# Consumer-oriented business that are closed on weekends **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 21, 2006, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-oriented-business-that-are-closed-on-weekends/369617 "2006-08-21T17:34:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-oriented-business-that-are-closed-on-weekends/369617/41 "2006-08-22T19:32:13Z")
[QUOTE=CaveMike] But I am with you on this issue and can add a few of my own: hair cutting places and libraries. [/QUOTE] My local libraries recently managed to start opening every branch on Sundays, sometimes at the expense of weekday hours . However, it’s a nightmare to get the staffing sorted. One example, a small library in one village, is now open on Tuesday mornings, 3-7pm Wednesday, and Saturday & Sunday afternoons. Yep, it’s a useful way to spread out the limited hours, and in fact Sunday is now that branch’s busiest day. However, it’s only staffed by one librarian…if she leaves, how easy is it going to be to recruit another, who is able & willing to work those same hours? In the case of the OP, perhaps the owner is happy with the money he’s making, and likes to be able to have dinner with the kids each evening and to spend the weekend with his family. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-oriented-business-that-are-closed-on-weekends/369617/42 "2006-08-22T19:47:29Z")
[QUOTE=RaftPeople] I feel the same way about banks. [/QUOTE] 😕 Washinton Mutual is open (in my area, at least) Saturdays 10a-1p, full service. We signed our loan papers for our HELOC on a Saturday. And Suntrust is open, lobby only, on Saturdays as well. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-oriented-business-that-are-closed-on-weekends/369617/43 "2006-08-22T19:58:54Z")
[QUOTE=Hampshire] Can we add government offices that deal with the public to this list? Why oh why would you have shortened or zero hours on weekends for the post office, department of motor vehicles, license and registration offices? So I have to take time off of work to get errands done? [/QUOTE] Thank the 1990s wave of GOP-driven tax cut fervor. That hit most state legislatures at some time during the decade. Something had to give when the economy went south, if it didn’t right away. TANSTAAFL. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-oriented-business-that-are-closed-on-weekends/369617/44 "2006-08-22T20:48:25Z")
[QUOTE=RTFirefly] Thank the 1990s wave of GOP-driven tax cut fervor. That hit most state legislatures at some time during the decade. Something had to give when the economy went south, if it didn’t right away. TANSTAAFL. [/QUOTE] Yeah, but you think common sense would tell them to cut out a day between Monday and Thursday, not take out Saturday. But you are talking politicians here. I’m sure they can take a break whenever they want to run their errands. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-oriented-business-that-are-closed-on-weekends/369617/45 "2006-08-23T00:33:25Z")
[QUOTE=Brynda] Car dealerships are another one that are often not open on weekends. WTF? Don’t you want me to be employed so that I can pay for the car? I am a small business owner of a sort–I run a private practice as a psychologist. My hours are 10 AM to 7PM. No one is up to seeing a psychologist at 8, but lots of people want my 5 and 6 PM slots. It has worked really well for me. [/QUOTE] Many car dealerships want laws requiring them to be closed. This way they can all keep their costs down while not worrying about losing business to their competitors. In Texas, car dealerships are required to be closed one day a week. Almost every dealership is closed on Sunday. However, every now and then a dealership will run a “OPEN SUNDAY” special and close on Saturday. Not very conducive to shopping around which is, of course, what the dealer wants. At least Carmax will open every day of the week and just pay the fine. ---
**Author:** ![Malienation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Malienation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malienation)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-oriented-business-that-are-closed-on-weekends/369617/46 "2006-08-23T00:46:48Z")
AFAIK. the issue with banks is a little tricky. Unlike other businesses, they’re required by law to stay open certain hours…notice I said “certain hours”, not a “certain number of hours.” If they were to stay open longer hours on weekends, they wouldn’t be able to close during the week to compensate; thus, they’re total hours open would increase. For some places, that might not be bad, but my guess is that most banks don’t want to bother. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-oriented-business-that-are-closed-on-weekends/369617/47 "2006-08-23T02:25:34Z")
I work in the main branch of a public library - we’re open on Sundays, but the branches aren’t. I work every third weekend, and one evening a week. What that means is that we’re sorely understaffed on Sundays, which are our busiest day. ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-oriented-business-that-are-closed-on-weekends/369617/48 "2006-08-23T02:39:59Z")
[QUOTE=GorillaMan] My local libraries recently managed to start opening every branch on Sundays, sometimes at the expense of weekday hours . However, it’s a nightmare to get the staffing sorted. One example, a small library in one village, is now open on Tuesday mornings, 3-7pm Wednesday, and Saturday & Sunday afternoons. Yep, it’s a useful way to spread out the limited hours, and in fact Sunday is now that branch’s busiest day. However, it’s only staffed by one librarian…if she leaves, how easy is it going to be to recruit another, who is able & willing to work those same hours? [/QUOTE] I guess I really shouldn’t complain then, since my libraries have always been open during the day on Saturdays and Sundays - usually 10am - 5pm. And I am with you on trying to staff it during those hours. I certainly don’t want to be working Saturday and Sunday nights and I don’t expect many people do. ---
**Author:** ![tashabot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tashabot/32/6250_2.png) [@tashabot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tashabot)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-oriented-business-that-are-closed-on-weekends/369617/49 "2006-08-23T05:40:15Z")
Everyone’s talking about this stuff and I’m going “Buh?” The car dealership my mom got her new Pontiac at was open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Our DMV is sadly open only 8 - 5 m-f, however, most basic things can be taken care of with machines now - if you need to reregister you can pay in cash or check at a machine, if you need to renew your license, same deal. If you have something persnickity to take care of yeah, it’s a pain, but I can run over to the DMV on my lunch hour and use one of their several machines and get it taken care of lickity-split. Our library is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, and Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays they’re open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. They’ve been trying to get funding to be open even later and on Sundays for years, so kids will have a safe place to hang out at. You can buy alcohol from any store that cares to purchase a liquor license, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Most restaurants are open until about 9 p.m. There’s one here still that only serves breakfast and lunch, and everyone kind of regards it with suspicion. My credit union is open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. M-F and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. Almost everything you could want to do at the bank, other than signing papers and such, you can do at the ATM or on their Web site (they even have a member-to-member transfer option, which is RAD). Most small businesses are open on weekends and late, simply because they tend to faiil otherwise. It’s a noted trend here. Seriously, the only reason that gas station that closes at 10 p.m. stays open is because they have the cheapest gas and cigarettes…probably because they’re not paying as much in labor. ~Tasha ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-oriented-business-that-are-closed-on-weekends/369617/50 "2006-08-23T07:13:43Z")
My coffee shop is closed on Sunday…Nothing about being faith based but we tried to stay open on sundays for many months…we sometimes made enough to pay the employee to stay there and watch the mostly empty shop. Figure in the cost of running the AC and brewing the extra coffee and we are ahead closing. Funny thing is we had a ton of people asking us to stay open on sunday. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-oriented-business-that-are-closed-on-weekends/369617/51 "2006-08-23T17:25:51Z")
[QUOTE=dalej42] Many car dealerships want laws requiring them to be closed. This way they can all keep their costs down while not worrying about losing business to their competitors… [/QUOTE] Here in PA alot of beer distributors fought a law allowing them to open on Sundays for that very reason. Most beer distributors in PA seem to be small businesses and the owners want to be able to take a day of without worring about losing business. Only about 10% of state stores are open on Sundays and even then only from noon-5pm. My father runs a garage and he won’t open on weekends, but spends them working on cars people drop off during the week (he’s his only employee). If he had to deal with customers coming in Sat-Sun as well there’d be no way he’d be able to get all the work done. ---
**Author:** ![Eliphalet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eliphalet/32/9563_2.png) [@Eliphalet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eliphalet)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-oriented-business-that-are-closed-on-weekends/369617/52 "2006-08-23T18:51:16Z")
Let me give an insight into the mindset of government. My wife is a Librarian, working for the city. In 2003, the city slashed funding to the library system. The library was forced to lay off librarians and cut hours. Due to the wonders of the contract with the Librarian’s union; my wife, with over 12 years experience, is second most junior person to remain employed at her pay grade. Her boss, with over 28 (yes, 28) years experience, is the junior person at her pay grade. (The union rules suck). The library slashed hours on many branches to Mon/Wed/Fri. Including 2 evenings per week. In 2005, a new Library board was elected, with the “mandate” to add Saturday hours. They’ve just proposed their changes, which is to close buildings on Friday and move all public staff to Saturday hours. This means that people who were hired to work M-F before 2003, with possibly 1 evening per week; are now being told that they are required to work 2 evenings per week, and every Saturday. If not, they will be forced out of their jobs. We’re not talking high school kids here. We’re talking professionals with Master’s Degrees (or better), who have an average of 16+ years with the library system. And of course, this does not apply to the administrative staff and senior management. Or the Board, who just voted an increase of $5k for their _coffee and snack_ fund for Board meetings. Fed up? My wife is thinking of going to work for a dotcom, in order to have a more stable schedule and payroll. :mad: Eli ---
**Author:** ![Praetor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/58956e/32.png) [@Praetor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Praetor)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2006, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-oriented-business-that-are-closed-on-weekends/369617/53 "2006-08-24T20:37:42Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] Instead, I can’t buy a damned bottle of wine on Sunday, and if I cross the county line I can watch them put caution tape around almost everything at Wal-Mart at midnight on Saturday, 'cause you can only buy, like, food and shampoo until 1 o’clock Sunday afternoon. [/QUOTE] This is ridiculous. I used to live near Chicago, and when I moved to SC I was amazed to see that Walmart roped off\* all areas of the store that were not in the food or pharmacy section. The store is open 24 hours, but you can’t buy anything but food or drugs Sunday morning. 😕 \*And by “roped off” I mean they literally string yellow twine between the clothes racks. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2006, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-oriented-business-that-are-closed-on-weekends/369617/54 "2006-08-25T03:03:39Z")
[QUOTE=Eliphalet] Let me give an insight into the mindset of government. My wife is a Librarian, working for the city. In 2003, the city slashed funding to the library system. The library was forced to lay off librarians and cut hours. Due to the wonders of the contract with the Librarian’s union; my wife, with over 12 years experience, is second most junior person to remain employed at her pay grade. Her boss, with over 28 (yes, 28) years experience, is the junior person at her pay grade. (The union rules suck). The library slashed hours on many branches to Mon/Wed/Fri. Including 2 evenings per week. In 2005, a new Library board was elected, with the “mandate” to add Saturday hours. They’ve just proposed their changes, which is to close buildings on Friday and move all public staff to Saturday hours. This means that people who were hired to work M-F before 2003, with possibly 1 evening per week; are now being told that they are required to work 2 evenings per week, and every Saturday. If not, they will be forced out of their jobs. We’re not talking high school kids here. We’re talking professionals with Master’s Degrees (or better), who have an average of 16+ years with the library system. And of course, this does not apply to the administrative staff and senior management. Or the Board, who just voted an increase of $5k for their _coffee and snack_ fund for Board meetings. Fed up? My wife is thinking of going to work for a dotcom, in order to have a more stable schedule and payroll. :mad: Eli [/QUOTE] You should send this post to your local newspaper. ---
**Author:** ![lezlers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@lezlers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lezlers)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2006, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-oriented-business-that-are-closed-on-weekends/369617/55 "2006-08-25T14:56:18Z")
[QUOTE=teela brown] Can this rant be extended to include restaurants? We live somewhat near San Francisco, which city is jam-packed with delightful little bistros and trattorias. I’m forever reading reviews of wonderful new cafes that I’d like to try. Unfortunately, dining in SF on a Saturday night is virtually impossible for an out-of-towner, as there is simply no parking to be had at that time. No problem, one might say - just go for Saturday lunch. However, though they’re open for lunch during the week, about 99.99% of these charming places are _not_ open for lunch on Saturdays. Most of the places open at that time are just tourist joints or sandwich and fast food chains. It’s as frustrating as hell for a foodie! [/QUOTE] Are you talking about places in the business district? I had to attend a seminar in SF a few months back on a Sat/Sun. It was in a hotel near the business district. We walked around for nearly 20 minutes before we finally found a _Subway_ that was open for lunch. Did I mention there was a resturant about every 10 feet? We figured it’s because there’s not too many people perusing the business district on the weekend. My bank kills me. Their hours are 10-6 M-F Closed on Sat and Sun. Thanks a lot fuckers. Now every time I have to go to the bank I have to take off of work (going during lunch is a nightmare, there’s always a line out the door). :mad: ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2006, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-oriented-business-that-are-closed-on-weekends/369617/56 "2006-08-25T15:09:11Z")
lezlers you need to get your self a new bank. ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2006, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-oriented-business-that-are-closed-on-weekends/369617/57 "2006-08-25T15:18:27Z")
[QUOTE=BayleDomon] I’ve been thinking about this very subject recently myself. Despite my solemn vow to never work retail again, I’ve often entertained thoughts about What I Would Do as a small business owner. 1. Work sales tax into displayed prices so people know, immediately, to the penny, how much they’ll be charged at the register. All prices would also be rounded to the nearest 50 cents. 2. Refuse to give in to self-absorbed, whiny, poor customers. 3. Maintain full 8-hour days on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with half days on Thursday and Monday, and be closed Tuesday and Wednesday. This way I would still earn significant revenue, and my off-days will be in the middle of the week, which means when _I_ want to go shopping, the number of people out in public will be fewer than on the weekends and those stores that have the dumb no-weekends policies will be open. 😃 I haven’t even decided what I’d sell yet, but I bet I’d make a killing.. [/QUOTE] Actually there’s a chain out here, [3-Day Suit Broker](http://www.3daysuitbroker.com/) that opens late morning to evening, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only, and claims to pass the savings on to the customer. Weekday hours are a throwback to 40 years ago, when far fewer women worked, and were home to do the bulk of the shopping. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2006, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-oriented-business-that-are-closed-on-weekends/369617/58 "2006-08-25T15:28:51Z")
[QUOTE=lezlers] Are you talking about places in the business district? I had to attend a seminar in SF a few months back on a Sat/Sun. It was in a hotel near the business district. We walked around for nearly 20 minutes before we finally found a _Subway_ that was open for lunch. Did I mention there was a resturant about every 10 feet? We figured it’s because there’s not too many people perusing the business district on the weekend [/QUOTE] Sounds like the City of London, i.e. the financial district. _Everything_ closes at the weekend - pubs, shops, even a major railway station. Walk in any direction, and within a few minutes everything’s a normal Saturday. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2006, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-oriented-business-that-are-closed-on-weekends/369617/59 "2006-08-25T16:33:48Z")
The Mailboxes/UPS Store near my home closes at 6:00 on weekdays, 5:00 on Saturdays and is closed on Sundays. I understand that unless you pay a lot more, you won’t get a package picked up or delivered on a weekend, but for someone that just wants to drop off a widget they sold on eBay, or a birthday present to someone, they can live with that. What they can’t live with is that the store closes before they can get home and have to wait until Saturday. So, I drive a mile down the road to FedEx/Kinkos that is open 24 hours a day ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2006, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-oriented-business-that-are-closed-on-weekends/369617/60 "2006-08-25T17:21:52Z")
While I agree, and think it sucks that I can only get my car repaired during hours that I can’t get there, a lot of this thread over looks the other side of the equation. Many people really don’t want to work night, Saturdays and/or Sundays. They want to spend time with their spouse, children, relatives, friends or other people that they can see during those times. Sure, it would be cool to have a business where I’m open on the weekends and closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Until I have to miss my kid’s soccer games. Or my buddies all go out on Friday night and I have to stay home because I have to work in the morning. Now this is a reality for many people, but it still kind of sucks when it’s you. Even if it just means you can’t get home for dinner with your family. Or pick your kids up from daycare. Which raises another point – who is taking care of the children of these people who are working on the weekend to better serve you? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-oriented-business-that-are-closed-on-weekends/369617.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-oriented-business-that-are-closed-on-weekends/369617.md?page=4)