A collection of short phrase cards from Komaba Shokudo

Q:

Why does Komaba close at 7 PM? Hongo is open until 9 PM. Closing at 7 PM means you have to eat dinner by 7 PM, which means you have to eat lunch around 12 or 1 PM, and you have to go during crowded times. If they were open until 9 PM,
you could stagger your dinner and lunch and aim for less crowded times.
Given that Hongo is open until 9 PM, there seems to be no reason for Komaba to close at 7 PM for the sake of preventing the spread of infection.

A:

Until last year, Komaba Cafeteria was operating on a reduced schedule from 11am to 2pm, but with the resumption of in-person classes, we are gradually returning to our normal operating hours, and for now, we have extended our hours to 10am to 7pm. The reason for extending to 7pm is not to prevent the spread of infection, but rather it is the longest time currently possible considering the gradual return to normal operations, the current usage situation, and our staffing situation.
We sincerely apologize that we are unable to meet your desired operating hours this time, Mr. Arita.
We are open from 10am, so if possible, we would appreciate it if you could consider having your meal earlier. We will continue to consider your requests, usage situation, income and expenses, and the feasibility of our staffing situation as we go along.