Question 1

How much do no-shows cost Australian restaurants?

Accepted Answer

Industry reports commonly put restaurant no-show rates between 5% and 20% of bookings. For a typical Australian venue, that is thousands of dollars in lost covers every week — food prepped, staff rostered and tables held for diners who never arrive.

Question 2

How do SMS reminders reduce restaurant no-shows?

Accepted Answer

SMS messages are read far more reliably and quickly than email. A confirmation at booking time plus a reminder before service prompts diners to either show up or cancel early — and an early cancellation is a table you can rebook instead of an empty seat.

Question 3

What is ForkMate?

Accepted Answer

ForkMate is an SMS service for Australian restaurants that confirms bookings, reminds diners before their reservation, and lets them confirm, change or cancel by text — no app download and no new hardware required.

Question 4

How do diners sign up to ForkMate?

Accepted Answer

Diners join by SMS: enter a mobile number on this page or text the venue's ForkMate number, and booking confirmations and reminders arrive as normal text messages. Opting out is one reply.

Question 5

Why is SMS better than email or an app for booking reminders?

Accepted Answer

Almost every diner already has SMS, messages surface immediately on the lock screen, and replying takes seconds. Email reminders are often buried or filtered, and apps require a download most one-time diners will never do.