Important New Restaurant Law Starts Immediately in New York State

There is a newer law in New York State that is helping customers get reservations without having to pay for one.

But the interesting part is that the restaurant industry is not taking a huge hit overall from consumer backlash over pricing.

People are still going out to eat.

After all, the restaurant business is not easy and filled with some of the hard working people (not to mention they work at some of the most inconvenient, crazy hours.)

There are some reservation websites that some restaurants use in New York State that will charge you to make a reservation at an establishment. Think of it as scalping concert tickets, but for restaurant reservations.

To clarify, they are not sanctioned websites from the restaurant. It is a website that people will fork up money to in order to make a reservation. Then the website will book a reservation with the restaurant for you.

THE GOAL: To require online third-party food service reservation apps to obtain consent from a food service establishment prior to such app marketing or making a seating reservation at such food service establishment, according to the New York State website.

UPDATE: Now, all sites that do reservation booking, whether paid or unpaid, have to enter a written agreement with restaurants in New York State that they are going to try and make reservations for.

It is called the Restaurant Reservation Anti-Piracy Act.

The bill prohibits third-party restaurant reservation services from arranging unauthorized reservations, putting an end to a predatory marketplace that placed a cost on consumers before they even entered a restaurant, and made dining inaccessible to those who refused to pay", according to New York State.

Assemblymember Alex Bores said, “Thank you, Governor Hochul, for signing the Restaurant Reservation Anti-Piracy Act, which outlaws the predatory practice of scooping up and selling restaurant reservations".