A Resolution for Restaurants: Post Your Hours, and Stick to Them!

By Eric Richardson
Published: Wednesday, January 07, 2009, at 09:29AM

New Menu at LA Cafe Eric Richardson [Flickr]

A hand-drawn menu board at L.A. Cafe, at 639 S. Spring.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — I've lived on Spring street for a touch under five years now, and for two of those I've enjoyed having a pair of great eateries flanking my building. On the one side, California Fresh, offering great salads and pizza. On the other, L.A. Cafe, where I'm a sucker for the chipotle chicken panini and the L.A. Sliders.

And yet, ask me what the hours are for these two cafes and I'll shake my head. Plenty of times I've walked downstairs planning to grab a bite and been foiled by an incorrect idea of who would be open when.

These two certainly aren't the only two offenders when it comes to keeping their hours under wraps. Many small businesses are open or closed depending on the whims of staffing, and hours become more a suggestion than a rule.

So as we begin 2009, I'd like to ask Downtown's restaurants and eateries to make a resolution. Post your hours, and stick to them.

Most importantly, post them on your door or window, visible both when you're open and when you're closed. Let them sink in every time a neighbor walks by your door.

Also, post them on your website. Make it easy for a patron to figure out your status before they make the trip out of their apartment or loft.

While writing this story I paid a visit to L.A. Cafe's website and found a nicely designed page with hours prominently mentioned (Monday - Friday, 7am - 9pm; Saturday and Sunday, 8am - 5pm). That's great (and I'll try to now remember them), but why did it take a trip online for me to figure that out?

The bottom line is simple: Your neighbors are more likely to come eat if they know you're open. Help them out and everyone wins.

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Comments

1
Brian La Belle writes:

I had to laugh when I read this because I posted something along the same line the other day.

Pastagina and Quiznos at the Market Lofts constantly close early and change their hours. Ran into the same problem with Maria's Italian Kitchen a while back as well.

# on Jan.07.2009 AT 10:04 AM
2
WeezerMonkey writes:

I couldn't agree more with this post. Thank you, thank you, thank you. This is a problem that runs rampant Downtown, and it is most frustrating to residents who would like to be regular patrons!

# on Jan.07.2009 AT 10:22 AM
3
karin Liljegren writes:

Thank you ERIC! I have been burned numerous times - especially during the holidays. It's really embarrassing when you tout to your friends how amazing downtown is and you take them around and things are closed when they are supposed to be open. And YES - PLEASE post on your websites AND your phone answering machine!!!!! Please keep the hours regular, extend to dinner hours and PLEASE open on Sundays!!!!

# on Jan.07.2009 AT 11:11 AM
4
Mark writes:

Add me as a frustrated would-be patron, too. One of my problem spots is Lost Souls Cafe: open until 10pm. Except when it's not.

# on Jan.07.2009 AT 11:32 AM
5
Susana Benavidez writes:

I agree with Sundays. What, do people not eat on Sundays? There's nothing worse than craving your favorite restaurant and thinking of rewarding yourself at the end of the week when you realize it's closed. Bummer. I won't name names but I've been to a couple of restaurants that close earlier or open later than their posted hours.

# on Jan.07.2009 AT 12:18 PM
6
Jackson writes:

I understand how frustrating it can be to encounter this issue. As a restaurant manager, I would advise one to call ahead to make certain that the restaurant is open. In these tough economic times, we have to make last minute decisions on labor and other operating costs when a restaurant has sat empty for the last 90 minutes in hopes that someone will come in. Unfortunately that sometimes results in choosing to close early. Sometimes in that last 30 minutes or so, guests will come in but more often than not, nobody does. Ultimately, this could result in the restaurant ceasing to exist. One should expect a business to post and keep set hours but save yourself the frustration and next time, just call ahead to make sure. Cheers!

# on Jan.07.2009 AT 07:54 PM
7
lollie Shan writes:

I agree with Jackson. Think of all the times you've been in a place that opened early or stayed open late for you. Downtown businesses are not run the same way they are in the burbs, just shop on Los Angeles street, it's different here.

# on Jan.08.2009 AT 07:47 AM
8
Jake Tringali writes:

Good post! As a restaurant manager, I've learned that you must stick to your business hours to earn trust with the community. But always call ahead to restaurants - they may be closing early for maintenance, private parties, etc. BTW, Susana: we're open on Sundays from 11 am to 8 pm.

And what about the Daily Grill? It's not daily at all!!!

Cheers, --Jake

# on Jan.08.2009 AT 11:11 AM
9
Smokey writes:

I gotta say that Daily Grill is at least open 7 days a week. Most places in downtown are only open at lunch during the week days. As a resident of downtown, I tend to patronize the locals. Daily Grill has a great Happy Hour 7 days a week but on the weekends, they are only open for dinner. Cool spot.

# on Jan.08.2009 AT 10:57 PM
10
Greg writes:

i have been disappointed a few times, with deliveries as well. ring ring, no info recording. i bet some of these business owners just have some selfish drug habits. i always have cereal!

# on Jan.09.2009 AT 12:15 AM
11
Jake Tringali writes:

Ah, I see now that Daily Grill is indeed daily. Sorry for the mistake - I would send people over there looking for somewhere else to eat on Saturday and Sunday, and they would return disappointed about the hours. Cheers!

# on Jan.10.2009 AT 01:58 PM
12
Dennis writes:

I've found that L.A. Cafe has slid downward in terms of service ever since David the owner hired Aaron the manager. Aaron needs to get to work sober and ohhhhh, maybe write orders down? I've had too many problems with my order being completely forgotten about while standing and waiting for it to be prepared, and Aaron acting like he's never seen me before - when he was the one who rang up my order on the cash register!!

# on Jan.10.2009 AT 04:26 PM
13
Don Noyes-More writes:

AMEN ERIC

# on Jan.12.2009 AT 12:01 PM
14
browne writes:

If you want to survive you must stay consistant. I hate when I want to go out to eat at a place that should be opened and it's not. It makes me mad. It makes me go to the place that I know is open, Pete's. I go to Pete's all of the time, too much really, but I go because in downtown on a Sunday I know it's open, at 12:30 on a Saturday night, I know it's open. If I have friends over and I want something reasonable I don't have to do this silly walk around and go, "oh, well it should have been open sorry..."

At the very least if you say you are open on Sunday, be open on Sunday.

Browne

# on Jan.14.2009 AT 09:16 PM

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