Being able to book a table at a restaurant is a useful, much-needed option. Especially if it works not through the usual "call the venue, wait for an answer, book" routine, but through an online form. A reservation made in advance guarantees the guest a pleasant evening. So why should a business adopt an onlinebooking system for tables? We go through all the key points in this article. 

Why onlinebooking is better

Booking by phone has obvious downsides for guests. In 2024 people are ready to sort things out by phone only when there's no other option. Now look at it from the restaurant's side. For a venue with several dozen system for tables, or for a chain, keeping reservations on paper or even in a spreadsheet is a direct road to mistakes. Problems are inevitable: someone, the hostess or the guests, will mix something up. Then a chain reaction starts, and the restaurateur always ends up losing money and reputation. 

If a restaurant hasn't thought through its bookingprocess:

• Tables have low turnover
• With low occupancy and empty tables, payroll is spent inefficiently
• Load and revenue can't be forecast accurately
• Service suffers, guests get little attention
• The kitchen can't keep up, dishes reach the hall late
• Supplies run short and menu items go on stop
• The venue loses loyal customers. 

All of this can be avoided by introducing booking system for tables through an online form, for example in a mobile app or on the website. 

How online booking works

For the guest, reserving a table is as simple as filling in a short form. A request usually includes the name and contacts of the person booking, the number of guests, the time and any extra wishes. The request then goes to the restaurant, where a staff member processes it: checks the internal booking system and confirms or declines. The customer gets a push notification in reply. 

Handy onlinebooking

Choosing a mobile app with booking system for tables solves several restaurant problems at once and offers possibilities other booking methods can't.

• You can scale without riskingthat at some point everything breaks and you have to scramble for a fix. This is about growing a chain and adding new order channels. Centralized booking through the app means no mistakes or awkward situations, and a full house. 

• Pre-ordering through the app anytime sets this method apart from the classic booking system for tables by phone, which only works during opening hours. A guest can send an online booking request anytime and gets an answer as soon as the restaurant processes it.

• With online booking, the venue receives all requests in digital form. That's convenient: nothing gets lost, and the hostess has time to process them calmly. Onlinebooking helps staff seat guests smartly and plan seating so that one person doesn't take table meant for a whole group. That raises turnover, one of the key metrics of a venue's profitability. It matters at peak hours and on holidays: potentially, this feature helps the restaurant earn more. 

• Sending a booking request online is much faster than calling the restaurant. The customer can quickly report changes in plans, such as the number of guests, or note important wishes about their preferred table , all without having to get through by phone. The restaurant can also quickly get back to the guest if something changes. 

• A logbook, Excel or a Google Sheet is limited in features and in how much data it keeps. Building a customer base from it for segmentation and marketing is hard and clumsy, while in an app it takes a few clicks. To measure acquisition channels, you can analyze where bookingcame from, when most pre-orders were made, and how much revenue comes from bookings and per guest. A digital, ready-to-use guest base is an invaluable resource. A business needs to know who orders what and when to improve processes, save money and earn more.

To grow loyalty, a restaurant should treat guests individually, taking into account their order history and personal wishes. A digital customer base makes this easier.

How to organize work in the restaurant

A mobile app or online booking on the website can't run by itself: you need to think through back-office processes too. Even though online pre-orders free up waiters and hostesses from the phone, some things still need planning.

A friendly interface is an obvious requirement for any digital product, but a restaurant app must also be convenient for the venue's staff. 

Guests won't get perfect service if, on arrival, they have to wait while the host finds their booking on the list and shows them to table. The hostess's job is to track bookings, match expected and actual guest numbers, keep track of deposits and seat walk-in guests at tables in the hall. 

Pre-orders system for tables determine kitchen load and hall staffing needs and help plan purchasing. A venue needs all this to run smoothly, without hiccups or sudden rushes.

Summing up

Introducing onlinebooking system for tables in a restaurant is a step toward high revenue and flawless service. If your venue still trusts the reservation list to pen and paper, you're potentially losing to competitors who have already gone online. Launching your own mobile app with table booking is a sound business decision that pays off in both higher revenue and guest loyalty.