It’s always a good thing for a culinary entrepreneur to know how many of their restaurant booths will be full on any given night, and taking reservations is one of the best ways to do this. Additionally, there are a variety of benefits that come along with accepting reservations. It should be noted, though, that not every eatery will find this advantageous. In fact, there are several disadvantages to taking reservations that every restaurant manager should know.

1. Potential for Losing Guests
If a restaurant is packed on a certain night, there may be people walking in the door every few moments. If there are only three restaurant booths open in the establishment—and they’re each reserved for 10 pm—problems could arise when walk-ins show up. These individuals will be told they have to wait, and in many cases, this results in patrons looking elsewhere.

2. Reservation No Call, No Show
One of the biggest issues of restaurants accepting reservations arises when someone decides not to show up for a reservation. In larger cities, restaurant goers will make reservations at several eateries just so they can decide where to go at the last minute.

Whatever the reason for a patron not showing up, this will result in a bar table or restaurant booth going unoccupied until it’s finally realized that the individual isn’t showing up. This issue can be mitigated by taking online reservations requiring a credit card that can be charged a fee if someone doesn’t show up. Unfortunately, there are people who refuse to make reservations under this condition.

3. Potential for Overbooking
The typical restaurant doesn’t usually book every café chair they have throughout an entire night. One reason behind this is that the eatery is simply not that busy at that particular time. Often, however, it’s the fact that restaurateurs want to avoid overbooking.

If an eatery is overbooked, there are a variety of issues that can destroy the entire flow of guests coming in and out. If someone shows up late for a reservation or decides to stay longer than anticipated, it can become difficult to get back on track.

4. Unforeseen Costs
Implementing a reservation policy isn’t as easy as it sounds. Someone will either have to answer the phone—meaning additional man-hours—or a third-party website that charges a fee must be used. Either way, there are costs incurred with taking reservations.

5. Potential for Upsetting Customers
Whether a patron is forced to wait while a table sits wide open or a party is rushed to leave so a table is available at a promised time, harsh feelings can arise. This hopefully won’t be a repeat problem, but the potential is always there for getting an upset customer who takes to social media with their anger.

While filling up the restaurant booths is certainly desirable, it’s important to remember that taking reservations should be a calculated risk. It’s necessary to consider all the pros and cons, and once this has been done, a restaurateur can make an informed decision.