The real cost of empty tables
Industry data puts the average restaurant no-show rate between 10-20%. For a 50-seat restaurant turning tables twice on a Friday night, that could be $500 to $2,000 in lost revenue in a single evening.
Most restaurants absorb it because they don't know what else to do. Overbooking creates its own problems. Charging cancellation fees can scare away new guests. The right approach works from multiple angles: make cancelling easy, remind guests their table is waiting, and add just enough accountability to change behavior.
How it works
Set your policy
On Plus or Pro, choose whether to require a card on file and set a no-show fee that makes sense for your restaurant, or none at all.
Guest books a table
When a guest makes a reservation that triggers your policy, they securely enter their card details. No friction for smaller parties if you prefer.
Reminders go out
Automated email and text message confirmations remind guests of their reservation. Most no-shows happen because people simply forget.
No-show? You are covered
If a guest does not show up and does not cancel in time, the no-show fee is charged to the card they left. The record stays on their guest profile for future reference.
Everything you need to protect your tables
No-show protection is about more than charging fees. It is about building habits and accountability so guests show up in the first place. Reminders and no-show tracking are on every plan; card holds and no-show fees come with Plus and Pro.
Require a credit card to secure the reservation. No charge unless the guest no-shows. This alone reduces no-shows by 40-60% at most restaurants, because the commitment changes behavior.
Set a flat fee per person or per reservation. When a guest no-shows, charge their card automatically. Your policy is shown clearly during booking so there are no surprises.
Every no-show is tracked on the guest profile. See their no-show rate and past incidents, and decide how to handle their future bookings. That is your call.
Email and text reminders go out automatically. A simple reminder the day before prevents a surprising number of no-shows.
Guests get a reminder asking them to confirm they're still coming. If plans changed, they can cancel with one tap instead of ghosting. You learn about an open table in time to fill it.
See your restaurant-wide no-show rate over time. Track whether your policies are working. Spot trends by day of week, party size, or booking source.
What it costs
Reminders, no-show rate tracking, and guest history are on every plan, including Free. Card-on-file holds and no-show fee charging through Stripe come with Plus at $30 a month ($300 a year) and with Pro, wherever Stripe payouts are available. bavoli takes nothing on holds or no-show fees; only Stripe's card processing applies. No per-cover fees on any plan.
Related: Guest CRM · All features