MONTREAL – Quebec restaurant owners can now charge a fee to people who make a reservation but don’t show up. Under a new law that came into force today, restaurants across the province can levy a fine of up to $10 for each no- show.
Authorities, however, stated that establishments imposing such fines must adhere to certain conditions. Restaurants must inform customers in advance that a penalty will be charged if they do not arrive for their reservation. The reservation must be for at least two people. The restaurant owner must contact the customer between 6 and 48 hours from the time of reservation to confirm it.
Quebec restaurants have to follow a number of rules to apply the fee, including reminding customers of an upcoming reservation and giving them an easy way to cancel. Furthermore, no fine will be charged if the reservation is canceled at least three hours before the scheduled time.
The fee can be applied only to groups of two or more, and only if none of the members of the party shows up. According to the Association Restauration Québec, ‘ghost reservations’ cause an average annual loss of $49,000 per restaurant.
