Are You Prepared To Pay A Deposit When Booking A Table ?

[Canary42]

I am.

It's disgraceful, just when pubs/restaurants are struggling to make up for Pandemic losses, hundreds of people don't turn up to booked tables. These tables are kept free and good prospective customers turned away as a result. Unacceptable.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-57384595

[pastafreak]

We wanted to have a few drinks before our meal (at a different location)on the Saturday of the Bank Holiday weekend.
We took seats outside...and waited. We were noticed by a server after about 10 minutes, and told that seating was only via prebooking, and the tables were "reserved". No indication on the 3 or 4 empty tables, no one at the door and no signage. Server went to check with manager who came out after another 10 minutes and asked us to leave. We could have had at least 1 drink each whike waiting. We were asked/directed to leave. When we passed by again about 90 minutes later, all the empty tables were still empty. The manager had also said they were swamped with drinks orders and were 45 minutes BEHIND.
Obviously no deposit taken but tables were booked for no-shows.

[poorclare]

Yes a deposit should be paid before hand and then
deducted from bill