Make the Most of 2024 Restaurant Reservation & Waitlist Data

According to Food & Wine, the most challenging reservations to get this year in major cities are:

• 4 Charles Prime Rib (New York)

• Élephante (Los Angeles)

• Armitage Alehouse (Chicago)

While these coveted tables reflect the ongoing allure of exclusive dining experiences, the bigger picture tells a different story.

For years, restaurants have relied on Friday and Saturday nights to fill their tables. Modern-day restaurant goers are actively changing this norm. With flexible work schedules and consumer preferences shifting, weeknight and early-bird dining is on the rise. This change offers a huge opportunity for operators to maximize revenue and reach new audiences. 

Toast’s Q3 2024 Restaurant Trends report examines shifts in reservation trends and waitlist data for full-service restaurants. In this article, we’ll explore these key trends and share strategies for restaurateurs to maximize the potential of their reservations in 2025.

Key takeaways:

• Reservations on the Toast platform increased 11% on Mondays and Tuesdays and dipped 1% on Saturdays compared to last year.1

• Compared to last year, guests are booking more reservations for early bird dinners and fewer reservations after 7 p.m.2

• 17% of reservations were canceled in Q3 2024, down from 19% compared to last year.

• 45% of reservations in Q3 2024 were made for the same day.3

• When trying to get a table, guests put on a waitlist stick around outside (or inside) for 20 minutes on average. 3

• Waitlist guests who successfully get a table spent an average of nine minutes waiting in Q3 2024, up three minutes from Q3 2023.3

2024 reservation and waitlist insights 

[Reservations] going up…on a Tuesday 💃

Weeknight dining appears to be on the rise. Same-store reservations for Monday (+11%), Tuesday (+11%), and Wednesday (+8%), typically slower days for full-service restaurants, were all up in Q3 2024 compared to Q3 2023. Meanwhile, Saturday reservations dipped by 1% compared to 2023 data.

However, a recent consumer survey conducted by Toast found that only 12% of diners always make dinner reservations, and over 50% of diners either never or rarely make reservations at all. So who is booking restaurant reservations? Turns out it’s most likely a married man between the ages of 25-45. The data shows that men are 2x more likely (17%) to always make a reservation compared to women (8%).

Since a significant portion of diners rarely reserve, ensuring an exceptional experience for walk-ins is crucial. Consider leaving a considerable amount of room for walk-ins to reduce wait times. Offering cozy bar seating could also cater to this majority. Waiting for a table isn’t so bad when you’re sitting with a tasty beverage. 

By understanding the nuances behind reservation habits, restaurants can balance accommodating both planners and spontaneous diners, enabling consistent traffic throughout the week. To learn how to optimize your restaurant waitlist check out this guide. 

Early bird 🐤gets the worm

Restaurant goers aren’t just going out earlier in the week, but earlier in the day. Compared to last year, guests are booking more reservations for early bird dinners and fewer reservations after 7 p.m. In Q3 2024, 5 p.m. reservations increased by 8% compared to 2023, and 6 p.m. reservations increased by 6%. Meanwhile, 9 p.m. reservations decreased by 2% compared to 2023. The matinee reservation is officially in! 

So, where are guests booking these earlier reservations? Our recent survey shows that 65% of respondents go directly to the restaurant’s website.4 This underscores the importance of maintaining an up-to-date, mobile-friendly website with an intuitive reservation system. Guests expect ease and efficiency when booking online, so features like clear call-to-action buttons, available time slots, and immediate confirmation can enhance the user experience.

By embracing the matinee dining trend, restaurants can diversify their revenue streams while tapping into a broader range of customer preferences. This ensures tables are consistently filled from the start of service onward.

Guests are making same-day reservations and attending them 📅

Reservation cancellations and no-shows have been a persistent challenge for restaurants over the past few years, causing uncertainty and lost revenue. However, we have good news to share! The cancellation rate dropped to 17% in Q3 2024, down from 19% compared to last year. This is a small but encouraging improvement from customers. 

What’s even more interesting is the surge in same-day reservations. In Q3 2024, 45% of reservations were made for the same day. Last-minute diners are becoming a significant segment, and many guests are clearly relying on the flexibility of securing a spot closer to their dining time.

A simple and effective strategy to capture these spontaneous diners is to regularly update your Instagram story with table openings throughout the day. This encourages customers to make a last-minute booking. Reminding potential guests that a table is still available can increase bookings, reduce the risk of no-shows, and keep your dining room filled during peak hours.

Guests are only waiting for 20 minutes ⏲️

Time is ticking! When guests are added to a waitlist, they typically hang around outside (or inside) for an average of 20 minutes before hitting that cancel button, a slight increase of three minutes from Q3 2023. Therefore, while many guests are willing to wait, their patience is wearing. Every extra minute spent waiting could be a risk to securing their business.

Those reliable customers who stick it out tend to only spend a bit of time waiting. In Q3 2024, the average wait time for guests who were eventually seated was nine minutes, up by three minutes from the previous year. While guests are waiting a few minutes longer than 2023, they are still willing to follow through if the overall experience is worth it.

It’s important to proactively communicate wait times and consider enhancing the guest experience during the wait. This could include offering a drink, sending waitlist updates, or providing a comfortable space to sit. The more you can keep guests engaged and informed, the higher the likelihood they’ll stay loyal, rather than abandoning their reservation altogether. 

Set your restaurant up for early-night success 

These shifts in dining behavior may be influenced by flexible work schedules or the desire to avoid the busy rush of weekend dining. To adapt to these changes, many restaurants are embracing creative promotions, such as weekday happy hours, prix-fixe menus, and themed dining events, to attract guests during the workweek.

Looking to boost your reservations every night? Our recent survey showed that 68% of guests are more likely to book a reservation when a restaurant offers a limited-time food special. If you're looking for fresh ideas to increase your reservation count, be sure to check out our article on Top Special Dining Experiences for inspiration.

Methodology: 

1Toast analyzed the number of same-store reservations each day of the week at full-service restaurants on the Toast Tables platform in Q3 2024 and compared them to Q3 2023 to determine which days had more or fewer reservations than last year.

2Toast analyzed the number of same-store reservations each hour of the day at full-service restaurants on the Toast Tables platform in Q3 2024 and compared them to Q3 2023 to determine which hours had more or fewer reservations than last year between 4 p.m. and 12 a.m.

3Toast analyzed the number of same-store reservations and waitlist bookings at full-service restaurants on the Toast Tables platform in Q3 2024 and compared them to Q3 2023.

4Toast conducted a blind survey on this topic of 850 U.S. adults ages 18 and older on March 14, 2024. Respondents were not made aware that Toast was fielding the study. Using a standard margin of error calculation, at a confidence interval of 95%, the margin of error on average is +/- 3 - 5%.