PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A bill introduced in Philadelphia City Council on Thursday would bar a burgeoning market in third-party apps from selling restaurant reservations without permission from the restaurant.
If you have ever tried to get a reservation at Zahav or Royal Izakaya, you know it’s impossible. That’s what drove the growth of the app Appointment Trader. There, you can book a table for the same night — but it will cost you. The average is $135. Founder Jonas Frey said it’s just capitalism.
“If something is unavailable, it’s not free because you can’t get it. And a buyer being willing to pay a price — I just don’t see what’s wrong with it,” he said.
But Ben Fileccia of the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association (PRLA) said it incentivizes using bots to book tables in bulk, which leads to no-shows.
“Now the server goes without getting tips, the restaurant goes without revenue,” he said.
The PRLA asked Councilmember Isaiah Thomas for a bill to regulate the practice in time for 2026, when a new Michelin Guide will increase demand for featured restaurants and spike tourism. Thomas said he was happy to help.
“Our goal is to ensure that a lot of our businesses are able to benefit from all the amazing things, all of the guests, all the activity that’s going to happen next year,” he said.
Other cities have already concluded that such apps harm restaurants. New York passed a law last summer prohibiting reservation resales without a restaurant’s permission, and California is considering something similar statewide.