Restaurant owners say they are insulted by the scourge of customers who do not show up for their reservation, resulting in considerable financial losses in the midst of the holiday season.
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On Friday, a restaurant in Quebec had to close without serving a single person because a group that had reserved all the seats did not show up.
“We could have filled the restaurant ten times with the requests that we had to refuse because we were full. Instead, the equivalent of a few thousand dollars was thrown out the window,” laments Jérôme Gilpin, co-owner of the Verre Pickl’ restaurant.
DIDIER DEBUSSCHERE/JOURNAL DE QUEBEC
Jérôme Gilpin(R) and Philippe Gilpin(L) of the restaurant, Le Verre Pickl’, on Maguire, had to close shops before even being able to offer its first service on Friday since the people who had reserved the entire restaurant did not are not pointed.
Nearly an hour into the reservation, the table was still empty at this small establishment on Maguire Street.
“We had confirmed with them the day before that everything was fine and, the same day, no one called us to cancel. After being closed for two years during the holidays, it’s so insulting! plagues Mr. Gilpin, who had to close his business for the evening.
A recurring scourge
Some of the food ordered by Verre Pickl’ for the occasion may be sent in a boxed lunch, at the beginning of the week, to customers who have been numerous to offer their help on social networks.
But not everyone is so lucky and the phenomenon of no show is more and more frequent throughout the province, as evidenced by the restaurateurs contacted by Le Journal.
“Very quickly, we decided not to take groups of more than 6 people without having them sign a contract,” says Ericka Soleilhac, owner of the Tandem restaurant, on the South Shore of Montreal.
JOEL LEMAY/QMI AGENCY
Youssupha Camara “Dex” (dishwasher) and Ericka Soleilhac (owner of the Tandem restaurant) in the Tandem restaurant located on Villeray Street, Montreal.
On the side of the Brasserie INOX, in Quebec, the owner Philippe Desrosiers does not mince his words to denounce the users of this practice, of which he himself has been a victim in the last few days.
“It has become a plague. People book in multiple places so they can choose where they will go on the day, without canceling other reservations. It’s totally disrespectful,” he said.
Dominique Lelievre / Le Journal de Quebec
Philippe Desrosiers, owner of the Inox brewery.
“Break” the trend
The Association Restauration Québec (ARQ) is currently taking steps with the government to allow restaurateurs to charge “modest fees” in the event of non-compliance with a reservation.
“We are talking about $20 that could be taken if there is a no show. In the medium term, we will no longer need it, but for the time being, we must break this trend,” explains Martin Vézina, vice-president of public and governmental affairs for the ARQ, who is to meet with the Office de la consumer protection to this effect in January.
Exception
For the moment, the only exception to the rule is the signing of a contract for the reservation of groups where the customer agrees to make a deposit, as the restaurant Tandem does.
“We select the menu and the wines according to the number of people. Then, we issue a quote to our clients and they return the signed contract to us with a 30% deposit,” explains Ms. Soleilhac.
With the collaboration of Audrey Robitaille