My pizza store closes at 8:00pm weekdays and 9:00 Fri-Sat.
We always get out an hour and a half after closing.
A number of factors contribute to this such as late deliveries, also the accumulation of dishes at the end of the night. I was thinking of getting a low temp dishwasher, I only have a 3bay currently. Im worried though bc anytime I try to make things more efficient the staff just does less and less leaving me in the same predicament over and over.
How on time is everyone else getting out?
We close at 2pm for lunch and 8pm for diner (12-2 and 5-8) and often have people still eating so that delays our cleanup. We never rush people out and or start vacuuming/moping while they are there. I was raised that it is an insult to rush a customer out at closing. We don’t serve or allow alcohol so most people are pretty much aware of our closing time and don’t hang around very long. If the shop is empty at 8 we are out at 9. It takes about 45 minutes to clean everything up. Then we wait for the public transit cabs to pick up our employees with disabilities. They usually are there by 9pm. My wife and I do our share of the cleanup and at the 60 year mark we move slower than when at 20 Walter
I will take delivery orders up to 15 minutes before close and takeout orders right up to close. The staff are scheduled for “Close” which means they are to stay until everything is looked after once the door is locked. This way customers get the service and the staff don’t think they can drop everything and run when the clock strikes the magic time.
We take carryout and delivery orders up until close. We are there most nights 1 hour after close. Usually Fri & Sat are a bit earlier since we have 2 drivers until close. Other nights it might be just over an hour.
Not sure if it would justify keeping someone later in order for use to get out any earlier. There are still things that cannot be done until a certain point. Every night there is 1 manger, plus 1 driver closing. 2 on Fri & Sat.
Cool thanks guys, I was getting jealous of a few friends of mine in the industry. Who told me theyre out the door no more than 15 mins after closing.
Do you think a dishwasher would maybe bring down sometime(labor)?
A customer of mine cleans all the banks in our area everynight. He says its funny how they just throw their dirty tissues near the trash can and just leave it there. Yet in our industry we pick up after ourselves. I see stuff like this time and time again
The crew is out within 45-60 minutes depending on prep we need done, I can be here for 90-120 minutes after close reconciling tills, inventory, getting prep lists together, and doing accounting and IT stuff
I’m rarely in the store until close. I have people I trust and video cameras! But I’m a morning person so I like to get in early and get stuff done, I’m too tired after a long day to be productive.
But my employees are out about an hour or a little more, late order deep dishes kill us. But I’m old school where 9 means 9, whether it’s delivery take out or dine in
The first week we were open we were getting out 2 hours after close. Week 2 was about an hour and half. Going on our third week we are down to about 1hr 15 after close.
Bakery next door to me has a cleaning crew every night. It’s a husband and wife team. They clean his patio area, his lobby, and floors/countertops. His staff does dishes and takes out the garbage, then leaves. I’ve been meaning to ask him what he pays them. The staff is 3 people making $14/hr each so $42/hr and it’s a small shop but very busy. Surely that cleaning crew can’t be charging less than that on a nightly basis right?
My uncle has a cleaning crew, Well actually its a young guy that does the exact same thing. He pays $30/night. I think he told me he does like 18 stores anight. Its 3 brothers or friends each one has a few stores they do. They work until like 8 in the morning. Im pretty sure its a ‘cash’ type deal
He told me the cleaning guy is done in about an hour, hour and a half
Much the same. Last delivery orders taken 20 minutes (sometimes 10 - 15 mins) before close time and 10 mins for pick up.
Drivers start cleaning prep area and washing dishes about 30 mins before close. We put chairs on tables 15 mins before close so as we don’t have people ordering dine in and having to rush them out.
Week nights everyone is out about 20- 40 mins after close depending if late delivery and amount of cleaning and on Friday and Saturday they are out in about 45 - 60 mins
Dave
Walter