Many habits have changed dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, but a new problem has emerged for restaurants and pubs already operating at reduced capacities.

Booking has become essential as businesses manage a strict head count and dining time limit, but several Canberra venues have been left disappointed by no-shows.

An industry body said charging cancellation fees would become normal for restaurants with tight capacity and some have already implemented the measures to ensure their tables and chairs are full.

Ainslie's Pilot restaurant was left in the lurch after several bookings failed to show recently, a Griffith cafe had 11 customers skip-out on bookings and Millhouse Cafe owner April Hbaika was stood up by 5 people last weekend, a third of her venue capacity.

Pilot restaurant co-owner Ross McQuinn said empty tables could be "financially very dangerous" for his business where everyone was required to book.

"We, like most hospitality businesses in Australia, are running our business to very tight margins and disruptions can be catastrophic," he said.

"Not only are we restricted in numbers, so therefore earning capacity, but losing the extra income from the guests that don't turn up means working at a loss."

The restaurant requires credit card details to secure a booking and charge a cancellation fee if it is cancelled within 24 hours or doesn't show up.

However, if guests suspect they have COVID-19 and cancel within 24 hours they are given a gift voucher.

The George Harcourt Inn was disappointed when a 16 person reservation failed to show back in June.

Fortunately, general manager Christine Kain said after that bad experience, most customers did the right thing and the pub didn't charge for cancellations.

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"We are and have been requesting reservations since we reopened," she said.

"It was a struggle to get people to comprehend at the start.

"People have been really good about it now and the hardest part now is trying to take walk-ins in between those times."

Wes Lambert from the Restaurant and Catering Association encouraged cancellation fees, saying the pandemic had changed the industry forever and diners habits needed to as well.

"Gone are the times of booking multiple restaurants on a given Friday or Saturday until you decide where you want to go," he said.

"It's becoming a norm of the industry to put a hold on a credit card for a booking, especially in jurisdictions where there are more restrictions.

"The jurisdictions where caps remain in place and table sizes are limited it can have a devastating effect on businesses when consumers pull a no show."

Some businesses are at the other end of the spectrum. Two Before Ten in Aranda is thriving, manager Elise Fairchild saying remaining open has attracted new clientele as people discover their own neighbourhood.

The cafe asks people to book to make the process of taking contact details easier, but the nature of smaller tables, and patrons stopping for coffee or a bite rather than a group dinner, allows staff to more easily turn a table over.

Ms Fairchild said the biggest challenge was keeping track of the number of patrons to ensure the venue didn't exceed its 44 person limit.

"Sometimes people in the takeaway line do ignore the distancing, but we do aim for a fast and efficient takeaway service so there shouldn't be too many people at any point," Ms Fairchild said.