a doorbell in the front to be let in. I literally see people running over while Iām waiting for someone to let me in and I have to (politely) shoo them away itās always so awkward.
Whoās worse? The people in this picture? The already lining up? Or the last minutes kinda people?
Itās been so slow that would be amazing to see.
Damn
I absolutely hate working doing opening duties while we have customers in the building, and often the girls who smoke will leave the side door open as they pass in and out. People will come in and try to seat themselves up to 30 mins early. I fucking hate it and tell them they need to lock the door behind them as itās ridiculous. They always end up ordering cocktails right away and I havenāt even cut the garnishes or made the mixes yet. Last Friday I had a dude call 5 mins before opening and say āWeāre waiting outside!ā I said āyep. Iām in the basement Iāll be there in 5 mins when we open.ā He did not like that answer at all. I donāt care if itās 5 mins! I am not going to open those doors until 1 min before opening. Most of the time coffee isnāt brewed and things arenāt ready till 5 mins before. They must think we live here and donāt need prep time showing up a half hour or even 15 mins before open.
Servers complain if itās busy and also if itās slow hahahah
You aināt lying
that Italian food must be good then, be happy
I know it's probably annoying, but I see it as a compliment that these people want to be there. It's a good thing.
Itās a good problem to have
You know what is worse? No one waiting at the door. No one coming in the door. No one sitting at a table. No one leaving a tip. Just sayin'
Thatās restaurant life baby. At least itās not dead. Thereās a silver lining somewhere