Diners could soon have to put down deposits or pay for tables upfront in a crackdown on 'no shows' that are costing restaurant owners thousands. Businesses from independents to UK-wide chains including the group which owns Bella Italia and Cafe Rouge are introducing measures to dissuade customers from failing to show up for their reservations.
Several restaurants told The Observer that they lost thousands of pounds on Valentine's Day after several reservations didn't turn up for their booking, with one admitting it lost £3,000 in one weekend due to no shows. It could mean that diners could have to buy tickets for tables, or put down deposits that they would lose if they failed to show up for their booking. Some restaurant owners have gone even further, and name and shame those who failed to show up for their reservation.
The campaign launched by some business owners in the UK has been backed by the Casual Dining Group, which owns Cafe Rouge, Belgo and Bella Italia.
Its chief operating officer, James Spragg, told The Observer that no shows can sometimes make up 15 per cent of bookings on some nights. He revealed the group is considering asking diners for a small deposit of roughly £5 a head for groups of six or more, with the opportunity to cancel the booking up to 48 hours before.
Explaining why no shows have become a bigger issue in the last few years, Mr Spragg blamed the rise on the ease of online booking services.
He said: 'It's so much easier for people to book that they are booking two or three restaurants, and only turning up at one.'
Restaurants can lose potentially tens of thousands of pounds if guests fail to turn up for their bookings as not only will they lose the money from the meal they would have paid for, but can often lead to food waste as eateries buy in enough ingredients to cover the number of diners they have booked in that night. High profile restaurants including Marcus Wareing's Tredwells in central London, 20 people didn't show up for their bookings in one night.
