Have you ever booked a table for a restaurant only to have a last minute change of plan? Well if that happens again you could be charged.
Restaurants should be able to charge a cancellation fee to customers who don’t show up for their booking, according to the Restaurants Association of Ireland.
According to the Irish Examiner, the association said it should be brought in because of the hit that restaurants take on staff and stock costs when groups don’t turn up as planned, without letting them know.
The ‘no-show crackdown’ looks to tackle the problem of people booking group tables coming up to the Christmas period and could see a deposit of €10 per person being charged before a table is confirmed. If you don’t show, you’re 10 quid short per person. Simples.
Adrian Cummins, CEO of the RAI, told the Irish independent that charging a cancellation fee was widely accepted in the UK and in other trades, such as the hotel and airline industries.
Speaking to the Irish Independent, Michelin-star chef Oliver Dunne said he routinely has large tables making arrangements only to cancel at the last minute.
In the case of one particular group, he said: “I had all the food prepped and extra staff on who had to be sent home early,” he said.
“It’s affecting the livelihoods of everyone,” he said. “Sometimes we call to confirm that day and people will say ‘absolutely’ and then they still don’t show up.”
So, if you’re heading out with friends, colleagues or the missus over Christmas, make sure to stick to the plan if you don’t want to be charged anything extra.
