Restaurant no-shows:
Eateries refuse to pay the price for empty tables
In the run up to re-opening last week, many restaurant-owners were gratified to see bookings flooding in. People cooped up in lockdown were clearly dying to get out of their houses and have a meal cooked for them by someone else, and the prospect of a return to some kind of normality was reassuring for everyone working in hospitality.
But unfortunately re-opening brought with it a return of that tiresome restaurant industry bugbear, the no-show.
We’ve become used, particularly around Christmas-time, to restaurants taking to social media to complain about people who neither bother to cancel nor to turn up for their booking, leaving the restaurant with an empty table that they have no prospect of filling.
And it’s happening again. But now, after three-and-a-half months of no revenue, and with capacities reduced as a result of social-distancing guidelines, no-shows could be the difference between a restaurant staying in business and going under.
Las Tapas de Lola on Wexford Street in Dublin — where Leo Varadkar and his partner Matt Barrett ate over the weekend — Croi in Tralee, Co Kerry, and Linnane’s Lobster Bar in Newquay, Co Clare, were just three of the restaurants that took to Twitter in recent days to complain about the problem.
Oliver Dunne of Bon Appetit in Malahide tweeted that four people one night and nine on another hadn’t shown up for their tables, despite confirming earlier in the day.
So is it now the time to challenge the culture of no-shows — and the propensity of some diners to book several restaurants for the same night and only decide at the last minute which one they are going to honour — and for all restaurants to require credit card details with every booking, either to charge a non-refundable deposit to secure the reservation (as is now happening in hairdressers, dentists, physiotherapists and other businesses), or to charge a penalty for no-shows or late cancellations?
Should restaurants go further and charge in advance for a meal, with no refunds whatever the circumstances?
Liz Matthews of Uno Mas on Aungier Street in Dublin city centre, which re-opens on Thursday, says that she has introduced a deposit system for the first time.
“It needed to happen,” she says. “Before lockdown, we were having a difficult time confirming tables each day and no-shows were getting worse.
“Now we are only taking bookings online with credit card details. We take no deposit but do make it clear we will charge €40pp if cancelled with less than 12 hours notice for four or fewer people and 24 hours notice for five and more people. We haven’t had a squeak of complaint.”
Gaz Smith of Michael’s in Mount Merrion, currently operating as a takeaway and with no-booking garden seating, has also introduced a new system which requires card details for bookings made to eat in his restaurant after it re-opens on July 23, with no charge for cancellations made up to four hours before the booking but a €50pp fee for every late cancellation or no-show.
“I gave it a great deal of thought,” he says. “We had to come up with a way to protect our restaurant and our staff while at the same time not forcing people into a situation where they will come to a restaurant rather than lose their deposit if they feel unwell.
“By giving everyone the opportunity to cancel up to four hours ahead of their booking brings us goodwill. We will have zero tolerance for no-shows.
In Galway, JP McMahon of Cava and Tartare (Aniar will not open this season due to Covid), says that he finds it strange that people think they should get a refund if they are sick.
“What happens to your flight, hotel room, concert tickets in those circumstances? We ask for card details and our cancellation limit is 24 hours, but I always give people the benefit of the doubt if they ring on the day. I think people forget how kind our industry is.”
One restaurant that has moved to the ‘payment in full in advance’ model is the Michelin-starred Liath in Blackrock, with just ten seats, which makes it very clear on its website that refunds are not available, but that reservations can be transferred to another person — the same way as tickets for a match or concert.
Damien Grey from Liath says that while that is their official policy, in reality, they try to work with the guests to reschedule the meal but if no other date can be found, they would consider a refund. Stating the policy on thew website stops habitual no-shows, he adds.
For restaurant customers, it seems as if the days of late cancellations and not turning up without a penalty may be coming to an end. As always, caveat emptor applies and it’s up to each of us to read through the terms and conditions before inputting those card details.
And if you are not able to make it at the very last minute for a genuine reason, it’s always worth phoning the restaurant and begging for mercy. If you are a regular customer, chances are that the restaurant will take pity.
‘Should restaurants go further and charge in advance for a meal, with no refunds whatever happens?’