13-06-2025
French Restaurant Sparks Debate with New Reservation Policy Charging for Missing or Extra Guests
A French restaurant posted about a new policy that will charge customers for every person added or missing from a reservation
The fee, which is over $17, came after years of incorrect reservations, according to the restaurant's chef
The Facebook post about the policy sparked outrage from some users who thought it wasn't lenient to emergencies and support from others who agreed that customers should "take responsibility"
The internet is getting heated about one restaurant's reservation policy.
Restaurant L'îlot, an intimate, 20-seat French spot in Amboise, France, took to Facebook to share an updated rule for customers with reservations.
'From now on, if you do not show up for the number of guests you reserved, you will be charged €15 per missing or additional person,' the digital flyer, signed off by the restaurant's chef Olivier Vincent, read in French. The notice was also taped to the restaurant's window.
The fee, which is over $17, came after years of incorrect reservations, Vincent told local outlet France Bleu. 'Everyone has their phone on them, 24/7, in their pocket, on their nose. If we are able to reserve, we are able to call to say if we will be less, or more, or that we are not coming,' he told the outlet in French.
Among the more than 300 comments, many Facebook users thought the restaurant was not understanding of outlying circumstances. 'Emergencies exist,' one person wrote. Others took to the comments to warn the restaurant that the policy is not 'great publicity.'
Meanwhile, others backed the restaurant. 'For a small establishment, every table matters,' one person explained. Others stressed that customers should update a restaurant about a change in a reservation, as it is merely the polite thing to do. 'Everyone should take responsibility,' one person wrote and another wrote, 'It's called respect.'
The restaurant did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request to comment.
A restaurant in Georgia got the internet talking for its $50 surcharge 'for adults unable to parent.'
Back in 2023, Lyndsey Landmann and her loved ones visited Toccoa Riverside Restaurant in Georgia. According to Today, Lyndsey, her husband, Kyle, and their two kids, were joined by four other families, adding up to 11 children at the table. At the end of their meal, the group was charged a $50 fee on their check for their children being 'too loud."
There are several notes at the bottom of the Blue Ridge, Georgia restaurant's food menu regarding etiquette and payment. There are more traditional suggestions like 'be respectful to staff' but the one that caught Lyndsey's eye read: 'Adult surcharge: For adults unable to parent $$$' But when she saw the eatery's 'adult surcharge' warning on the menu, she thought that it was "a joke," she told the outlet.
Read the original article on People
