Ever the pessimist, I always call ahead to any small independent place....or have a good backup plan in place.

I'd like to note that I wasn't mad at them for closing early, I know they do this on occasion. I was actually planning to get there at 7:30/8:00, but my dinner plans were derailed by a friend who made me late.

teatpuller wrote:With this place its best to call ahead to make sure they are open.

Knowing they close early on occasion, I actually did call before heading over there. I got the machine off the 1st ring, which stated 10pm was their closing time. I decided to risk it assuming (always a bad idea) that they would have changed the hours on the machine if they were closing early.

In short, I blame only myself, the machine - despite the reassuring message that they were open until 10pm - should have tipped me off.

Cogito wrote:

Ursiform wrote:Got there at 8:50 PM this evening with my heart set on a french dip and they were already closed, had to settle for an appallingly mediocre meal at Millers Pub. I'm guessing they closed early to get ready for the television crews tomorrow.

This is one of my pet peeves. Places that close early or are closed without notice. I think it shows a disregard and lack of consideration for their customers. DD seems to do it quite a bit. Maybe they'd need less "help" if they didn't PO customers who may have driven a considerable distance to eat there.

Maybe they ran out of Pot Roast?

I would allow them some slack this week with all that is going on. They are a small place with only so many employees (and only so much energy).

However... Next week... Go ahead and start busting their b@!!'s.

djenks wrote:I don't get it, should they have called everyone?

I have yet to see a website for the Depot, that would help. In all honesty, with no website, how would you suggest that they notify people if they have to close early the night before a television appearance?

My suggestion would not be that they call people, but - simply - that they not do it. You never "have to" close early for a television crew coming in the next day. If you run a business with posted hours, you should stick to those hours. I'm with Cogito, this kind of practice drives me nuts. DAD and Schwa are in the same category of restaurants that clearly don't need me. I don't need them either.

Kennyz wrote:

djenks wrote:I don't get it, should they have called everyone?

I have yet to see a website for the Depot, that would help. In all honesty, with no website, how would you suggest that they notify people if they have to close early the night before a television appearance?

My suggestion would not be that they call people, but - simply - that they not do it. You never "have to" close early for a television crew coming in the next day. If you run a business with posted hours, you should stick to those hours. I'm with Cogito, this kind of practice drives me nuts. DAD and Schwa are in the same category of restaurants that clearly don't need me. I don't need them either.

Mom-and-pop joints close early on nights when business is slow. Such is the way of the world. I've been the only customer (+wife or friends) in DAD at anywhere from 8-9pm on at least 4 occasions in 2009, so I can completely understand why they would go ahead and close up early on nights like that rather than sit there doing nothing until 10pm hoping 1 or 2 last customers might come in.

Disappointing to arrive late in the evening and find that they have indeed closed early? Sure, but I'll take that possibility over the guaranteed limited hours of somewhere like Hot Dougs or Paradise Pup any day.

ucjames wrote:Mom-and-pop joints close early on nights when business is slow. Such is the way of the world.

Not all of them (or even most, I suspect). I've worked for Mom and Pop restaurants that would never even consider doing such a thing. Sure, it may be only one customer that walks though the door between 9 and 10. But that person might become a customer for life, and tell 15 of his friends how great your place is, making those 15 people customers for life too. The restaurant business is a grueling one that that takes a level of dedication far superior to my own. It's not a business for people who close their doors early because they're "bored".

So. . did anyone head out there for the taping today? I wore my best fedora and got all sexy. . but then got dissuaded by the weather and headed to Hooters with coworkers.

You may be surprised to know this, but apparently Hooters does not have a pot roast sammich.

It's not a business for people who close their doors early because they're "bored".

Or for pizza guys with unlisted numbers, or...

You are of course right, much as Evil Ronnie once memorably put it, but at the same time I'm glad it's still a business for quirky individualists who follow their own drummer, for good or ill, their customers' or their own.

Kennyz wrote:

ucjames wrote:Mom-and-pop joints close early on nights when business is slow. Such is the way of the world.

Not all of them (or even most, I suspect). I've worked for Mom and Pop restaurants that would never even consider doing such a thing. Sure, it may be only one customer that walks though the door between 9 and 10. But that person might become a customer for life, and tell 15 of his friends how great your place is, making those 15 people customers for life too. The restaurant business is a grueling one that that takes a level of dedication far superior to my own. It's not a business for people who close their doors early because they're "bored".

We'll just have to agree to disagree. I'm far too accustomed to small, private businesses (be they restaurants or otherwise) being somewhat quirky with their hours to fault any one business for it unless it gets out of hand. DAD came close with their somewhat recent closure that lasted for nearly a week, but in retrospect given the financial situation resulting from the silent partner pulling out, it's understandable that they needed to focus on finding a way to stay open.

I'd also sincerely question whether closing early has much to do with being "bored" as it does with the cost effectiveness of staying open at a certain point on a slow evening. My own anecdotal financially-impaired small business experiences have been that when business is so slow that the business is spending more on employee wages and utilities than it might make from the rare last-minute customer, the owners are going to make the call to close up early. It doesn't mean they want to, or that they're "bored." Rather, that it makes more sense financially to call it a day/night.

ucjames,

My reference to DAD closing because they're bored comes from some posts on page 6 of this thread, where Santander notes that they told him pretty much exactly that: we're too bored to stay open.

I don't buy the idea that they close early because it makes economic sense. Staying open for an extra hour costs a restaurant like DAD peanuts. They close early because they're human beings who are tired, bored or whatever - and they'd rather spend time with their families or out at a bar drinking. I don't blame them, which is why I'm out of the industry.

kennyz

From someone who used to work 100 hours a week and maybe get one day off every two months, I find it pretty irritating. But, just like Kenny, that's why I don't milk cows anymore! That's why corporate farms and corporate restaurant chains have taken over their respective industries.

If you are in business, and you have hours posted, be open during those hours. That is your first business task. Nothing is more annoying than showing up at a place that should be open and the doors are locked.

You are in business to provide a service to people, and if you do it well, you will be compensated for it. Doing so only when you feel like it is asking far too much of your clientele.

On a recent trip to England, our group was ushered out of a rural cafe mid-tea time because they were closing early, 15 or so minutes before the posted 5pm close-time. On our drive home, we passed the person who had been working behind the counter waiting at a bus stop in the middle of nowhere, so we all figured we knew the reason for the rush: she wanted to catch that last bus back into town!

Later, we went to pick up a snack at the local butcher in Sheffield, a couple of pies, but they had closed early, too. Tickled us more than ticked us off. Our hosts testified to the general lack of customer service in Great Britain. Chicago, of course, is a different story.

Any word on how filming went today or if they are going to be open this evening? I'm feeling a bit under the weather today, but may run over for dinner as I still have french dip on the brain. I will, of course, be sure to call first and speak to a person before heading out.

You, sir, are an optimist.

Mike G wrote:You, sir, are an optimist.

I'm not sure what will shock Mr. Ursiform more - that I've been accused of being an optimist or that I've transformed into a "sir."

teatpuller wrote:From someone who used to work 100 hours a week and maybe get one day off every two months, I find it pretty irritating. But, just like Kenny, that's why I don't milk cows anymore! That's why corporate farms and corporate restaurant chains have taken over their respective industries.

Isn't this - and it's respective consequences - exactly why people are put up with the annoyances of buying local milk from small farms and eating at Mom and Pop restaurants? I'd rather be turned away once or twice from potentially good food than be assured of getting crappy food.

OTOH, I find I'm allergic to long lines - Last week, I happened to be driving from the Southwest side to the Northeast: though starving, I passed Johnny's (cars backed up on North) and Hot Doug's (line out the door) and somewhere else equally delicious and wound up crabbily and ravenously eating an unpleasant lunch at home. I have to psych myself up for a meal out when there's going to be a long wait outside. To each his own pet peeve.

DDD film crew arrived at the Depot at 7:00 a.m. They were there all day. I called at approximately 6:00 p.m. to inquire about a possible dinner and was told that the film crew was just about finished breaking down and set to leave. The guys at the Depot said it was a crazy day, my loverly wife got the last order of fried chicken in the house, whatever the Blue Plate was was long gone, as were Robert and Annemarie. Hopefully they'll sleep the sleep of a tired toddler tonight... they deserve it.

Dinner was, as usual, excellent and there was a fairly steady flow of customers; I think the majority of them called before venturing out, as the phone rang fairly steadily whilst we were there.

Mhays wrote:Isn't this - and it's respective consequences - exactly why people are put up with the annoyances of buying local milk from small farms and eating at Mom and Pop restaurants? I'd rather be turned away once or twice from potentially good food than be assured of getting crappy food.

Well, it's kind of a a promise to the customer that if you post hours, those are your hours. They should just say "We are usually open until 7 or 9 PM. Or so. Approximately." Thus, no promise has been made to the customer.

Hell, TGI Fridays and their ilk promise quality food, too. I'm just sayin'

Mhays wrote:Hell, TGI Fridays and their ilk promise quality food, too. I'm just sayin'

Well if you cater to idiots, you can get away with damn near anything!

Mhays wrote:OTOH, I find I'm allergic to long lines - Last week, I happened to be driving from the Southwest side to the Northeast: though starving, I passed Johnny's (cars backed up on North) and Hot Doug's (line out the door) and somewhere else equally delicious and wound up crabbily and ravenously eating an unpleasant lunch at home. I have to psych myself up for a meal out when there's going to be a long wait outside. To each his own pet peeve.

You were mere blocks away from excellent Asian noodles, very good huaraches, and terrific donuts and burek. No lines.

Mhays wrote:OTOH, I find I'm allergic to long lines - Last week, I happened to be driving from the Southwest side to the Northeast: though starving, I passed Johnny's (cars backed up on North) and Hot Doug's (line out the door)...

I share your allergy, even though it means (as you recognize) that we pass up some good food. The only time I've happily waited in a long line was at Walker Bros. in Wilmette on a Sunday morning. But I was younger then, and had more time left.

Ursiform wrote:Any word on how filming went today or if they are going to be open this evening? I'm feeling a bit under the weather today, but may run over for dinner as I still have french dip on the brain. I will, of course, be sure to call first and speak to a person before heading out.

I went for lunch around 2:00pm yesterday and the DDD crew were siting in a booth discussing the shoot. From what I overheard they were going to do some more shots in the kitchen and seemed pleased with what they had. I had a wonderful BLT and got the last piece of bread pudding to go.

I think DAD's closing time of ten p.m. contributes to the problem. How many diners get any business that late? Most of them are closed by seven or eight. if their philosophy is that they'll stay open until ten if they are busy, but then get tired or bored and shut down by nine if it is slow, they are shooting themselves in the foot. I know I won't waste time driving there after nine p.m. unless it is by coincidence. I've already been burned a couple of times when I went there after eight and they were closed down.

Kennyz wrote:

Mhays wrote:OTOH, I find I'm allergic to long lines - Last week, I happened to be driving from the Southwest side to the Northeast: though starving, I passed Johnny's (cars backed up on North) and Hot Doug's (line out the door) and somewhere else equally delicious and wound up crabbily and ravenously eating an unpleasant lunch at home. I have to psych myself up for a meal out when there's going to be a long wait outside. To each his own pet peeve.

You were mere blocks away from excellent Asian noodles, very good huaraches, and terrific donuts and burek. No lines.

Also, a fine pork belly sandwich.

Kennyz wrote:

Mhays wrote:OTOH, I find I'm allergic to long lines - Last week, I happened to be driving from the Southwest side to the Northeast: though starving, I passed Johnny's (cars backed up on North) and Hot Doug's (line out the door) and somewhere else equally delicious and wound up crabbily and ravenously eating an unpleasant lunch at home. I have to psych myself up for a meal out when there's going to be a long wait outside. To each his own pet peeve.

You were mere blocks away from excellent Asian noodles, very good huaraches, and terrific donuts and burek. No lines.

But of course - and I could have kept going up to WASC, too. Sometimes the fates and our own rumbly tummies don't let things happen the way we want them to.

WASC?

Western Association of Schools and Colleges?

Workshop on Algorithms for Scheduling and Communication?

Watchung Amateur Ski Club?

Western Australia Supreme Court?

mchodera wrote:WASC?

Western Association of Schools and Colleges?

Workshop on Algorithms for Scheduling and Communication?

Watchung Amateur Ski Club?

Western Australia Supreme Court?

Weiner and Still Champion in Evanston, another GNR or Great Neighborhood Restaurant.

Regards,

Thanks, Cathy. GNR I know very well; I hit three this week!