Would you be able to book a restaurant under these conditions?
What is this new reservation method, increasingly used by restaurateurs? In fact, a solution has been found to avoid the problems they face.
Luxury restaurants, bars and hotels have to find solutions to a growing problem: customers who don't show up even though they've made a reservation. Would you be prepared to book a table under these conditions?
What's the restaurateurs' new approach?
In London restaurants, management problems arise regularly, due to numerous "no-shows", the act of not showing up at a restaurant when you have a reservation, but also robots and resale sites that tamper with reservations.
A solution has thus been found for restaurants such as Gymkhana, Inca or the Hutong within The Shard: set a compulsory minimum spend per customer. This is paid directly at the time of reservation, and can be used for consumption in the restaurant. In the event of non-attendance, this amount is forfeited. In some establishments, the minimum amount can be as high as 150 pounds (around 175 euros) per person. This "minimum spend policy" takes place in a tense context, with many reservations not being honored, compromising service.
On our side of the Channel, some restaurants are facing the same kind of problem, and are being forced to implement this type of policy. Many now ask for a bank imprint when booking, or simply no longer take reservations.
Other benefits of this practice?
While this is the first explanation offered by restaurateurs, it is not the only reason why they are introducing minimum spending requirements. In fact, posh bars, luxury hotels and well-known restaurants such as the Dorian in Notting Hill are seeing a drop in sales. Chris D'Sylva, head chef at the Dorian, explains. Due in part to the presence of so many influencers, sales cannot be maintained: "All they care about is saying they were there [...] and make a post on their Instagram, to the detriment of business." Thus, imposing a minimum amount of expenditure enables restaurateurs to maintain a stable business, and ensure that customers come.
