“The capacity of my restaurant is only about forty seats. “Groups of 20 people, if we cancel an hour in advance, that accounts for half of my restaurant,” complains Mr. Filiou. I understand that unforeseen events may occur, but it concerns me because I have several, several group cancellations that hurt.”
In a post on their Facebook page earlier this week, Le BBQ Shop lamented “countless reservations canceled at the last minute.” It said more than 13 reservations for 8 to 25 people had been canceled as of December 13. “Sometimes there is a cancellation because only 2-3 people were no longer available or were sick – that's what we're told. […] This does not include groups of 2 to 6 people, which we do not consider necessary to take into account,” we wrote.
Mr. Filiou considers himself lucky to have a “walk-in customer” at the meeting who can partially compensate for these cancellations and that it is not the majority of customers who cancel their reservations, he assures. “But I really think there is a lack of respect and that we are taken for granted as restaurateurs. […] I am able to change direction, but people should be more sensitive.”
Just more of the same
The phenomenon of “no-shows” and last-minute cancellations made headlines during the 2022 holiday season and in the months that followed. Several restaurateurs across Quebec had publicly advocated for clear legislation that would allow them to require a non-refundable deposit from customers who make a reservation. And that is exactly what the Association Restauration Québec (ARQ) wanted to establish.
This year, unfortunately, the situation seems to be more similar, regrets Martin Vézina, vice president of public and government affairs at ARQ. “We are at the same stage. There was no improvement in customer base. There are always people who don't show up for their reservation. The phenomenon still exists.”
Before the pandemic, around 2017, the no-show phenomenon was mostly concentrated in the Montreal region, says Mr. Vézina. “But now it’s available for urban areas like Gatineau. In Gatineau we saw an increase in the phenomenon around 2019.”
The ARQ remains convinced that regulatory changes are the way forward. The organization assures that the file has also been examined by the consumer protection office for several months. “We are still asking for the possibility of imposing a modest penalty of $20 per customer,” explains Mr. Vézina.
In his opinion, awareness is necessary but not enough. “It is clear that this will continue. We agree that we will not charge a penalty in the event of a serious illness or death. But we're seeing more and more people simply forgetting about their reservation or booking at multiple locations and then deciding where they want to travel. […] We tell ourselves that by imposing such a punishment, perhaps in two or three years, we will be able to talk to each other again and realize that the phenomenon no longer exists, that we have changed our behavior. There are costs associated with not acting responsibly.”
“We weren’t born as restaurateurs yesterday. “We talk to each other in the community,” adds Karim Filiou, who nevertheless reiterates that above all we need more solidarity between the restaurateurs in the region. “If I cancel my physical therapist appointment with less than 24 hours notice, forget it, there’s a bill and it’s legal, it’s a service.” […] But I find that we are also a ministry, we are just seen as less important so opinions are divided. But of course, what does that mean to me, charging five or even ten dollars per customer at a table of 20 people who don't show up? Not much compared to a table where you eat, drink and tip. That won’t change tomorrow morning.”