Reservation apps have made it a straightforward process for patrons to book a table just by a few clicks on a smartphone, but sometimes a table at the restaurant you want to book isn't available.

Maybe you order sparkling water, start every meal with an appetizer or prefer dining right when the restaurant opens. You might not track these habits. OpenTable might. Some restaurants are now seeing ...

As resellers flip the city’s toughest tables for profit, the city now wants restaurants — not resellers — calling the shots.