Looking for a late-night meal? America's closed

[brooklynite]

CNN

Shift workers, bar-hoppers and night owls don’t have nearly as many late-night dining options as they did during the pre-pandemic heyday of 24-hour diners and restaurants.

And it’s not just restaurants. Walmart, four years after Covid-19 prompted curtailed hours, still hasn’t gone back to “open all night.” Some supermarkets, electronics retailers, coffee shops and pharmacies that shuttered early during Covid-19 have never come back to late-night hours. Not even all of 24 Hour Fitness’ gyms — the promise is right in its name — are 24 hours.

But the worst hit are sunset-to-sunrise diners and restaurants.

The number of restaurants offering 24-hour service fell 18% from 2020 to 2024, according to data from Yelp. The city that never sleeps, New York, has lost 13% of its 24-hour restaurants. Los Angeles, which was also impacted by the Hollywood strikes, has lost a stunning 35% of 24-hour eateries, and Chicago 10%.

[marble falls]

1. Late night here is 9:00. We don't roll up the sidewalks, no joke - we don't have any.

[samnsara]

10. i live 10 miles from town. Something has to be pretty sweet

..for me to make that drive at night.

[CurtEastPoint]

2. Awffle House!

?

[Elessar Zappa]

3. Hey, I like Waffle House!

[CurtEastPoint]

13. SO DO I! I just get a kick out of 'Awffle'

[Elessar Zappa]

14. It IS funny lol.

[samnsara]

9. the one and only time I went or will go to a waffle house was when visited

..my daughter in Tennessee and the grand kids were little. One was in a car carrier.. we put the carrier on the floor in the restaurant and soon noticed she was covered in black ants and so was the floor! The only people in that cafe were us and the waitress looked like she REALLY needed the job and the cook was iffy.

Thats the only reason I didnt call the Health Department.

Chic Fil A wasnt much better as we decide to go and there it was! Dora the Explorer Day! The place was full of small kids and the pop ( or sweet tea) spillage on the floor made our shoes sticky. We left before we ordered anything.

[Lunabell]

4. As a night owl, I miss those hours.

I especially loved shopping at wallyworld in the middle of the night when nobody else was around.

[hlthe2b]

6. I grocery shop right at opening (6AM)-- dropping by immediately after the dog park when store is empty.

But my night shift ER-working sister finds the lack of overnight hours nearly unbearable. I don't blame her.

[hlthe2b]

5. Crime stats are down, but these places--poorly staffed-- are very vulnerable nonetheless...

I have to think that will continue to affect any overnight opening decisions for a decade or more to come.

[hlthe2b]

7. Most I-HOPs still remain open overnight and of course truck stops. But, it is quite the change, for sure.

[samnsara]

11. was in rhode island when Sandy hit and Duncan Donuts will be the LAST

..place to close before any storms.

at least their floors arent sticky

[bucolic_frolic]

8. Personnel and profits not available 10pm to 7am

Every business is squeezing every last ounce of cost out of their operations. Overnight was viewed as incremental revenue, since most of them have overnight personnel to restock and clean, but no more.

[Abnredleg]

12. Not just late hours - try getting a dinner reservation on a Monday or Tuesday night

And finding out many restaurants are closed. Not quite the same issue as dinners closing early, but same root cause - lack of staff.

[Elessar Zappa]

15. And it's not because people don't want to work.

Most of the employable are currently employed. We just have a surplus of jobs that need to be filled. That’s why I’m for loosening immigration restrictions. We need employees in healthcare, construction, restaurants, etc.

[NutmegYankee]

22. In New England, Mondays are a traditional closed day for restaurants.

Often the only option for Monday is Asian. It was that way long before the pandemic.

[Firestorm49]

16. Agreed. I was driving home from a gig and needed some food. As much as I avoid McDonalds, I

could usually find one open late at night. I went to three last night. Their loudspeaker announces “Are you going to use your rewards program, a staff member will be with you shortly.” Nope. I struck out at three that now close at 11:00. I ended up at a Kwai Trip and had a horrible cheeseburger.

Our area also had George Webb restaurants that were always open 24 hours a day. A late night breakfast was usually my choice but nope, the Webbs are now closed at night also.

I guess that means that I 1) quit playing out at night, 2) pack some food for the ride home, or 3) wind up back at Kwik Trip for bad food or.

What a dilemma!

[LeftInTX]

17. Kwik Trip has egg rolls. I think they're $1. They're on the rollers with the hot dogs.

[Passages]

18. I miss life before the pandemic.

[LeftInTX]

19. Sad. I needed space with wi-fi when my house was being remodeled. (Still lived in my house, didn't have space to sit)

Everything was closed except IHOP. So, that's where I went. Wasn't able to use IHOP's wi-fi, so I set up a hot spot. Still, it was better than sitting at McDonalds for hours.

I'm also a night owl. About a year ago, around 1 am, I went for a junk food run.
The convenience stores were closed. I finally made my way to Jack in the Box.

_

I feel like we live in "1950's small town america" now, where the radio stations turned off at sunset. TV ended at midnight. Everyone is home at 9 pm and goes to bed after the 10 pm or 11 pm local news. zzz....

I miss my 24 hour Wal Mart.

My grocery store used to stay open until 1 am. Now they close at 11 pm. That's the same time that my gym closes, so I can't go to the store after I work out.

[Aristus]

20. Our local 24-hour diner closed a year or so ago.

Don’t know the exact circumstances, but they had the best biscuits and gravy in town. Drove past the location a few weeks ago, and it was a parking lot. I mean, I know the Puyallup Fair needs more parking capacity, but come on.

[Fla Dem]

21. Probably a lot of small restaurants (non-chain) were considering cutting back.

The covid shutdown, gave them time to assess the benefits of going back to 24 hours and the opportunity to act on their decision.