Is it rude to expect a restaurant that closes at 10:00 PM should serve a customer who comes in at 9:55 PM?

And if they posted a new closing time at 9:50 idiots would still walk in at 9:48...A better sign would be "kitchen closes at 9:30 dining room available til 10:00 PM"

Subway is one thing, a sit-down restaurant is another. I know what it is like to have to deal with that but tough crap, it is your job, shut-up and do it. You aren't getting paid to cook until 9:45 or else the place would close at 9:45.

I think it is rude, it's just common courtesy to not go in 5 minutes before a place closes and expect them to serve you. They work hard for low wages, and they need to clean up and go home.

at a place like subway? I think your girlfriend is overreacting, it doesnt take long to make a sandwhich there, nor to eat it. However if you were to eat it there and take an hour after coming in 5 minutes before close that would be a bit rude. I used to work at a place much like KFC (chicken coop, its only in michigan) and we never really liked it when they came in so close to close and expected to stay, but if they were in and out it was no big deal. *edit* I don't understand all these complaints about having to 'redo' a bunch of crap just because a customer comes in a few minutes before close. The job you work is from a certain time to a certain time, there are certain jobs you can do before close, and there are some you should not do at all before the time you are supposed to close. Its ridiculous to do a job early before you are closed that you may have to do again if someone comes in during scheduled work hours, and that is not their fault, its the fault of the employee that obviously just wants to punch out as quick as they can and not do their job fully of serving their customers. Any time you work in customer service you need to have respect for your customers, they are the reason you have a job and get a paycheck.

You were not rude. They close the doors at 10, and they take orders until then, or even later. You were not rude; your girlfriend was lazy.

Very few restaurants would refuse to serve you, even if you walked in the door at 9:59, but it is kind of rude to show up at the last minute and expect them to alter their lives to meet your schedule. I may not mind as much with 10 minutes at a sandwich shop, because I can probably be out of there in 5, but I certainly wouldn't roll into a sit-down restaurant any less than 1/2 hr before closing, a full hour if it's a long preparation meal. While they would probably still serve me, I would consider it as being rude to them. It's not a matter of going home early, but rather a matter of not going home on time. Those people are out there, who show up at 5 minutes before closing and then hang around for an hour and a half, while everyone is trying to go home to their families. Your girlfriend is right. ** edit ** BigSky, ever time I think you might be "getting it," you post something even more ludicrous and rude than the last. You asked, we answered. Spouting your rights as a consumer, or chanting "Don't like it? Quit!" won't change our opinions, except maybe for the worse. I would've hoped that you'd take the answers you requested as a solution to the rudeness problem, but apparently not. :-(

at subway i think it's fine it takes like 1 minute to make a sandwich and they are still on their shift however close the end may be! I think it's a good point you said

In a place like Subway no I don't think so. Mainly because you are watching them prepare your food. But other restaurants and this is just a personal thing I wouldn't do it because I can't watch them and someone maybe mad that I want to eat at 9:55pm and spit in my food because they want to leave exactly at 10pm! But that is just me. As far as it being rude, no not really I agree with you if they want to stop serving people 10 minutes before they close then they should state it on the door.

I don't know that it's rude but it's not really considerate. Give the workers a break. edit: The answer might be to try to see things from their perspective. Would you like it? It's a gray area to be sure.