Many restaurants inform patrons that canceling an online reservation or no-show may result in them being charged a certain fee, whether they dine there or not.
Now, New York traveler Trevor Chauvin-DeCaro is going viral after a renowned Boston chef and restaurant owner reportedly slid into his direct messages and engaged in a heated exchange after he disputed a cancellation fee of $250 with your credit card company.
Chauvin-DeCaro was supposed to have dinner at Table in Boston’s North End last month during a two-day trip, but had to cancel unexpectedly when he was hospitalized after falling ill.
Chauvin-DeCaro and her husband said they began canceling all of their travel reservations, but when they contacted Table staff, they were told the cancellation fee could not be waived, leading them to contact his bank, Chase, and to contest the charge. The dispute was approved after she provided documentation of her hospitalization to the credit card company.
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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 and Table chef, Jen Royle.
I am appalled by the behavior displayed towards a customer. It is absurd that a property owner sees the travel insurance claim and then goes looking for the customer on Instagram pic.twitter.com/Imq98jRuDS
— Ghostface stuck in the subway (@trevorshowvan) February 22, 2024
“I just wanted to personally thank you for screwing my restaurant and staff when you disputed your cancellation fee,” the message read. “I really hope you have more respect for restaurants in the future, especially small businesses like mine. Pathetic.”
Chauvin-DeCaro then responded, calling the decision to find and message him on social media “disgusting” and “insane.” A flurry of exchanges and screenshots (and blocking and unblocking) from both accounts and Royle’s personal account followed.
Dear God, woman, calm down and stop posting about me pic.twitter.com/f4IYwEwibG
— Ghostface stuck in the subway (@trevorshowvan) February 22, 2024
“I spoke to a dozen business owners today who shared their frustration with people stepping on them and disputing charges on their credit cards,” Royle wrote in a now-deleted Instagram story on his personal account. “THIS MUST STOP! The lack of respect and entitlement is serious.”
Royle — who was a well-known Boston-area sports reporter before opening Table — allegedly ended the conversation by letting him know that he would “hear from our lawyers” while accusing him of bringing “absolutely horrible” smears about the company.
Table is a pre-fix only restaurant that costs $98-$125 per head depending on the day and seats 32 people at a time, with a strict 72-hour cancellation policy, as noted on the company’s website. The restaurant has received recognition from the local press.
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“SAME DAY CANCELLATIONS AND NO-SHOWS WILL BE CHARGED THE FULL PRICE. All other cancellations will be charged the full price in exchange for a $50 gift card per person,” the policy reads. “There are absolutely no exceptions to our cancellation policy. WE ARE A VERY SMALL RESTAURANT. PLEASE BE CAREFUL.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, Table had a 3.6 out of 5 star rating on Yelp, with many users flooding the reviews section with one-star reviews in defense of Chauvin-DeCaro in recent days.
“I had to cancel my reservation due to a flight delay on my way to my SNHU graduation. Unfortunately, the owner and staff were incredibly disrespectful towards the situation,” one user wrote, documenting their experience with the restaurant . “There was no sympathy or understanding that these things happened, and I felt they were unwilling to accommodate me despite the circumstances.”
The table did not immediately respond That of the entrepreneur request for comment.