Is it ok to make dinner reservations but not show up?

Question

fine dining restaurants...

like for some reasons we can't go, should we have to cancel the reservations? can it be done like a couple of hours before the reservation?

Answer 1

If you made reservation and find you cannot go, please take a minute and cancel.  If it's a fine restaurant and you gave a visa # with your reservation you may well find yourself charged for cancelled reservation.  Your table would have been held for you.  Thus loss of income to the restaurant and possibly great disappointment to other patrons who were unable to obtain a reservation.

Answer 2

Fine dining restaurant will take your credit card number when taking the reservation and will charge you a cancellation fee if you're a 'no show'. Ask about their policy when making the reservation, what is the latest you can cancel without a penalty.

Answer 3

Yes,the restaurant would much appreciate you doing so. Because that way they are not holding the table & time for you & they can give it to somone else who may need it.

Answer 4

no unless their is a emergency,but call to cancell.so others may be able to enjoy the resturant as well.

Answer 5

Certainly ... as long as you consider calling and cancel as a is common courtesy.

Answer 6

when you can't make it cancel the reservation. it is rude not to do that because maybe other people lose their chance to go. :)

Answer 7

Yes you should definately cancel, it's only polite

Answer 8

as a restaurant manager, my answer is a big NO. many people who for one reason or another can't show up think that "well, they are busy anyway, they don't need us" or they'll say "well, they won't even notice us". the fact is, we DO, and more so if we are busy! even if it's 2 people, a two-top table can make a big difference for us in making our sitting arrangements. if a group of 12 walk in w/ no reservation, and we need to make a group table for them, but we have room only for 10,  and therefore they need to  squeeze (a minus for us even BEFORE we start serving them!) that is a quite unpleasant situation for a manger, especially because so many people hate to be squeezed.

no show-up effects the kitchen badly too. especially at fine-dining restaurants, the number of reservations (and their every 15-minute update) is very important for the kitchen stuff. they need to know, and the manager needs to know, because they arrange the production and the sales accordingly.

restaurants also arrange the employees' shifts based on the number of reservations. it is really unpleasant for an employee who is called on a shift but doesn't get enough tables worth of his time, not to mention the manager who needs to pay the employee an hourly base, no matter what.

so, even if it is 5 minutes before your expected arrival time, please please please take the time to make that one little short phone call.

Answer 9

as a restaurant worker, no. If it's just 2 people it's not a big deal, however a 6-top not showing up is annoying. Since that table can be booked again. It's common courtesy to cancel though, takes just a few minutes, and you can do it even 1/2 hour before