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What are no-shows costing your restaurant?

Use your booking history to estimate the value of tables left empty. Explore what a lower no-show rate could mean before choosing a change.

Your numbers · USD

Example inputs, not industry benchmarks. Use your booking history.

The whole table’s bill, not spend per guest.

A relative reduction: a 20% improvement takes a 10% no-show rate to 8%. This is your scenario, not a promise.

Booking value at risk

Annual value of missed reservations

$48,672

About 7.2 missed reservations each week, over 52 weeks.

If no-shows fall by 20%

$9,734 /year

Potential booking value protected. The remaining no-show rate would be 4.8%.

Assumes missed tables would otherwise stay empty. This is gross booking value, not lost profit or a guarantee of recovery. It excludes backfilled tables, policy fees collected, and implementation costs.

Use these numbers in my brief

The builder starts with your entered assumptions.

Measure the real gap

An empty table is a signal. Start with the booking history.

Count actual missed reservations, then check how often the team filled those tables from walk-ins or the waitlist. A table filled by another guest does not represent the full lost booking value shown here.

Use the result to size the problem, then test one change in your booking process. Compare similar weekdays and service windows. Keep a change only when the result justifies its cost and its effect on guests.

FAQ

Understand your result.

Which no-show rate should I use?
Use missed reservations divided by total reservations over a representative period. Exclude bookings that were cancelled in advance. Separate unusual holidays or events if they do not represent your normal service.
How is the annual value calculated?
Weekly reservations × no-show rate × average spend per whole reservation × 52. The calculation assumes those tables stay empty. It describes gross booking value, not profit, and does not deduct backfilled tables, fees collected, or operating costs.
What does the reduction percentage mean?
It is a scenario you choose, not a measured effect of any tool. A 20% relative reduction takes a 10% no-show rate to 8%, not to zero. The second result is that percentage of the annual booking value at risk.
What should I try before a deposit policy?
Review clear confirmations, reminders, easy cancellation, and a usable waitlist with your existing booking provider. Compare results on similar services. If considering a deposit or card hold, review the guest experience, terms, supported payment flow, and costs first. See the reservations guide.
Can I build from this calculation?
Yes. Use the button beside the result to put these assumptions in a brief. Build the missing booking workflow around your restaurant, review it, and improve it as you learn from actual results.

Your next service / Ready when you are

Make the next booking easier to keep.

Build the missing step around your existing booking process. Start with a clear confirmation, an easy cancellation, or a useful reminder, and measure the result.

Build your restaurantFind your starting point

Describe it. Review it. Keep improving it. Check connections and costs before going live.

Restaurant no-show cost calculator | TableMagic