Are restaurants in Idaho unfairly charging reservation fees?

Social media is one of the most common ways to get opinions or gauge how wrong or right something is. Recently, a post in a popular Boise food group on Facebook sparked a debate that sent the entire city into a frenzy. Of course we want to know what You think.

Should restaurants in Idaho charge reservation fees?

We understand this is not a new concept, but some people feel that these fees may be excessive. We came across a post in the Boise Facebook group asking about a popular spot in the area that had a reservation fee of $25 per person.

“That seems…crazy to me? Correct?”

Well, what do you think? Is the $25 fee for a reservation too high?

Here’s what people in the Boise area are saying…

The general consensus seems to be that reservation fees are good for the industry. If you, like some of us, have ever worked in a restaurant, you know how frustrating it is when a large group that has booked in your area cancels at short notice or even without notice.

Some large groups are even assigned in advance to the restaurant’s more experienced waiter (or waiters if it’s large enough), and that might be their only job that night.

And why not?

At large parties there is usually a tip, and many even add a tip. For some servers this can take all night, and if that abruptly goes away it can waste the entire night for the server hoping to make money.

Then there are the preparations that kitchen workers make in advance of service time. If they prepare large quantities of popular items that are expected to be ordered that evening, that preparation ends up being wasted.

So… what to do? You think? Is it right or wrong for restaurants to charge a reservation fee? Share your thoughts with us HERE.