Due to frustration over no-shows, restaurants in Quebec are calling on the provincial government to grant them the authority to charge people for not respecting their dinner reservations.

It has been a long-standing problem for local businesses, and to put more pressure on the province, the association representing more than 6,000 restaurants recently wrote to Quebec's Minister of Justice, Simon Jolin-Barrette, to move forward with the request.

Dominic Tremblay, spokesperson for the Quebec Restaurant Association (ARQ), also said in an interview on Thursday: “It is a bigger problem right now, restaurant owners are urging us to do something about it. And the fees could be $5, $10, $15, or $20 – it’s not a large amount, we don’t know the details at this time.”

Also, Quebec restaurants can obtain a credit card number, but under Quebec’s consumer protection laws, they cannot charge for no-shows. While they request deposits for large group reservations, such as holiday parties, the ARQ wants to change the law for reservations of all sizes.

A spokesperson for the Minister of Justice also said the government understands the “frustration” faced by restaurants and is currently reviewing the request submitted by the association.

In the same context, Elizabeth Gosselin wrote in an article: “We call on citizens to be more vigilant and to take the time to cancel their reservations when they do not intend to attend. This is the least they can do and it is a matter of respecting entrepreneurs in Quebec.”