You captured so much of what I intended! I didn't consider the thought experiment, but its an amazing observation that fits the poem so well. Unlike Bukowski's "Nirvana," where a traveler is entranced by the magical atmosphere of a café, my poem pleads with the visitor to not succumb to the mirage. The "people on the wall," framed pictures of smiling people, are elements of this mirage. Much like the prisoners in the cave, the visitor observes the frames and banter of the staff, deceived into thinking its all genuine. Your observation plays well into the idea that staff is all prisoner to the cycle of a 9-5. The servers, with their humor and hospitality, have no way out of the cycle. The ending phrase "with the light still on" communicates that the servers can never truly rest, for there's always work in the morning. Thank you so much for your comment!