That's fine with me, but the flip side is if I have a reservation -- even at a prime time like 8:00 p.m. on a Saturday -- then that table had better be ready at 8:00 p.m. sharp. No directing me to the bar for 20 minutes or more. Any delay of more than a few minutes should mean a small discount on my check. They can't have it both ways -- if I am expected to show up on time or face a penalty, then they must deliver that table on time or also face a penalty.

+1 I like that OpenTable has functionality for the restaurants to indicate if someone was a no-show, and then ban customers for repeated infractions. Of course a determined customer could work around this, but at least it would send a message.

My company owns several upscale restaurants in the Middle East, and no-shows are especially endemic here. We have even had huge no-show rates for invitation-only, complimentary "VIP" events for which the customer RSVP'd. Talk about discourteous.

I totally agree. ^

Had this happen on Sat. night. They seemed happy to take the reservation, and equally happy to send us to the bar (where we got decidedly disinterested service) for a drink. The delay was not horribly long, but still felt a little "bait and switch"-ish.

Don't take a reservation if you can't honor it and I'll agree not to be a no-show.

Very good point. I'm fine with committing to my reservation with money in the game if they are as well

Go ahead & plan them and pick a proper venue to get things started. (proper venue not being a 5* but easy going, 'cheap' prices and casual setting).

Not everyone on FT looks at or even knows about the CommunityBuzz Forum on Flyertalk so you should expect that any attendance will be low to probably a no show. So plan on dining alone sometime, when starting a Do in an area that hasn't had a Do.

you do realize that if you don't show up on time you don't face a penalty?

20 minutes you should get something comped, like a free appetizer or drink. 5-10 mins wait at a later reservation time like 8pm on the busiest night at a very popular restaurant is to be expected, otherwise you are being unreasonable.

Wasn't that precisely the point of your original post -- that you would be "dinged" on your credit card for a no-show?

I think we agree on this -- I said any delay of more than a few minutes should occasion something for the customer, not any delay at all. My point was that I don't mind committing to my reservation with my cc, but the commitment has to flow in both directions.