An American tourist's post on X saying he was asked to leave a Five Guys restaurant in Preston shortly after closing time drew a wave of criticism from British social media users.
Peter Della Penna, who posts as @peterdellapenna, wrote that he arrived "just before closing at 10," received his order and was then "chased out by manager at 10:15 while still eating my food & told, '15 minutes is enough, you need to leave.'" In the same thread he contrasted what he described as more permissive closing practices in the United States with tighter cutoffs in England, writing: "If a place in the USA says they close at 10, that means last customer inside/order at 10 & eat your food at a normal pace. If a place in England says they close at 10, that means they want the lights out and door locked at 10."
The post prompted hundreds of replies from people in the U.K., many of whom criticised Della Penna's account as entitled or insensitive to staff schedules. "Do you know what closing means?" one user asked. Another wrote that arriving at a venue that closes at 10 p.m. and then complaining it shut at 10 was unreasonable. Comments also noted that hospitality workers must complete shutdown procedures and may finish work long after the posted closing time.
A hospitality worker who replied on social media said some venues stop taking orders well before closing and that staff often remain on site to clean and secure premises. Others suggested the restaurant could have offered a takeaway option to avoid asking the customer to leave while he was still eating.
Five Guys UK addressed the complaint on its official X account, saying: "Hi Peter, we're really sorry about this. Unfortunately due to licensing, some stores cannot have customers in the premises after a certain time. Please reach out to us if you have any further concerns." The company did not provide specifics about the Preston location's licensing restrictions in the public reply.
The episode added to a broader conversation among tourists about visiting Britain during a period of transport disruption. Recent Tube strikes in London have led some visitors to describe arriving during a particularly difficult week for travel in the capital, with complaints about delays and higher taxi fares appearing on social platforms.
The incident underscores differences in expectations that can arise between visitors and local businesses over posted opening hours and enforcement. Neither Della Penna nor the Preston Five Guys provided additional comment beyond the social media posts and the chain's public reply.