Restaurant sparks debate after charging customers a $17 fee for making reservation mistake
Topics: France, Social Media, Travel
Joe Yates
Featured Image Credit: Getty stock
Topics: France, Social Media, Travel
A restaurant's controversial decision to charge a flat fee to customers who alter their reservation slightly has outraged people online.
The French bistro has implemented a system in which those that dine with them could face fines of more than $17, depending on the circumstances, if they do not uphold the original booking but still attend.
The eatery in question is Restaurant l'îlot, which is located in a town called Amboise - roughly a two-and-a-half hour drive southwest of Paris, and it is one of the most highly-rated establishments in the area, going off its ranking on Trip Advisor.
But that popularity has come at a cost for chef Olivier Vincent, who also manages the bistro, as he issued a warning to his future customers to not make reservation mistakes.
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"Important Announcement. The l'ilot restaurant is announcing a change," his controversial post read.
"From now on, if you do not show up for the number of guests you booked, you will be charged 15 euros [$17] per missing or additional person.
"Thank you for your understanding. Chef Olivier Vincent."
While the caption added: "Without warning obviously....."
It has since been seen thousands of times by people all around the world - who aren't happy that they could face a charge if their friend or a loved one cancels on their dinner plans at the last minute.
"A bit of a borderline business practice if only one or two people are missing from a large table. Emergencies exist," one user wrote in part.
"You're not going to get great publicity. Even if abuses exist, you're going a bit far. Imagine an on-call doctor who can't join their family for dinner, or someone who has a family emergency."
While another typed: "A last-minute unforeseen event... Getting left outside the restaurant (it's happened to me before)... Well, I might as well go somewhere else then. It seems pretty counterproductive to me."
But not everyone agreed with their sentiment, as a fellow restaurateur issued a passionate defense for Restaurant l'îlot and chef Vincent.
"I totally agree with you. I'm a restaurateur, and this kind of situation has unfortunately become commonplace," they penned.
"Between phantom reservations, last-minute cancellations, and customers who arrive very late hoping to be served anyway, it's become a real headache.
"The worst part is that as soon as we dare point it out, we get the famous 'you're never happy' response, as if we're exaggerating. Yet, for a small establishment, every table counts."
They continued: "Service isn't just about dishes coming out; it's about meticulous organization, a kitchen team, precise timing - and when things go wrong due to careless behavior, the loss of revenue is very real.
"As a customer, we tend to minimize it, to think it's 'just a table' or 'just a quarter of an hour,' but when it becomes a daily occurrence, that's when it really starts to become a problem.
"And now, turning away customers who arrive after the service is a risk for receiving comments, even bad online reviews, simply for respecting your schedule. In short, a little mutual respect wouldn't be a luxury. We're here to welcome, feed, and please, not to endure."
So, which side of the fence are you on?