Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill aimed at curbing unauthorized reservation reselling in Florida’s restaurant industry. The legislation, known as SB 940 and HB 543, was introduced by Senator Stan McClain and Representative Vanessa Oliver. It received bipartisan support and was strongly backed by the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA).
Carol Dover, President & CEO of FRLA, expressed gratitude for the swift action taken to address this issue. “Black-market reservation platforms are hijacking the dining experience in Florida,” she said. “These unauthorized actors add no value – they simply inflate costs, damage reputations, and leave restaurants with empty tables, unpaid servers, and frustrated guests.”
Pablo Rivero from Resy and Tock also supported the move: “We’re thrilled to see this important legislation signed into law by the governor in Florida.” He emphasized that it is crucial for protecting small businesses and their customers.
Debby Soo of Open Table noted that the new law is significant for maintaining financial stability within the hospitality sector. “With such slim profit margins, restaurants need every safeguard possible to protect their business operations,” she stated.
The practice of using bots to secure reservations at popular restaurants only to resell them at inflated prices has been a growing concern nationwide. This has led to issues such as increased no-shows and customer dissatisfaction.
Mike Whatley from the National Restaurant Association highlighted these challenges: “Black-market reservations create confusion for customers, make dining out more expensive, and cause operational chaos for operators.”
The new law will take effect on July 1, 2025. It prohibits selling restaurant reservations without explicit consent from the establishment involved. Violators will face penalties of $1,000 per day for each infraction.
