OpenTable’s Inaugural Canadian Restaurant Impact Report Reveals Why Restaurants Matter More Than Ever

TORONTO, Sept. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canadian restaurants are more than places to eat, they’re where people gather, connect and spend time together. Today, OpenTable, a global leader in restaurant technology, released its first-ever Canadian Restaurant Impact Report, examining the broader impact of dining out on Canadians and the communities around them.

With dining in Canada up 13% year-over-year according to OpenTable data,¹ restaurants’ impact is only growing. Full restaurants can drive spending and foot traffic for surrounding businesses, support jobs, and create spaces where people celebrate, reconnect and become regulars.

Among the findings:

• Dining out has an economic ripple effect: Half of Canadian diners (50%) say they have spent money at another nearby business before or after a meal at a local restaurant, spending an additional $133 on average on activities such as shopping or going to the cinema.²
• Restaurants foster community and connection: 89% of Canadian diners agree that local restaurants, pubs and cafés help build a sense of community, while 83% agree that dining out locally brings people together and enhances personal and social well-being.²
• Supporting restaurants goes beyond the check: 71% of Canadian diners agree that not turning up for a reservation seriously harms a restaurant’s business, and nearly half (45%) say understanding the financial cost to restaurants would make them more likely to show up or properly cancel a booking.² On average, diners estimate that a no-show for two costs a restaurant $75.90.²
  

“Restaurants are woven into the fabric of communities across Canada - the setting for milestone celebrations, everyday meals, and the local economies and neighbourhoods they help sustain,” said Eric Kemppi, Director of Restaurant Sales and Service at OpenTable Canada. “OpenTable’s first-ever Canadian Restaurant Impact Report puts that impact into focus and reflects our commitment to advocating for the restaurants that make it all possible.”

Restaurants Fuel Local Economies
A meal out at a restaurant often ripples beyond the table, helping bring spending into the surrounding neighbourhood. Across Canada, 91% of restaurants agree they play an important role in their local economy.³ Additionally, 50% of Canadians spend money at neighbouring businesses before or after dining out, rising to 61% among millennials and 65% among Gen Z.²

Restaurants also create opportunities within their communities. Half (50%) of restaurant workers say their restaurant hires young people without formal qualifications, 37% employ people with disabilities or neurodivergent people, and 32% employ refugees or recently arrived migrants.³

Restaurants Drive Community and Personal Wellbeing
Restaurants offer Canadians more than a meal, giving them a place to celebrate, connect and feel part of their community. Eighty-nine percent of diners agree that local restaurants, pubs and cafés help build a sense of community, while 58% say they are likely to book a meal out to feel better or reconnect with people when feeling stressed or low.²

“The 2025 World Happiness Report found that sharing meals is strongly associated with greater life satisfaction and more positive emotions. In fact, the frequency of shared meals was as useful an indicator of well-being as income and employment status,” said Dr. Gillian Mandich, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Manitoba. “Choosing a restaurant and looking forward to it can generate anticipation, while remembering it afterward extends the enjoyment.”

Hospitality Works Both Ways
For restaurants, every reservation informs decisions behind the scenes, from staffing and food preparation to whether another diner can take the table. Yet while 71% of Canadians understand that failing to show up for a reservation can have a significant impact on a restaurant’s business, 20% of diners say they have no-showed at least once in the past year, rising to 43% among Gen Z.²

On average, Canadian restaurant operators say a no-show table for two costs restaurants $91,³ while diners estimate a lower cost of $75.90.² The difference reflects the impact restaurants see firsthand, from wasted food and overstaffed shifts to other guests who could have filled the table. Nearly half (45%) of diners say that understanding the true financial impact would make them more likely to attend or cancel their booking.² The great news is that Canadian diners are stepping up, with overall no-show rates down 4% year-over-year⁴ and 47% said they have never failed to cancel a reservation.²

OpenTable is working to make the relationship between diner and restaurant even easier to navigate. Diners can quickly modify or cancel reservations when plans change and even direct message restaurants within the app. Restaurants can use tools including deposits and credit card holds, prepaid Experiences, automated confirmations and reminders, online waitlists and Notify Me to manage demand and minimize no-shows.

For diners, supporting restaurants can be as simple as showing up or cancelling as soon as plans change. Because when a table is filled, the impact extends far beyond the restaurant, helping the people, businesses and neighbourhoods around it thrive.

The full Canadian OpenTable Restaurant Impact Report is available here.

Methodologies:
¹ OpenTable CA Data: OpenTable looked at seated diners and average spend per person from online reservations for same store restaurants on the OpenTable platform in Canada from 1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026 and compared it to the same time period in 2024/2025 (2 July 2024 - 1 July 2025).

² Diner Consumer Research: An online survey was conducted by Ripple Research among 1503 CA general consumers who dine out, with a quota of 200 for major cities. Fieldwork was carried out between 28 July 2026 and 4 August 2026. All data was collected in accordance with MRS (Market Research Society) and ESOMAR guidelines, ensuring ethical standards and robust data quality.

³ Restaurant Consumer Research: An online survey was conducted by Ripple Research among 305 CA restaurant workers. Fieldwork was carried out between 28 July 2026 and 4 August 2026. All data was collected in accordance with MRS (Market Research Society) and ESOMAR guidelines, ensuring ethical standards and robust data quality.

⁴ OpenTable Canada Data: OpenTable looked at no show diner rates from online reservations for same store restaurants on the OpenTable platform in Canada from 1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026 and compared it to the same time period in 2024/25 (2 July 2024 - 1 July 2025).

About OpenTable
OpenTable, a global leader in restaurant tech and part of Booking Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG), helps more than 70,000 restaurants worldwide fill 2 billion seats a year. OpenTable’s world-class technology empowers restaurants to focus on what matters most – their team, their guests, and their bottom line – while enabling diners to discover and book the perfect restaurant for every occasion.

Contact information: Alexandra Connor | alexandra.connor@mediaprofile.com | 289-380-2887