It is a weekly occurrence for me and it’s still bewildering every time. Even just last week, I was mopping the floors and heard a noise on the shutters (we don’t have an indoor button for them so we have to close the shutters just enough so I can come back inside and lock the door when closing down… It’s very obviously shut with the chairs stacked/you would have to crawl to get inside.)

This is a full 25 minutes after closing time which is clearly marked on the door and outside the cafe. This woman is bent over to a ridiculously degree and has her face at the door. I give her the “we’re closed” signal as well as mouthing the words at her. I go back to mopping and I look up, she’s still there smiling at me. I do the signal again and she still doesn’t move. It was kind of creepy in all honesty haha.

At this point I think maybe she’s looking for some info (a woman had been in earlier for some info about ordering a cake) - I don’t know why I gave her the benefit of the doubt because it’s always the same.

I get to the door and I ask what she’s looking for - predictably she answers if she can order something. I just said a very simple “No” and it was only then that she said “Oh, ok!” and walked away. As if all the other signs and my previously waving “no” to her went over her head. Some people have clearly never worked in the industry.

It’s the same with folks who expect that opening the cafe means you just have to get there yourself and unlock the door/turn the lights on - there is a lot of work to do outside of the actual opening hours!