Those who have worked in a restaurant will probably have a different answer from the rest of us, as they know what it’s like to be getting ready to close when a party of four comes in at the last minute.

Giving servers and kitchen staff a good amount of time is common courtesy, if not actual policy depending on the eatery, but that still leaves the question of how much time you should give them. An hour seems like plenty of time, especially at a more casual restaurant that doesn’t take too long to bring your food, but wouldn’t a half-hour or less be cutting it close? Some places close their kitchen before they officially close for just this reason, limiting how much power the customer has over when everyone gets to go home.