I'm not throwing my hat into the discourse ring at all on this but I think it's really really weird and strawmanny for people to paint everyone who wishes at least some grocery stores or restaurants remained 24 hours as like. bougie office workers who just got done getting plastered at a party who really want a sandwich instead of the people I actually regularly saw at 24 hour places during the "odd hours" which were blue collar 2nd and 3rd shift factory workers and truck drivers and other food service workers. like it's fucked up and an obvious direct example of capitalism ruining peoples lives and sleep schedules for endless profit that such a convenience has to exist at all but pretending your enemy who wishes they could get food after their shift ends is just as selfishly entitled as a six figure earning tech bro either means you want an easy argument to win or you don't see the people who already live in the time zone underbelly of your society as existing in the first place
night shift factory worker.
I would pay double if I could go to the dentist at 2am.
Night shift convenience store/cafe worker here:
Yeah, we get our fair share of bar patrons and stoners throughout the night but do you know who else comes in for food? The bartender. The chef from the local restaurant after he closes for the night. The delivery drivers from the pizza shop across the street who get back too late from their last run to have the cooks make anything for them. Two companies worth of sanitation workers on their way to work. Construction workers about to travel to their job site. Doctors and nurses getting off shift or on their way in. Utility workers on call for emergencies. Police and EMTs. Sex workers. Road maintenance crews. The owners and staff of the donut shop and little bakeries in town. So many truck drivers. I'm on a first-name basis with the woman who drives the huge USPS mail truck making deliveries to poat offices who stops in every time she drives past because we are the only place open on her route where she can use the bathroom and grab a cup of coffee. Teachers on their way in early to lesson plan or set up or attend meetings. Panicked parents of sick children who are always so upset that we don't carry medicine for babies and kids but are so grateful that at least they can get pedialyte and soup and popsicles.
Walmarts in my area close at 11:00 pm and have since the pandemic started. All of the local Dennys diners close at 8:00pm after a server was brutally attacked because someone's food was taking too long. Every shop and restaurant around has now hiring signs posted. The town Facebook page is constantly full of announcements of shortened business hours and "Sorry we can't open today because we don't have staff." When Mom and I wake up in the evening and don't feel like cooking we know we will probably have to call 2 or 3 different places to find somewhere that is open to pick up food from because so many restaurants around only stay open until 6:00 or 7:00. Most small businesses in the area have closed permanently. People come from 30+ minutes away because they know we will be open. So many of our regulars were devastated last week when we had to shut down the kitchen overnight for a few shifts because Mom and I were out with covid and we are literally 50% of the overnight staff. Thankfully most of our regulars were understanding and were so happy to see us back and hear that we were feeling better.
Yeah, the night shift is busier than it has ever been and staffing is terrible (on all shifts, not just ours) and we sometimes have to scramble to get everything done, but I try not to let it get to me because our main customer base is other people keeping odd hours to make a living and keep society running and they are very appreciative and grateful to have somewhere to go at all. And even the drunks and stoners and college kids getting mozzarella sticks at 3:00am are usually really nice and happy we're open.
