Why it matters

The wait is where you win or lose the table.

A few facts worth knowing, each with its source. Where the source is a company that sells restaurant tools, we say so.

What the research says

72% of diners say they'll wait no more than 30 minutes for a table. (Toast diner survey, updated July 30, 2026)
22 min is how long the average guest is willing to wait for a table. (TouchBistro 2025 American Diner Trends Report (with The Harris Poll), 2025)
1 in 3 diners say they've walked out because of a long wait. (Lightspeed consumer survey, Aug 19, 2025)
45% of diners are more likely to eat somewhere they can join the waitlist online or by app. (Toast diner survey, updated July 30, 2026)
85% of diners look at the menu online before trying a new restaurant. (TouchBistro 2024 Diner Trends Report, Mar 26, 2024)
3.17% of U.S. restaurant reservations were no-shows in one booking system over a year. (Resos No-Show Index, Aug 19, 2026)
2.8% is the median profit before taxes for full-service restaurants, as a share of sales. (National Restaurant Association, 2025 Restaurant Operations Data Abstract, Aug 20, 2025)
36% is how much total expenses rose for an average restaurant from 2019 to 2026. (National Restaurant Association, July 8, 2026)
41% is how much restaurant hourly pay has risen since February 2020. (National Restaurant Association, July 22, 2026)

Your posted wait is on your page and your door TV, so guests decide before they drive over.
Guests who say they are on the way are on the list before they walk in.
Where you allow order-ahead, food can start before the party sits.
The Night Report shows your own door-to-table and table times, so you can see what changes.