Why You Should Think Twice Before Ghosting Your Restaurant Reservations

Although restaurant etiquette differs around the world, one thing that remains the same is how rude it is to ghost on your reservation plans. It's one thing to cancel a reservation if you can't make it, but simply not showing up can have repercussions you might not have considered. For example, if you booked your reservation through an app like Resy or OpenTable, ghosting numerous reservations could result in your account being suspended. OpenTable automatically deactivates accounts if they rack up four no-shows, while Resy states in its terms that it reserves the right to terminate accounts with excessive no-shows.

However, while not showing up to a reservation may get you kicked off these apps, it also has an impact on the restaurant you ghosted. A ghosted reservation means lost revenue for restaurants because a table will go empty, prepped food can be wasted, and staff called in to cover a booked night end up with less to do. Moreover, the ghosted reservation takes a spot that could have gone to someone else, especially the most popular restaurant reservation times. While one ghosted reservation might not seem impactful, reservation ghosting has become more prevalent, with a surge in 2024 hurting restaurants in New York City, in particular.

While you might not think skipping out on a reservation once in a while is a bad thing, you're likely not the only one doing it, and every no-show adds up to be a pretty significant blow to businesses. So, when deciding what restaurant to visit, make sure to either keep your reservation or be courteous and cancel ahead of time.  

In an attempt to combat the influx of people ghosting on reservations, some restaurants have started adding various fees and penalties to reservations, no-shows, and cancellations. For example, some may require patrons to use a credit card to place a reservation so that a fee can be applied in the event of a no-show. Similarly, some restaurant owners are charging as much as $100 per person for ghosted reservations.

Another option restaurants have turned to is reservation deposits. The idea is that patrons who have already spent money on a reservation will have more incentive to keep it. OpenTable added the option for restaurants to require a deposit through their app in 2022.

Although methods like this might not inherently make customers very happy, it's the way restaurants have been forced to try and mitigate reservation ghosting. Now, if most folks who make a reservation either keep it or officially cancel, these measures might not be needed, but unfortunately, the ghosting trend doesn't appear to be going away anytime soon. That said, you should still do your part and try not to leave restaurants hanging after you make a booking!