History Main / WhosWatchingTheStore

Often it is necessary to get the characters out of their normal environment so it does not seem boring. [[TropesAreTools This is not a problem]], but if the show has not set up a suitable number of background employees whom the audience can believe are capable of operating the business when the principal character employees are out, it can stretch the viewer's WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief.

* On ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' the Krusty Krab is a profitable fast food restaurant, run by a manager who freely admits that he is in it for the money. However often all three employees are shown to be away from work during daylight hours.
** In the episode where Spongebob gets a splinter, he and Squidward spend a huge amount of time in the kitchen, begging the question of who is manning the front register.
** Lampshaded in one episode, where Spongebob convinces himself and Squidward that Mr. Krabs is a robot. Before they tie him up, he nervously asks them what they're doing, and his last, frenzied question is "Who's watching the cash register?!"

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' uses this one with the Kwik-e-Mart numerous times. It's almost always answered as well. Either it's Apu's brother, or his infant nephew (he had a gun) or James Woods or... The one time Apu hasn't thought about it, Snake [[ExaggeratedTrope steals the store]].

** Lampshaded in one episode, where Spongebob convinces himself and Squidward that Mr. Krabs is a robot. Before they tie him up, he nervously asks them what they're doing, and his last, frenzied question is "Who's running the cash register?!"

* ''Film/{{Clerks}}'': Dante and Randall close their respective stores to play hockey on the roof and go to a funeral, among other things. However, they're fully aware of this trope--in fact, the game happens on the roof in case someone turns up, and the fact that no one will be watching the store is Dante's main argument for why Randal shouldn't attend the wake (though naturally that doesn't stop him.)
** It also happens in ''Film/ClerksII'', when Dante and Randall leave work at Mooby's and go go-karting in the middle of the day.

* In the first chapter of ''Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone'', Dumbledore spends the day traveling through parties on his way to Privet Drive while [=McGonagall=] spends the day sitting on the Dursleys' front yard in cat form. This canonically happens on the first of November. So the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress, the latter of whom actually teaches a class and is therefore actually important, are absent for an entire day in the middle of the school year. Then again, it's implied that not a whole lot of work was getting done anywhere else in Wizarding Britain on account of a really horrible war coming to an abrupt end.
** ''(Certainly unintentional Fridge Brilliance, but that chapter takes place on November 1, 1981, a Sunday. There wouldn't have been any classes at Hogwarts that day or the day before. This does bring up the question of why Vernon Dursley was a work in his office on Sunday.)''

* On ''Series/TrueBlood'', one of the waitresses at Merlotte's is murdered, and a replacement is not found for several episodes. They also tend to all run out into the front lot from time to time, leaving a full house of customers inside.
** In seasons 5 and 6, Sam Merlotte barely even sets foot in his namesake restaurant even though other characters are actively working there, making you wonder which character is handling purchasing and payroll.

* On an episode of ''Series/ChicagoHope'', a man who owned a dry-cleaning business was injured and treated at the title hospital. All of his employees came to visit him one day and the first thing he asked was, "Who's running the store?" It's shown over the course of the episode that the man considered his employees a second family, but after he got hurt (he was impaled through the head by a piece of metal), the injury changed his personality and now only cares about productivity and profits.

* On the Bitcom ''Series/AreYouBeingServed'' the staff of the mens' and ladies' departments are frequently shown having their lunch and coffee breaks together. It is highly unlikely the store closes for lunch and breaks, so who is serving customers while the sales staff are eating?
** Grace Bros actually '''does close''' during lunch.
*** But do they also close during those morning coffee breaks?

** ''Series/PowerRangersDinoCharge'' averts this - not only are several other cooks and waiters shown to be working at the museum's Dino Bite Cafe, but most episodes have only one or two Rangers investigating the MonsterOfTheWeek initially - the others often wait until they're called for backup. And like with ''Jungle Fury'', the Rangers' boss Kendall understands the situation since she's also in on their secret as TheMentor - in fact, she specifically ''gave'' the Rangers jobs in the museum so they could use museum business as a cover for Ranger business.
*** The second season has one of the main villains, who has a human form, start working in the cafe as well so he can spy on the rangers.

** In one episode Spongebob and Squidward deliver a pizza for Mr. Krabs, presumably leaving Mr. Krabs to run the entire store himself.
*** This was after hours as the call came in as the day was ending. Instead of going home Krabbs made them deliver pizza. Likely Krabbs went home closing the shop.

* A variation happens in ''WesternAnimation/{{Stoked}}''. Emma has a PottyEmergency, but she can't leave the surfboard exhibit alone. So somebody has to watch the show. When [[CloudCuckooLander Broseph]] agrees, well...HilarityEnsues.

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[[AC:Literature]]
* In the first chapter of ''Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone'', Dumbledore spends the day traveling through parties on his way to Privet Drive while [=McGonagall=] spends the day sitting on the Dursleys' front yard in cat form. This canonically happens on the first of November. So the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress, the latter of whom actually teaches a class and is therefore actually important, are absent for an entire day in the middle of the school year. Then again, it's implied that not a whole lot of work was getting done anywhere else in Wizarding Britain on account of a really horrible war coming to an abrupt end.

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[[AC:Western Animation]]
* On ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' the Krusty Krab is a profitable fast food restaurant, run by a manager who freely admits that he is in it for the money. However often all three employees are shown to be away from work during daylight hours.

[[AC:RealLife]]
* ''Constantly'' on the back of the mind of any owner/operator of a 24-hour establishment. Did the next shift come in?

* ''MrMeaty'': Often the main two employees take long breaks and go around the mall.
* In one episode of ''CuriousGeorge'', George picks up takeout from a new family-owned Asian market/take out place across the street. The ''entire family'' that runs the market help him carry the food home and then are invited to stay for dinner by the man in the yellow hat - they accept.

* A variation happens in ''{{Stoked}}''. Emma has a PottyEmergency, but she can't leave the surfboard exhibit alone. So somebody has to watch the show. When [[CloudCuckooLander Broseph]] agrees, well...HilarityEnsues.

* The creators of ''ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'' made the main characters bar owners so that they could believably get into hijinks during the day. Even still, the trope is lampshaded in one episode where a newspaper reviewer writes that patrons of Paddy's Pub must often serve themselves because the owners are too busy arguing with each other to actually tend bar.

* Whenever the bartenders on ''{{Cheers}}'' went somewhere during business hours they often had to point out who was watching the bar.

** ''PowerRangersMysticForce'' had the economic impossibility of all five rangers working at the same small music shop, and always at the same time. Toby (the boss) eventually got tired of them all dashing off at a moment’s notice and hired extra help. Of course, he became a lot more understanding after learning that they were all Power Rangers.

** ''Series/PowerRangersDinoCharge'' averts this - not only are several other cooks and waiters shown to be working at the Dino Bite Cafe, but most episodes have only one or two rangers investigating the MonsterOfTheWeek initially - the others often wait until they're called for backup.

* In the ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'' episode "Hunting Trip", most of the cast goes on said on trip, leaving only April (an intern at this point in the series) in the Parks Department. While they're gone, April is tasked with calling the State Parks Department and reading off a number so their budget will come in. However, the State Parks Department puts her on hold for hours and April has a PottyEmergency with no one to take over in case they answer. She's rescued by Andy, leading to the two of them goofing around in the office for the rest of the episode. This is the first time April and Andy had significant interaction and thus the episode is credited with starting their WillTheyOrWontThey relationship.

* On ''SpongebobSquarepants'' the Krusty Krab is a profitable fast food restaurant, run by a manager who freely admits that he is in it for the money. However often all three employees are shown to be away from work during daylight hours.

** Lampshaded in one episode, where Spongebob convinces himself and Squidward that Mr. Krabbs is a robot. Before they tie him up, he nervously asks them what they're doing, and his last, frenzied question is "Who's running the cash register?!"

** ''Series/PowerRangersJungleFury'' had the Rangers work in a pizzeria. They didn't have a problem with the boss as he was TheMentor, but there seemed to be ''no'' background employees; he seemed to run the place by himself before hiring the Rangers and one other girl in the pilot, and once he became a Ranger himself it apparently fell on the girl to keep things running while the Rangers saved the world. This trope eventually came back to bite them in the behind, however, [[spoiler:as it became impossible to keep the girl from finding out their secret after leaving her to handle the pizzeria alone so many times.]]

* In TwoBrokeGirls Max and Caroline seem to be the only two waitresses at the Diner. Made even funnier when they bump into Han, their boss, at the movie theaters. Made even more funny when Han, the cashier Earl, and the cook Oleg, show up at Max and Caroline's cupcake shop at the same time.

* The 1980's show ''Series/{{Alice|1976}}'' had the entire cast leaving Mel's Diner a few times during business hours with no explanation given.

* On the Britcom ''Series/AreYouBeingServed'' the staff of the mens' and ladies' departments are frequently shown having their lunch and coffee breaks together. It is highly unlikely the store closes for lunch and breaks, so who is serving customers while the sales staff are eating?

* On ''{{Series/Newhart}}'', there were a number of times when everybody who worked at the Stratford Inn were away from the inn, and many times when Minuteman Cafe owners Kirk or Larry, Darryl, and Darryl were away from the cafe, with no additional staff. Subverted a bit in that before Larry, Darryl, and Darryl bought the cafe Kirk had them look after the cafe on two occasions.

* ''Constantly'' on the back of the mind of any owner/operator of a 24-hour establishment. Did the next shift come in?

* In the first chapter of ''Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone'', Dumbledore spends the day traveling through parties on his way to Privet Drive while [=McGonagall=] spends the day sitting on the Dursleys' front yard in cat form. This canonically happens on the first of November. So the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress, the latter of whom actually teaches a class and is therefore actually important, are absent for an entire day in the middle of the school year. Then again, it's implied that not a whole lot of work was getting done anywhere else in Wizarding Britain on account of a really horrible war coming to an abrupt end.

** At least a few Rangers worked at a music store in ''Series/PowerRangersMysticForce'', and the rest used it as their LocalHangout. This was played relatively realistically, as the boss often got annoyed at his employees running off and eventually brought someone else on to pick up the slack, and a music store doesn't need a large staff in the first place.

* ''QuestionableContent'' has seen Coffee of Doom abandoned at moments of high drama. It really ''is'' abandoned during these moments, too, since there are no background extras. Owner Dora's sudden realization that her business IS, in fact, abandoned is often the panic cherry on the drama sundae in these scenarios. Fortunately, it doesn't happen often, since roughly half the cast works there, and there's ''almost'' always somebody not involved in the hijinks of the moment to watch the store. Not to mention, Coffee of Doom cultivates a clientele who find their favorite coffee shop randomly lacking baristas just part of its hipster charm.

* ''QuestionableContent'' has seen Coffee of Doom abandoned at moments of high drama. It really ''is'' abandoned during these moments, too, since there are no background extras. Fortunately, it doesn't happen often, since roughly half the cast works there, and there's ''almost'' always somebody not involved in the hijinks of the moment to watch the store.

--> *shot of Kwik-e-Mart pans out to reveal that it's on the back of a flat bed truck*
--> Snake: "''I'm taking this thing to Mexico!''"

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* Early on in ''Manga/DeathNote'', none of the remaining members of the Task Force are at the headquarters when they all go to meet L. L actually brings this up at the end of their meeting.

* Early on in ''DeathNote'', none of the remaining members of the Task Force are at the headquarters when they all go to meet L. L actually brings this up at the end of their meeting.

** The most extreme case is the Original Series episode "Catspaw," in which Kirk, Spock, Scotty, [=McCoy=], and Sulu all beam down, leaving Lt. DeSalle in command -- a character so minor that he only appeared in three episodes and was never given a first name. (If you're wondering why Uhura was not placed in command, you are not alone. She is also a lieutenant and, unlike DeSalle, is a bridge officer.)