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Nick Kokonas was trying to solve Alinea's costly no-show problem and the resistance they faced when introducing prepaid reservations. In the decade that has passed since, reservation technology has become a vital part of the restaurant industry. "We've Tock's origin story is all about problem solving.
Photo: Shutterstock San Francisco-based delivery service DoorDash announced Friday that it has completed its purchase of SevenRooms, a New York-City-based reservations and marketing platform for restaurants. By Timothy Inklebarger and Joe Guszkowski on Jun. By Timothy Inklebarger and Joe Guszkowski on Jun. billion, both in cash.
Lastly, AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can handle customer service tasks like answering questions, taking reservations, and processing orders, ensuring faster and more efficient support. These restaurants can also focus on creating a sense of scarcity or urgency with limited reservations or special tasting events.
This holiday season, 67 percent of diners are seeking more than standard reservations, with themed holiday meals (44 percent) and multi-course feasts (39 percent) being the most popular options, according to a survey from Tock. Nearly half (49 percent) of respondents will be seeking a reservation during the 4 to 6 p.m.
With 90% of diners checking a restaurant online before visiting, you also need a strong online presence to attract and boost reservations. Collaborate with nearby businesses for events or promotions, and ask them to include a link to your website on their site. Use it to share updates, specialevents, or new menu items.
The holiday season is a huge calendar event in the restaurant industry, with bookings booming as guests look to let their hair down and enjoy a festive feast. Plan Employee Rotas To Meet Demand Reservations on group bookings of 10 or more people are currently up 38 percent in comparison to this time in 2023.
The rise of short-form video makes it even easier to share enticing, impactful clips of specials, cocktails, and ambiance. Showcasing New Menu Items and Specials Several aspects of the restaurant experience affect the guest’s perception, but the menu is arguably the most important. Don’t forget about events, either.
Stay tuned for a few special tips from Melissa Bensky, one of Toronto’s most prolific foodgrammers with her account, @tastethesix. 1 Set goals for the event ?? Having a specific goal will help you plan out your budget, labor needs, marketing strategy, messaging, and organization before the event. Plan your staffing ?????
Its a marketing channel you control, giving you a clear, reliable way to share important news, announce special offers, and create excitement around whats happening at your restaurant. Weekly can work tooespecially if you have frequent special offers, rotating menu items, or upcoming events you want to promote.
From eyebrow-raising splurges and quirky simple essentials to cultural events and TikTok trends that pushed consumers to hit “add to cart,” I thought this would be of interest to you and your readers! ” “Personalized sommelier experiences with paired tasting menus to the exact standards of our guest booking an event.
A well-crafted email can remind a past guest to stop by again, encourage reservations for a new seasonal menu, or even boost online orders with a limited-time discount. A well-timed email with a special offer, new menu item, or exclusive promotion can be the nudge they need to place another order. can go a long way.
"Reservations are a mix of regulars and fresh faces as well. It is really giving Valentine’s Day a run for its money in terms of the number of reservations we see each year." Sally Davis said unique events like Galentine’s are great for boosting traffic, enhancing their overall brand and attracting new customers.
On Valentine’s Day, restaurants fill up quickly with reservations from couples eager to spend a romantic night together. Holidays provide restaurants with the opportunity to capitalize on the special moment by offering specials, events, and so much more exclusive to the holiday. Host a Party or Event.
The event celebrates another year of connecting hungry guests with discounted meals at restaurants all over the country, and 2022 is shaping up to be a different experience than in years past. While having a special menu for Restaurant Week is important, so is keeping your bottom line in check. Be In Charge of Your Own Marketing.
Google gives priority to listings with more visuals Ask happy diners to leave reviews and respond to every one , good or bad—it shows you’re active and paying attention Use Google Posts to highlight events, seasonal items, or limited-time offers Make sure your categories are accurate (e.g., family-friendly,” “vegetarian options”) 2.
Ensure that your site is intuitive and easy to navigate, with clear menus, contact information, and reservation options readily accessible. To cater to the growing demand for convenience, consider integrating online ordering and reservation systems into your website.
Strengthen Cybersecurity Holiday promotions often drive an increase in credit card transactions and online reservations, putting data security in the spotlight. For specialevents, consider hiring temporary staff trained in crowd management. Manage Crowds and Capacity Crowded spaces can pose safety risks if not managed properly.
Between online reservations, third-party delivery apps, and direct ordering from your website, digital interactions often happen before a guest ever steps through your doors. Show your restaurants personality, team, and daily specials to keep your audience engaged. Participate in local events and sponsorships.
A friend of mine recently told me that her group had reservations for a large party on a Sunday night at one of their favorite restaurants. She called to confirm the reservation on Friday only to be told that the restaurant is no longer open on Sundays. The restaurant had reservations and did not call any of the guests.
Invest in your website with clear menus, ample dining room and food photos and include online ordering or online reservation options to serve both sets of customers. Use Facebook, Instagram and/or TikTok to share your unique offerings, daily specials and other events and to interact with customers.
It’s also wise to implement a strong reservation abandonment strategy that allows you to recover most of the direct bookings. . This is one way to promote perks and encourage future reservations. . Offer them a special deal for a later time. Many business events and conferences are now canceled. Focus on the Upsell.
Moreover, integrated systems streamline operations, from managing reservations to tailoring in-app promotions, ensuring that every touchpoint enhances the guest experience. For example, a POS system that integrates with your loyalty program and email marketing platform can automatically send rewards or special offers to frequent diners.
Restaurants are going digital, with innovations like contactless ordering, reservation apps, and personalized marketing driven by data. Celebrating birthdays, for example, is a simple but effective way to make customers feel special. It’s a new era of dining, where your favorite spot knows not only your name but also your order.
Increase sales by promoting high-margin menu items and special offers. A strong social media presence, community partnerships, and local events can get your name in front of more potential customers. Email Marketing Ideal for building loyalty with repeat customers through special offers and updates.
If youve got a big outdoor patio, maybe a summer evening specialevent is the best move. It could be a fall-inspired cocktail, a one-week burger special, or a collab dish made with a local farm or bakery. Use it to share special offerings like limited-time discounts, early access to new menu items, or loyalty program rewards.
As a restaurant owner, you can capitalize on these trends by showcasing seasonal menu items, behind-the-scenes kitchen prep , chef interviews, clips of specialevents, and customer testimonials to provide an authentic glimpse into the restaurant operations that fosters trust. Specialevents make for good video content as well.
One example is OpenAI’s Operator, a tool that can perform web-based tasks like making a restaurant reservation or ordering food from a delivery app. They are getting into restaurant reservations. There are already some restaurant applications for this technology , at least on the consumer side.
The ways a website can drive more orders and reservations while cutting costs. Customers cant access an up-to-date menu, current hours, schedule a reservation, or place an online order. Beyond takeout and delivery, a website also makes it easier for guests to reserve a table without having to call.
Teaching your employees to recall names, preferences, and specialevents of regular customers shows attention to detail that clients really value. By delivering tailored texts for important events or just checking in with clients who have not visited recently, an SMS automation platform can assist in simplifying this process.
Chatbots can accurately process orders, suggest menu items, handle special requests, and even provide personalized recommendations based on customer preferences. Within a single chat interface, consumers can go through the entire menu, choose food and beverage products, add them to their cart, and make payments.
For instance, using an online reservation system allows customers to book a table conveniently, saving your staff from having to appease disgruntled customers who were overlooked on the waitlist or turned away. You can also use tablets to relay orders and special requests to the kitchen quickly.
Using a guests namewhether in greetings, reservations, or loyalty program interactionscreates a sense of familiarity and respect. Here are the most effective ways to accomplish this: Stay active on social media: Share updates about your menu, highlight specialevents, or give followers a behind-the-scenes look at your restaurants operations.
17, 2025 Facebook Twitter LinkedIn DoorDash now offers services like reservations and advertising. Last month, DoorDash announced plans to acquire reservations and marketing service SevenRooms for $1.2 Is that a good thing for restaurants? By Joe Guszkowski on Jun. These days, it is starting to look more like a hub.
It’s critical to provide a seamless eating experience, which includes simple payment choices and online reservations. Implement personalized suggestions, loyalty programs, and special incentives to make each diner feel appreciated and understood. People want service that is quick, easy, and hassle-free.
They help with reservations and table management, staff scheduling and time management, inventory tracking, rewards programs, automated marketing, and more. Reservation and table management apps. Managing reservations and walk-in traffic can be one of the trickiest parts of running a restaurant. The best approach?
My focus will soon be on whether staff members show up as scheduled, will deliveries be on time and what will they short me today, how many reservations on the book, and moving through the day – one plate at a time. A light day in terms of events, but the restaurant is capped on reservations. We will likely top 200 for dinner.
Jimmy John’s Freaky Fast Rewards® members, for instance, get a free sub sandwich of choice on their special day – as do many other restaurants. Take photos of patrons during your restaurant’s specialevent and share it on your social channels. You can take this idea even further. Think creatively.
There are a few things restaurants can do to get ready for the Super Bowl: Stock up on supplies: Make sure you have enough food, drinks, and utensils to accommodate the increase in customers.Think of what's most likely to sell out first: finger foods, wings, pizza, kegs, napkins, special items, etc. Offer discounts and specials.
Inspiring stories of unexpected successes are already beginning to emerge, and there have been many valuable lessons learned over the last few eventful months. The good news is that, as a restaurant owner, you've probably had to build up your reserves of these qualities already.
One way this can be done is by leveraging beverage sales alongside traditional menu items, like establishing curbside to-go sales, adding the option to order cocktails, beer or wine for delivery and pick-up, or even hosting virtual events to showcase talented sommeliers and bartenders.
Drive Direct Orders and Reservations A strong online presence encourages potential customers to take action. It creates a clear path to online ordering and reservations, turning online interest into revenue. It’s also a solid way to collect and showcase positive reviews.
One would think that this is what needs to happen, and the result will be exceptionally happy guests who are anxious to throw praise your way, write a great review, return often, and tell all their friends to make a reservation. Create a spontaneous specialevent through this extra effort.
Perhaps because we’re now too mired in disgust and/or despair by the time a presidential election rolls around every four years to be concerned with preparing a special dish. But at one point in time, at least in a certain region of the country, there was something called Election Cake.
Restaurants can also their GMB page to engage with customers, highlighting special offers and discounts, publicizing events and promoting new menu offerings. Restaurants that use a third-party tool to manage bookings should add that information to the GMB listing, allowing users to book a table directly from the search results.
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