There's one simple thing that you might not even realize you're doing to put your favorite local restaurant's future in jeopardy.

The COVID-19 pandemic has prevented Western New York restaurants from welcoming patrons the way their used to for over a year.

With continually changing regulations, restaurants have adapted quickly to serve the customers they can.

But there's one thing customers are doing that could put all the restaurateurs' efforts to waste -- bailing on reservations.

WGRZ spoke to Carolyn Rooney, general manager at Trattoria Aroma in Buffalo:

"You only have so many tables available, and that's why reservations are so key to restaurants being successful right now," says Carolyn Rooney. "We want to be able to reserve a safe space for you, and also to be able to count on the customers coming in, and not turning other customers away."

When tables are held for...no one...it means the restaurant is losing income.

"What's been happening a lot for many local restaurants I know is that folks make multiple reservations, or just any reservation, and they just don't cancel their reservation. So then we're left holding this table either for an evening, or for an entire seating, that we really can't afford to, while also turning other diners away and affecting their night negatively," Rooney told WGRZ

If you love your local restaurants, definitely keep making reservations to go -- just make sure you go (and cancel if you can't make it after all).

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