Restaurant Reservation Overbooking Calculator
No-shows cost restaurants real revenue. Enter your total seating capacity and historical no-show rate to calculate how many additional reservations you can safely accept to keep tables full.
About this calculator
Calculate how many extra reservations to book above capacity based on your historical no-show rate, to maximize seat utilization without overcrowding.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the overbooking number calculated?
We divide your seating capacity by your expected show-up rate (1 minus no-show rate) to find how many bookings are needed to fill every seat, then apply a safety buffer to reduce the risk of overcrowding.
What should I set the safety buffer to?
A higher buffer (10-20%) is safer for smaller restaurants where one over-seated party causes problems, while high-volume restaurants with waitlists can use a lower buffer.
How do I find my historical no-show rate?
Divide the number of no-show reservations by total reservations over a recent period, such as the last month, to get a reliable percentage.