Table reservation
Encyclopedia
A table reservation is an arrangement made in advance to have a table available at a restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...

. While most restaurants do not require a reservation, and some have no policy for making one, higher-end restaurants do tend to require a reservation, and may have tables booked for weeks in advance. At particularly exclusive venues, it may be impossible to make a reservation on the same day as the planned visit.

"It's always smart to inquire about a restaurant's reservation policy. Some will only reserve for large parties of six or more". Modernly, many restaurants have replaced the traditional pencil and notebook with an online reservation system. Some websites exist which provide this service for multiple venues, such as OpenTable
OpenTable
OpenTable is an online real-time restaurant reservation service founded by Chuck Templeton in San Francisco, CA in 1998. Reservations are free to end users; the company charges restaurants monthly and per-reservation fees for their use of the system. In 1999, the website began operations...

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Reservations for later dining times may prove problematic, as the restaurant may have a backlog which will require the reservation-holders to wait beyond their stated arrival time. In addition, diners with a late reservation face a higher chance that the restaurant will run out of necessary ingredients for a particularly popular dish. It is generally considered polite
Politeness
Politeness is best expressed as the practical application of good manners or etiquette. It is a culturally-defined phenomenon, and therefore what is considered polite in one culture can sometimes be quite rude or simply eccentric in another cultural context....

to call and cancel a reservation once it is known that the event can not be made.

Courts have tended not to impose substantial penalties on restaurants that fail to honor reservations.
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