State Restaurant Association, Lawmakers and Industry Stakeholders React to State Legislature Passing Restaurant Reservation Anti-Piracy Act, Becoming First in the Nation to Address Black Market Restaurant Reservations

ALBANY, N.Y., June 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Today, the New York State Legislature passed the Restaurant Reservation Anti-Piracy Act (S.9365/A.10215), becoming the first state in the nation to pass legislation intending to combat the trend of predatory software flooding the online restaurant reservation marketplace. Now, the bill awaits Governor Hochul’s signature to become state law.

“Today is a major victory for the hospitality industry in New York, setting a precedent for the nation. Our members work hard each day to create a desirable dining experience. Now, when diners do have the ability to dine out, they will no longer have to compete with predatory bots capturing reservations and reselling them at exorbitant prices. And restaurants will no longer be left with empty seats from unauthorized third-party reserved tables. This legislation supports restaurants, diners and the legitimate apps uplifting the hospitality industry. We hope the Restaurant Reservation Anti-Piracy Act inspires other states to push back against bad actors taking advantage of restaurants’ hard work and consumers. Thank you, Assemblymember Bores and State Senator Fernandez, for championing this issue swiftly through the legislature and delivering for restaurants across New York State,” said Melissa Fleischut, President & CEO, New York State Restaurant Association.

“New Yorkers should not have to pay shady middlemen just for the right to a dinner reservation. With this legislation, we are ensuring that families can celebrate a graduation, anniversary, or birthday without a $250, $500, or even $1,000 cover charge. We also protect restaurants from increased cancellations and protect workers from lost tips. A true win-win-win. I want to thank my Senate sponsor Nathalia Fernandez and the New York State Restaurant Association for their work to pass this bill,” said Assemblymember Alex Bores.

“The rampant exploitation of online restaurant reservations by predatory third-party platforms has inflicted undue hardships on consumers and small businesses for long enough. Between charging exorbitant rates for a reservation, to double-booking reservations, to phantom reservations leaving diners with less options and restaurants with empty tables—the onus is on us in the Legislature to take action. The essence of this legislation is simple: empower business owners and restaurant goers alike. Through this bill, we are taking a stand against these detrimental practices and promoting fairness in the restaurant reservation marketplace. I’m happy to stand alongside Assemblymember Bores and the New York State Restaurant Association to pass this piece of legislation,” said State Senator Nathalia Fernandez.

“The passage of this bill is a meaningful one for restaurants and will help protect their bottom lines by reducing the ‘no shows’ caused by fraudulent reservations. We are pleased to see New York take a strong stance to support its restaurants,” said Debby Soo, CEO of OpenTable. 

“Resy joins many of its New York restaurant partners in applauding the New York State Legislature for passing the Restaurant Reservation Anti-Piracy Act. This important legislation is a significant step forward to protect restaurants and diners from reservation fraud,” said Pablo Rivero, CEO of Resy.

There has been a drastic increase in predatory software flooding the online restaurant reservation marketplace, forcing some consumers to turn to an unauthorized market that takes advantage of restaurants. The Restaurant Reservation Anti-Piracy Act aims to address this rapidly growing problem by requiring third-party online reservation platforms to enter into a written agreement with restaurants before being able to list reservations on their website, mobile application or other platform. This legislation is the first of its kind in the nation to be passed at the state level.

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SOURCE New York State Restaurant Association