The Quebec government announced it will soon allow restaurants to charge customers who fail to honor reservations without timely cancellations—a decision warmly welcomed by the hospitality industry, which estimates annual losses from no-shows at nearly $50,000 per restaurant.
Effective July 17, restaurants will have the option to impose a fee of up to $10 per person for groups of five or more if the entire party fails to show up without canceling in advance. However, the fee won’t apply if at least one member of the reservation attends.
This change addresses long-standing complaints from restaurant owners, who have faced significant financial strain due to no-shows. Quebec’s Consumer Protection Act previously prohibited such charges.
Simon Jolin-Barrette, Quebec’s justice minister responsible for consumer protection, stated that rising no-show reservations made regulatory intervention essential, aiming to balance consumer protection with fairness for businesses.
Martin Vézina, vice-president of Association Restauration Québec, praised the new regulation as “an important step forward” but argued the fee should be raised to $20 and applied more broadly.
Fouad Filali, owner of Old Montreal’s Le Sénateur, highlighted that weekend no-shows had previously forced him to stop taking reservations, costing him thousands in lost revenue weekly. He hopes this policy change will allow him to reconsider reservations on weekends.
Noémie Archambault from Vieux-Port Steakhouse also endorsed the move, emphasizing it would significantly ease staffing challenges caused by frequent no-shows.
Under the new rules, diners can avoid fees by canceling at least three hours ahead, while restaurants must provide reservation reminders within six to 48 hours beforehand.