Boston restaurant owner under fire over reservation dispute

February 29, 2024 inspirechat.net Entrepreneurship 0 Comments


Many restaurants notify customers that canceling an online reservation, or no-showing at all, may incur a set fee, regardless of whether they dine there or not.

Now, New York-based traveler Trevor Chauvin-DeCaro is going viral after a popular Boston chef and restaurateur reportedly accessed his emails and engaged in a heated exchange after disputing a $250 cancellation fee. with his credit card company.

Chauvin-DeCaro was scheduled to eat at Table in the north part of Boston last month during a two-day trip, but had to cancel it suddenly when he was hospitalized after falling ill.

Chauvin-DeCaro and her husband said they started canceling all their travel reservations, but when they contacted staff at Table, they were told the cancellation fee could not be waived, prompting her to contact her bank. Chase and contested the charges. The dispute was approved after he provided the credit card company with documentation of his hospitalization.

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But on February 22, in a series of Instagram messages that have been viewed more than 24.2 million times on X, Chauvin-DeCaro posted screenshots of messages she received on Table's official Instagram account from a person claiming to be the owner and boss of Table, Jen Royle.

“I just wanted to personally thank you for inconveniencing my restaurant and my staff when you disputed your cancellation fee,” the message read. “I really hope in the future you have more respect for restaurants, especially small businesses like mine. Pathetic.”

Chauvin-DeCaro then responded, calling the decision to track her down and message her on social media “gross” and “crazy.” A flurry of exchanges and screenshots (and blocking and unblocking) ensued from both accounts and Royle's personal account.

“I spoke to about a dozen business owners today who shared their frustrations with people walking around them and disputing their credit card charges,” Royle wrote in a now-deleted Instagram story on her personal account. “THIS HAS TO STOP! The lack of respect and fairness is gross.”

Royle – which was a popular area of ​​Boston sports reporter before for Tabela's opening — reportedly ended the conversation by letting her know he was “going to hear from our lawyers” while accusing her of “absolutely horrendous” defamation of the business.

Table is a reservation-only restaurant that costs $98-$125 per head, depending on the day, that can accommodate 32 people at a time, with a strict 72-hour cancellation policy as described on the company's website. The restaurant has received praise from the local press.

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“SAME DAY CANCELLATIONS AND NO SHOWS WILL BE CHARGED AT FULL PRICE. All other cancellations will be charged full price in exchange for a $50 gift card per person.” it is said in the policy. “There are absolutely NO EXCEPTIONS to our cancellation policy. WE ARE A VERY SMALL RESTAURANT. PLEASE BE CONSISTENT.”

As of Wednesday afternoon, Table had a 3.6 out of 5 star rating on Yelp, with many users flooding the review section with one-star comments in Chauvin-DeCaro's defense over the past few days.

“I had to cancel my reservation due to a flight delay en route to my graduation at SNHU. Unfortunately, the owner and staff were incredibly rude about the situation.” wrote one user, documenting his experience with the restaurant. “There was no sympathy or understanding that these things happen, and I felt they were unwilling to accommodate me regardless of the circumstances.”

The board did not immediately respond of the entrepreneur request for comment.





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