Here's Why A Lot Of Restaurants Aren't Open On Mondays

As much as we love home cooking, there are just some nights when we want to throw in the towel, sit down at a restaurant table, and have someone else do the cooking for us. Whether slurping down pasta, scooping up soup dumplings, or diving into a plate of oysters, we love restaurant dining — which is why it's always so disappointing when the urge to eat out strikes on a Monday.

Have you ever noticed that many neighborhood restaurants, both large and small, are closed on Mondays? According to Mental Floss, the reason for this common restaurant practice is almost purely financial: Traditionally, Monday is the slowest day of the week. With many diners indulging in Saturday night dinner or Sunday brunch, they're not likely to follow up their weekend extravagances with yet another pricy, calorie-heavy restaurant meal.

"There just does not appear to be enough customers out there on a Monday and those that are do not want — after perhaps a slightly indulgent Sunday — to drink that much wine in a restaurant," restaurateur Michel Roux Jr. of London's Le Gavroche told the Financial Times.

Per Mental Floss, there are additional reasons why eateries might decide to close their doors on Mondays. For one thing, lack of fresh food is a concern: not too many restaurants receive deliveries over the weekend, meaning that whatever's left kicking around in the walk-in come Monday might not be the freshest item to serve to diners. The late, great Anthony Bourdain used to warn restaurant-goers never to order fish on a Monday, for example, writing in his 2000 memoir "Kitchen Confidential," "The fish markets are closed on Saturday and Sunday. Your fish purveyor might deliver on Saturday, but it's stuff they got in on Friday" (via ABC News).

As you've likely noticed in your neighborhood, some restaurants decide to take the financial risk of remaining open on Mondays — but it still might not be a good idea to eat there. According to Mental Floss, many restaurants use slow Mondays as an opportunity to train new staff, be it a chef, server, or manager, possibly resulting in a subpar meal or dining experience for the restaurant-goer.

One genre of restaurant that is almost always open seven days a week? Big chain restaurants, as noted by Restaurant Ninjas, which have a large enough staff they can rotate in and out in order to remain open and still give team members days off. So if you're struck with a Monday craving for a cheeseburger and fries or a slice of pizza, chances are you'll be able to satisfy it.