Wondering what a restaurant no-show policy means for you? It’s a set of booking rules, such as card holds, deposits and cancellation windows, that protect a table from going empty. Here is what no-shows cost and how policies work.
For the bigger picture of bookings, kitchens and dining rooms, read about how restaurants work.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Average cost of a no-show for a table of two (UK) | £55.70 |
| Change in UK no-shows year-on-year | Down 6% |
| Recorded no-show rate, August 2025 to July 2026 (Resos index) | 2.33% |
| No-show rate with a deposit or card hold | 0.80% |
| No-show rate without a deposit or card hold | 2.47% |
| Cancellations made within 24 hours of the booking or after it started | 56% |
The figures come from Restaurant Online’s report on OpenTable research and GCN’s write-up of the Resos No-Show Index. Figures can change, so check the source before you rely on them.
What a no-show policy usually includes
A no-show is a guest who books a table and neither arrives nor cancels. A policy spells out what the restaurant does about that, and what you can do to avoid it.
- A cancellation window: the deadline for cancelling without a penalty.
- A deposit or card hold taken when you book.
- A fee if you don’t turn up.
- Reminders by text or email before the booking.
Which rules apply usually depends on party size and the kind of service. The reservation-software company SevenRooms advises applying deposits or card holds where a no-show is expensive and hard to backfill, such as large parties, prix fixe and tasting menus, special events and peak holiday sittings, according to its guide to reducing no-shows.
Fees are less common than you might expect. SevenRooms’ 2025 report found that 22% of US venues charge a cancellation fee, at an average of $52, as set out in the same guide. For the cancellation side in more detail, read about the restaurant cancellation policy.
What does a no-show cost a restaurant?
The cost is more than one empty seat. The Restaurant Online report on OpenTable’s research put the average cost of a no-show for a table of two at £55.70.
The same report described the knock-on effects for operators:
- 60% said no-shows had led them to turn away other bookings.
- 48% cited wasted food and stock.
- 41% said no-shows make staffing harder to forecast.
Estimates vary by format. GCN reports industry estimates of roughly $35 to $60 for a casual restaurant, up to $150 to $300 in fine dining, depending on check size and whether the table could have turned again, in its coverage of the Resos index.
Set menus are especially exposed because the prep is done in advance. One Edmonton co-owner told CBC News about a New Year’s Eve group of 12 that never arrived after hours of preparing a tasting menu. If you want to know why those menus are fixed in advance, see how to read a restaurant menu.
When no-shows happen most
The Resos No-Show Index was built from 3,768,761 reservations across 2,417 restaurants between August 2025 and July 2026. It puts the recorded no-show rate at 2.33%, and notes that the real figure is likely higher because no-shows must be staff-recorded to appear, as GCN reports.
Within that dataset, the rate moves with the booking:
- Dinner runs at 2.63%, against 1.84% at lunch.
- Monday is the worst day at 2.69%, and Wednesday the best at 2.09%.
- January is the worst month at 2.62%, and August the best at 2.14%.
- Parties of one or two no-show at 2.63%.
Large parties are a different kind of risk. Parties of 10 or more no-show at just 1.15%, but each one that fails takes an average of 13.4 covers with it, according to the same index coverage.
Late cancellations matter as well. Of 566,049 cancellations in the dataset, 56% came within 24 hours of the booking or after it had started, which leaves little time to rebook the table, as GCN notes.
Do deposits and reminders work?
In the Resos index, reservations with a deposit or card hold recorded a 0.80% no-show rate, against 2.47% without one. Resos cautions that this is an observed association rather than a controlled test, and that deposits and no-show fees are not a proven fix, as GCN reports.
Platform figures point the same way. GCN says OpenTable has reported that deposits cut no-show rates by 57% on average and make guests 72% less likely to cancel at the last minute, though that is the platform’s own claim.
Reminders help too. In the same index, reservations with a delivered SMS reminder showed a 16% lower recorded no-show rate than reservations at the same restaurants without one, again an association rather than proof of cause, per GCN.
UK operators surveyed in the OpenTable research ranked these measures as most effective, as Restaurant Online reports:
- Confirmation reminders, cited by 43%.
- Cancellation windows, cited by 36%.
- Requiring deposits, cited by 32%.
- SMS reminders, cited by 29%.
A small restaurant offers a real-world example. A December 2021 CBC report described RGE RD in Edmonton, where five groups on average would cancel late or not show on weekends. The owner began charging a $10 deposit per person for online weekend reservations in October, and said it almost eliminated no-shows.
The same venue didn’t charge phone bookings. Its co-owner said people who phone to make a reservation are more likely to let the restaurant know when they can’t make it, per CBC. Another group’s restaurants required 24 hours’ notice from parties of eight or more to avoid a penalty of $75 per empty seat.
What a no-show policy means when you book
Diners appear to be getting more comfortable with the rules. A 2024 ResDiary report on the UK market found 62% of diners were willing to provide card details when booking, as GCN reports.
The OpenTable research also found that UK no-shows fell by 6% year-on-year. It reported that 83% of customers recognise that failing to honour a reservation can harm a restaurant, and that 44% said a small deposit or card hold would encourage them to turn up, according to Restaurant Online. Diners said they’d pay an average refundable deposit or card hold of £35 per person.
A few habits keep you clear of charges:
- Read the confirmation for the cancellation deadline and any fee.
- Cancel as early as you can, so the table can be offered to someone else.
- Check whether a deposit is refundable and whether it comes off the final bill.
- Allow longer notice for big groups: SevenRooms says large parties, tasting menus and holiday services need 48 to 72 hours, in its FAQ on cancellation windows.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a no-show at a restaurant?
Show answer
It is a booking where nobody arrives and the guest didn’t cancel. Late cancellations are a separate category, although they can cost a venue nearly as much when they come too late to rebook.
Is a restaurant deposit refundable?
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It depends on the venue’s terms, so check at booking. SevenRooms says a deposit is taken at booking and usually comes off the final bill, per its guide.
Why do restaurants charge for no-shows?
Show answer
Because the table, food and staff are planned around the booking. In the OpenTable research, 60% of operators said no-shows had led them to turn away other bookings, according to Restaurant Online.
How much is a typical no-show fee?
Show answer
It varies widely. SevenRooms’ 2025 report found an average cancellation fee of $52 among US venues that charge one, per its guide, while one Edmonton group charged $75 per empty seat for large parties, as CBC reported.
