The Subtle Sign Your Restaurant Server Wants You To Leave

By its very function, restaurants are meant to be a community hub of social gatherings and hospitality. This is evidenced by the different roles, like the hosts and servers, who welcome and seat patrons, providing an attentive, warm experience. This all happens while the chefs and cooks conjure up a thoughtfully delicious meal based on the menus and orders of paying customers. As dedicated as the staff is to their purpose, there are customer habits servers hate the most about their chosen profession, one of which is when patrons overstay their welcome. The signs they're ushering patrons out aren't always as explicit as the traditional closing question of "would you like dessert," but there are ways to know when it's happening. That said, there are also measures to avoid being the person they're addressing. 

Among the various tactics employed by servers to get their table to clear out, the waitstaff could begin cleaning the other booths and seats within the patron's eyeshot. Additionally, servers could become overly helpful, clearing the table across many visits while asking diners if they'd like anything else. One of the more obvious non-verbal ways servers may communicate it's time to leave is by bringing the check without being prompted. Over on Reddit, supposed restaurant workers claim that their establishment turns the lights off or on during closing time while their customers are still eating, depending on the ambiance. The effectiveness may vary, but it stands as one of the ingenious ways restaurants get customers to leave.

As much as urging patrons to leave goes against the philosophy of hospitality and service, this doesn't happen just because the server doesn't like you. So how does one avoid becoming the customer being urged out the door? Well, the easiest tips here are two-fold: Don't linger and be considerate of the restaurant's hours. This means don't walk into a restaurant less than 30 minutes before it closes. For those already dining, while it's important to feel welcome and enjoy the meal, if it's been a while since an order was placed, perhaps it's time to release the table for others to dine in. It's also important to consider the restaurant and the kind of meal you want. So long as the kitchen is still open to taking orders, something that can be quickly eaten and prepared is always much easier and acceptable than a multi-course dinner.

With everything said, it should be clarified that restaurants ultimately do want to serve you. It's also worth acknowledging that it's possible someone could unknowingly become the lingering customer. In this worst-case scenario, once it's become apparent, request and pay the bill without leaving a mess. Something as simple as stacking the dishes and gathering the napkins, trash, and food onto the top plate is a great way to lessen the impact on everyone. Lastly, though tips are never a requirement, a generous 25% to 35% goes a long way in showing consideration.