Reservations unexpectedly canceled for new Four Seasons restaurant Mara: 'It all kind of exploded'

Would-be diners at Mara, the restaurant at the forthcoming Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis, got some unwelcome news in their in boxes Tuesday. Reservations they made when bookings went live on Monday, May 23, were canceled.

Reservations had opened at noon, and were available for several hours. Later that afternoon, visitors to the booking site Tock saw this message: "Mara is not currently accepting reservations on Tock. Please check again soon."

The next day, cancellation messages went out with a link to a video from restaurant owner and chef Gavin Kaysen.

"We just want to reach out and thank you for the overwhelming support that you provided to us yesterday with the reservation release. There was so much excitement, so much demand, that it all kind of exploded," Kaysen said.

A spokesperson for Kaysen said the opening date set for Mara, June 1, has not changed.

The e-mail to people who made reservations, with "Uff-da!" in the subject line, called the reservation snag a "hiccup," and informed guests that they will be given priority access to rebook beginning at 5 p.m. Tuesday through noon on Friday, May 27. "Reservations will then open up to the larger public."

"This isn't the start we'd hoped or planned for, and we're grateful for your patience and understanding...," the e-mail said.

But at least one potential customer has no plans to rebook. "Obviously not ready for prime time," said the customer, who didn't want to use their name so as not to affect their treatment at Kaysen's other restaurants. "We plan to pass and go elsewhere for now."