Glossary

No-show

What is a no-show in a restaurant?

A no-show is a party that booked a table and never arrived, without cancelling. It is the most expensive failure in the reservation system: the table was held, walk-ins were turned away, and the kitchen prepped for guests who never came. Standard practice is a grace period (15 to 20 minutes), a phone call to the number on the booking, and only then marking the reservation a no-show. The two proven counters are day-before reminders and a card on file with a published fee; operators report the combination takes no-shows from a weekly headache to nearly zero. Distinct from a late cancellation, where the guest at least told you the table was free.