Restaurant sparks debate after charging customers a $17 fee for making reservation mistake

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.

Restaurant l'Ilôt has caused controversy after its chef and manager took to social media to warn customers of new rule (Google/Alexandru Statie)

"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.

If you're stood up by your date, you could be forced to fork out $17 for their seat (Getty stock)

"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."

Restaurant owners are aggrieved by daily cancelations (Getty stock)

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?