MONTREAL — The Quebec government says it will allow restaurants to charge people who reserve a table but who don't show up and don't cancel ahead of time, a change welcomed by an industry that says no-shows cost the average eatery almost $50,000 a year.
Under a regulation set to start July 17, restaurants will be able to charge up to $10 a person for no-shows, but only if the reservation is for five people or more. However, restaurateurs will not be allowed to charge the fee if at least one member of the group shows up to eat.
The new rule is in response to complaints by restaurant owners, who for years have been asking the government to help them recoup some losses from no-shows. Quebec's Consumer Protection Act forbids restaurants from charging no-show fees.
Association Restauration Québec, a group that advocates for the province's restaurateurs, says no-shows cost restaurants an average of $49,000 per year, and in some cases up to $100,000.
In a news release Wednesday, Simon Jolin-Barrette, justice minister and minister responsible for consumer protection, said the number of no-show reservations has “greatly increased in recent years.” As a result, some restaurant owners have begun demanding compensation from customers who fail to respect their reservations, he said.
“In order to protect consumers against possible abuses and also to ensure uniformity, it has become essential to regulate penalties in the event of no-show reservations,” Jolin-Barrette said.
Martin Vézina, a vice-president with Association Restauration Québec, called the government's new rule "an important step forward," but said the fee for no-shows should be raised to $20. Penalties should also apply to groups with fewer than five people, as well as in situations where one person in the group shows up and the others do not, he said.
"We are the only province (where) it is illegal to charge for no-shows," Vézina said.
Fouad Filali has owned Le Sénateur, a restaurant in Old Montreal, for 30 years. Filali says he stopped taking reservations on weekends around three years ago, in part because of no-shows.
“I lose up to a thousand dollars in sales each weekend with no-shows,” he said in an interview Wednesday.
Depending on how effective the regulation turns out to be, he said he may start taking weekend reservations again.
At Vieux-Port Steakhouse, several blocks from Le Sénateur, Noémie Archambault, the restaurant’s maître d'hôtel, says her eatery sometimes gets up to 15 no-shows of two or more customers a day, which makes staffing difficult.
Archambault welcomes the regulation, calling it “a good thing.” The government is “finally (listening to) restaurants,” she added.
Under the regulation, diners can cancel up to three hours in advance without incurring a fee, and restaurants are required to send a reminder to people within six to 48 hours of the reservation.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 19, 2025.
Joe Bongiorno, The Canadian Press
