Why fine dining restaurants and small seaters have gone the table reservation deposit route

The rise in no-shows, combined with rising overhead costs, is prompting fine dining restaurants and intimate spaces to require deposits before confirming table reservations

A month or so ago, Chindi Varadarajulu — creative chef and partner at Chennai-based Pumpkin Tales and Zhouyu — received a table reservation for a group of 27 at her Asian restaurant. “It was for a weekday and we discussed the menu, and they pre-ordered their soups and appetisers as well,” says Chindi, adding that they received a reservation enquiry for an even larger group of 45 for the same day, but “we had to turn it down as the former group booked first”. When the day arrived, the whole group cancelled.

“Running a business is not glory, it’s hard work with a lot of overheads. When we take bookings for large groups, more chefs and staff are called in, dishes are prepped, etc. It’s upsetting when people don’t show up,” says Chindi, who has been vocal about the concept of table reservation deposits in India. In fact, she is one of the first to take steps in that direction in Chennai, a city that has not seen restaurants taking to the concept unlike Bengaluru (Farmlore, Homiga) and Mumbai (The Table, Circle Sixty Nine) that have several players charging diners a deposit to book a table.

“I don’t know why anyone hasn’t introduced it in Chennai; maybe they are nervous. But someone has to do it, and perhaps then they will follow,” says Chindi, who plans to charge larger groups for a deposit (that will be adjusted to their final bill) by early next year, and has tightened existing policies over the last few weeks. “Now, if you book a table with us, you receive a WhatsApp text and SMS with the booking details. A table for four or less people gets a 90-minute slot, and for groups of six and above, it is two hours. If you need more time, you can let us know. We request diners to be on time and if they are late by say 10 minutes, it gets reduced from their dining slot,” explains Chindi. “From movies to flights, everything gets cancelled if you are late. So, why not a restaurant reservation?” she asks.

Eyes on Bengaluru

“The idea is not to militarise dining, but to hold diners accountable for a reservation made,” says Kavan Kuttappa of Bengaluru’s infamously tough-to-reserve Naru Noodle Bar. He has had a prepaid system in place, ever since he launched the restaurant. “We started as a takeaway service in 2022, and ran that for six months before opening the restaurant the same year. As we were cooking during the lockdown we did not want to deal with people backing out at the last minute, and the concept stuck,” he says of the 20-seater restaurant where he charges diners a redeemable ₹1,000 deposit for individual counter seats. “It is a small space, and a few empty seats really impact revenue. This is unlike a 200-300 seater restaurant, and even one cancellation pinches. Any experience is ticketed nowadays, and this concept will catch on,” adds Kavan.

A sentiment common among most restaurateurs in the Garden City, that has a high percentage of restaurants that charge a table-reservation deposit. At Wine In Progress, the wine bar that was launched in April this year at Courtyard, founder Akhila Srinivas started charging diners a ₹1,000 deposit a month after they opened. “After the first few weeks, we had many no-shows, which is a big deal for a 14-seater bar. It is an entire day’s loss. As it gets controlled and smaller from our end, we had to ensure filling up the seats. We still have people who don’t show up, but the blow has lessened,” says Akhila, who also helms The Conservatory where several ticketed pop-ups and events are held.

“For a la carte pop-ups, we make a reservation against a fee of around ₹1,000-₹2,500 depending on what the offering is. For example, a burger shop would cost you less than a pop-up that has a range of small plates, and the idea is to get people to try more dishes. For a tasting menu with six to eight courses, it is above ₹3,000,” explains Akhila, “There are ovens running, lights on… these are all hidden costs for the customer but real for us. Larger spaces have the capacity to absorb these costs, but we may not have that luxury.”