6 Things Restaurant Staff Want You To Know Before Eating Out on Christmas Eve

Twas the night before Christmas and you want to eat out.
Here are things you should be thinking about.
The servers and staff are happy you’re there,
But here are a few ways to show that you care.

Plenty of people enjoy going out to a restaurant on Christmas Eve because they don’t want to be bothered with cooking a meal on the same night that Santa will be sliding his fat ass down their chimney. While a lot of restaurants are closed that night, there are plenty that will remain open and they will be filled with staff who are there to serve you. If you’re going to go to one of those open restaurants, here is what the restaurant staff wants you to know before you go:

Be aware of closing time

Restaurants are probably closing early this night so the staff can, you know, spend a bit of time with their family or friends if they choose to. If the closing time is 9:00 PM, then you should make a point to be out of the restaurant at 9:01. And don’t show up ten minutes before closing time unless you want daggers from the eyes of servers that night and a lump of coal in your stocking the next morning.

Tip well

Don’t just say you appreciate the staff being there, put your money where your mouth is and prove it with cash. You probably just spent $850 on a PlayStation 5 for your unappreciative 10-year-old, so you can definitely tip 25% of your check for the person who is serving you dinner on the night before Christmas.

Don’t complain

Maybe the restaurant is closing early. Get over it. Maybe it’s closed tomorrow. Deal with it. Maybe it’s more crowded than usual. Hello, it’s Christmas Eve. If you’re going to complain about anything, make sure it’s legitimate. The food was cold? Yes, that’s a legitimate complaint. There’s Christmas music playing? No, not legitimate. Be thankful you only have to listen to it for ninety minutes and not for eight hours a day for the last six weeks.

Don’t say “I can’t believe you have to work tonight.”

You are LITERALLY the reason the person you are saying that to is working tonight. Just be appreciative and say “thank you for working tonight” instead.

Things may take a bit longer than usual

The restaurant might be fully booked and the restaurant might also be understaffed. After all, there are some people who manage to get Christmas Eve off somehow (They usually play the “I’m a parent” card which is really, really unfair to people who choose to not have kids, but still want a holiday off). It might take a while to be seated or your food might take longer than expected. It’s okay. At least you’re not at work like your server, the host, the busser, and the entire kitchen crew of the restaurant you’re eating in.

The staff really does want you to have a lovely holiday season

They might be grumbling on the inside about working on a holiday, but overall, everyone who works in a restaurant wants their customers to be happy. It’s why most of them are in the service industry. Customers and restaurant staff need each other to survive, so in the spirit of the holidays, appreciate one another.

New Year’s Eve is in a couple of weeks. Read this again on December 30th.