Here's How Long It's Still Okay To Stay Past A Restaurant's Closing Time

"Alexa, play 'Closing Time' by Semisonic." This tried-and-true trick subtly informed most guests that the ice cream place where I worked was officially closed. However, there were often a few stragglers who didn't exactly take the hint. Sometimes, a guest interpreted staff wiping down the counters or refilling the napkins as an invitation to keep chatting for 10 to 15 more minutes.

Rocco Carulli, owner and executive chef at R House in Miami, explains there's a short window to comfortably stay in your seat after a restaurant closes. "5 to 10 minutes max," Carulli told The Takeout. After closing, the restaurant staff still has a lot of work to do before heading home for the night: cleaning dishes, putting away food, setting tables, and taking inventory. "Unless you're besties with the owner or helping load the dishwasher, once the lights go up and the music stops, that's your cue," he says. "Don't be that guest who thinks the restaurant is their Airbnb."

There is one exception to Carulli's rule. If you arrive minutes before a restaurant closes and put in an order, be prepared to eat quickly or get your meal to-go. "Eat like you're on a mission," he says. "This isn't the time for a seven-course tasting and deep life chats. If you're going to linger, get it to-go and keep the staff from fantasizing about locking you inside."

As closing time approaches, many restaurants give subtle (and not-so-subtle) hints that it's time for guests to find the exit. For example, if you notice servers rolling up silverware and placing it on tables, putting candles away, or vacuuming the carpet, it's a sign that the restaurant is in its early stages of closing. Other telltale signs of closing include the manager locking the restaurant's front door and the host cleaning menus before putting them away.

"At R House, we don't do the whole 'stack chairs around your ankle routine.' No lights up. No vibe kill. If you're the last table, we'll still serve you like you're the first," Carulli says. "We believe in letting the night wind down naturally."

However, even Carulli's approach has its limits. If a server asks your table about ordering dessert, they are trying to get the ticket in before the kitchen officially closes. In this case, consider taking dessert home or skipping altogether. "If the music shifts from Beyoncé to background beats and your server gently asks if you need anything else 'before we close the tab,' that's your subtle cue," Carulli explains. "But if we're still topping off your mimosas and chatting about the queens' performances? You're welcome to stay a little longer, my friend."