British restaurants are adapting to a rise in early dinner reservations by offering steep discounts and changing staff hours, as more health-conscious customers opt for early nights. . . .
“Demand is coming from both sides of the table. Diners love the value and novelty . . . restaurants fill seats, optimise kitchen flow and manage staffing more effectively right from the off,” said First Table founder Mat Weir. Weir added that the industry was gradually moving towards a surge pricing model, where a product or service is priced according to demand. “Think airline-style, time-based pricing but designed for a neighbourhood bistro,” he said. (emphasis mine)
Of course, consumers (in contrast to economists) hate surge pricing, though I imagine that framing (i.e. a discount in slow times versus a surge increase during busy times) matters.