Working in hospitality is no walk in the park no matter what day it is. But according to some bartenders, there is one day of the week that brings out the “worst” customers. And it’s probably not when you’d think.
A bartender of 29 years recently started a lively conversation on Reddit about the worst day to work because of the customers, and fellow service-industry employees were quick to chime in.
“No matter where (NYC, LA, Key West, Connecticut, currently outside St. Pete, FL), no matter what type of establishment (Fine dining, casual, mom and pop), the people who come out on Sunday night are just unlike the rest of the week. Just me?” the user wrote.
Spoiler alert: it was, in fact, not just him.
The comment section flooded with many nearly identical experiences.
“Similar work experience, and yes, Sunday people cut from a different cloth. I used to call it the experimental dining day,” one person wrote.
“I, unfortunately, see the worst of people on Sundays where I live, it’s like that’s when all the assholes come out,” a second Redditer chimed in. “Last Sunday I was yelled at twice in 20 minutes over asinine things. Today was my first Sunday off in over two months and it’s been the best mental health day ever knowing I’m not there.”
“For me Sundays are either super chill or they completely unhinged. There is no in between,” a third person said.
So what gives? Why is the Sunday crowd so annoying?
According to one theory, they’re “more needy, prone to get hammered, and just generally shitty” because they’re trying enjoy their “last little bit of freedom before the 40 hour” work week. Can’t say we blame them.
Former restaurant manager of 14 years—who went from host to bar manager and was “everything in between”—Mary King tells Delish that Sundays are “a recipe for bad vibes and a weird dining room or bar energy.”
“Sunday diners and bar patrons are going out because no one feels like cooking. Sunday brunchers might be hungover, and folks who went out Friday and Saturday feel like they spent too much money; they didn’t get everything they wanted done over the weekend,” she explains. “By dinner time, the Sunday scaries are pulsing at full volume, reminding every person in your bar or dining room that they must return to work tomorrow morning.”
However, not everyone felt this way.
“I love Sunday nights,” one Reddit user argued. “I’ve worked at a bunch of service industry bars amongst others but the Sunday night crowd always seems down to have more fun.”
“Sunday is a chill one for me, it’s Saturday night that is the worst day of the week,” another said.
Megan Schaltegger is an NYC-based writer. She loves strong coffee, eating her way through the Manhattan food scene, and her dog, Murray. She promises not to talk about herself in third person IRL.
