FOLIO 06 · Restaurants
← Back to register
20% / 1 in 5 reservations / OpenTable 2023

Reservation register.

One in five reservations never shows up. Here is what that costs and how a deposit pays for itself within two weeks. Includes a deposit ROI calculator.

Source: OpenTable 2023 industry report, millions of reservations

Restaurant register and deposit ROI

Pre-filled with OpenTable 2023 benchmarks by restaurant type.

Live entry
Reservation inputs
Annual totals
Annual no-show cost
$388,800
3.6 no-shows per night
$1,296
Per night lost
$-194,400
Deposit net impact
Deposit ROI breakdown
Revenue saved (no-show reduction)+$194,400
Revenue lost (booking friction 12%)-$388,800
Net$-194,400
FOLIO 07 · By type

Rates by restaurant type (OpenTable 2023)

12%
Fine Dining
Stricter policies, higher stakes
18%
Upscale Casual
Near-average
25 to 30%
Casual Dining
Weekend brunches highest
8 to 12%
Special Events
Prepaid tickets
FOLIO 08 · Booking platforms

How each platform handles no-shows

OpenTable

Account-level no-show tracking. Automatic restriction after 4 no-shows in 12 months. Automated SMS and email reminders. Credit card holds available for large parties.

Resy

Built-in deposit and cancellation fee tools. Deposit workflows integrated at booking. Restaurants report 30 to 40% no-show reduction using Resy's deposit feature.

SevenRooms

CRM-integrated no-show tracking. Repeat-offender tagging. Advanced analytics. Preferred for upscale operations wanting diner-profile management.

Tock

Prepayment-first model. Tickets or deposits required at booking as standard. Near-zero no-show rates for ticketed experiences.

FOLIO 09 · Deposits

Deposit strategy guide

No deposit (standard)
Baseline (20% no-show rate)

Use when you have many walk-in alternatives, low reservation-dependency, or casual atmosphere where deposit friction reduces bookings significantly.

Party-size deposit ($25+/person for 6+)
40 to 50% reduction for large parties

Protects your highest-cost no-shows (large tables block many other seatings) without friction for standard 2 to 4 top bookings.

Full prepayment for events
Near-zero no-shows

Tasting menus, chef's counter, special events. Ticket model. Resy and Tock both support this natively. Industry standard for premium experiences.

FOLIO 10 · Related
Salons and SpasFitnessReduce no-showsBenchmarks

Margin notes

What is the restaurant no-show rate?+
The average restaurant no-show rate is 20% per OpenTable 2023 data across millions of reservations. Fine dining averages 12% due to higher-value experiences and stricter policies. Casual dining and weekend brunches see 25-30%. Special events and holidays spike further.
How much do restaurant no-shows cost?+
For a table of 4 at $60 average spend per cover, a no-show costs $240 in lost revenue plus $40-60 in committed food prep and staffing costs. A 40-seat restaurant losing 20% of reservations with 2.5 turns per night at $60/cover loses approximately $110,000-$140,000 per year in direct revenue.
Do deposits reduce restaurant no-shows?+
Significantly. Resy deposit data shows a 50-60% no-show reduction when deposits are required. A $25 per person deposit reduces no-shows by approximately 55%. Full prepayment for tasting menus and ticketed events achieves near-zero no-show rates. The trade-off is a 10-15% reduction in booking completion.
How does OpenTable handle no-shows?+
OpenTable tracks no-show history per diner account. After 4 no-shows in 12 months, the platform can automatically restrict a diner's ability to make reservations. OpenTable sends automated SMS and email confirmation reminders. Restaurants can also require credit card holds for large parties through the platform's settings.

Register entries verified 2026-04-28