Restaurant reservations and deposits: a guide for restaurants and cafés
In a full restaurant on a Saturday night, "I'd promised that table too" means keeping a guest waiting at the door — and probably never seeing them again. When the reservation book lives on paper, that mistake happens sooner or later.
This post covers the must-haves of a reservation system, how to take a deposit and take it off the bill, and how to deal with guests who don't show up.
The reservation flow
A booking's path from the phone to the table.
1. Conflict checks: the most important rule
A table is given out only once for the same time slot. In ari adisyon a second, overlapping booking for the same table is rejected by the system; the person taking the call offers another table or time on the spot.
A held table shows as "RESERVED" on the floor plan with its time. A waiter can't mistake it for free and seat someone else. When the guest arrives they are seated with one tap and their bill opens; the rest is normal service.
2. How to take a deposit
On busy days, for large groups or special nights, a deposit reduces the risk of a no-show. When a deposit is taken, its amount is recorded on the booking. When the guest arrives and their bill opens, the deposit comes off the bill automatically; the cashier doesn't have to remember it or enter a manual discount.
With the deposit in the system, nobody has to remember to deduct it.
Decide up front when you'll ask for a deposit: groups above a certain size, special nights, or guests who have missed before. Make sure the team knows the rule, so it isn't reconsidered on every call.
3. Recording no-shows
Mark a guest who doesn't come as a "no-show". The record builds up on the guest card: how many times they came, how many times they didn't. When it keeps happening, asking for a deposit next time is based on the record, not a hunch.
4. The guest book
Guests are found by phone number; their note ("likes the window seat", "peanut allergy") and how often they've come are shown. Recognising a regular is a small but memorable difference in service.
Guest details are personal data. Record only what the booking needs and don't put sensitive information in notes.
What to ask when taking a booking by phone
A short call, complete details.
The reservation report
Which days are full, how many bookings came in, how many didn't show? The reservation report underpins decisions from staffing to deposit policy. If no-shows spike on a particular day, a deposit rule for that day may make sense.
Frequently asked questions
What if a guest who paid a deposit doesn't come?
The booking is marked as a no-show and the deposit stays on record. Whether it's refunded or kept is your venue's policy — tell the guest at booking time.
Where do waiters see bookings?
Reserved tables and their times appear on the floor plan and the waiter screen.
Conclusion
A good reservation system guarantees three things: a table is never promised twice, a deposit is never forgotten, and no-shows are recorded. See how reservations work with the floor plan and till in ari adisyon on the features page.