Restaurant bookings

dungfungus said :

It’s very noisy but that is probably because they don’t ban mobile phones.

Are there many cafes that ban the use of mobile phones? Can’t imagine they’d be very successful in this day and age…

Might have been short handed in the kitchen hence the empty tables

I had lunch there last month and I booked a table. Glad I did – the place appears have become too successful.
Food is still great but staff were stretched. It’s very noisy but that is probably because they don’t ban mobile phones.

fabforty said :

I believe some restaurants have adopted a ‘no bookings’ policy because they have suffered too many losses due to no-shows by those who have reservations.

Take bookings, if the reservation is late give them a certain time frame (say 15 minutes) and then give the table away.

I believe some restaurants have adopted a ‘no bookings’ policy because they have suffered too many losses due to no-shows by those who have reservations.

This is a cafe , and cafe’s should not take bookings, it it trying to be a restaurant? place is overrated anyway.

Bookings. I want to know before I rock up whether I’m going to get in. Not everyone enjoys the thrill of the table hunt.

Mess said :

Restaurants should always take bookings, it baffles me that some restaurants have a “no bookings’ policy.

It obviously works for some of them though. If you’re popular enough that there’s a line to get in, why go to the time and expense of operating a reservation system? I understand that some restaurants have given up on bookings simply because they were sick of reserved tables sitting empty when people don’t show, while they’re turning away people without a booking who could have been spending money.

Mess said :

Restaurants should always take bookings, it baffles me that some restaurants have a “no bookings’ policy.

I understand that some restaurants don’t take bookings for 2-4 people and are fine with walk ins.
But I’m not going to rock up to a restaurant with 5+ people and hope for a table.

We went to Ricardo’s for Breakfast at easter. We booked ahead cos it’s busy and we had 7 people. It’s hard for restaurants to arrange a table for that many if it was walk in… it’s disruptive and annoying for the staff.

davo101 said :

What are fellow rioters views on restaurant/cafes accepting bookings or not?

They are businesses and provided that they are not breaking the law they can choose to do what ever they like. If they want to not accept your hard-earned money then that’s entirely their prerogative.

I don’t think there was any suggestion that have a policy one way or the other is illegal in any way, the OP was simply trying to gauge what other peoples opinions on the matter were. Perhaps spark up a debate on the pros or cons of both policies and gain an understanding of why one business might choose one method, while another might choose the other?