Top 5 Reservation Apps for Your Hospitality Venue

We live in an age where convenience is king, and everyday tasks are increasingly turning digital. Unsurprisingly, more and more restaurant reservations are conducted online rather than over the phone, thanks to the rise in popularity of restaurant reservation apps.

Reservations apps for restaurants are designed to help restaurants connect with potential customers who are looking to book a table. They make it quick and easy for guests to view available time slots, make reservations, and note any special requests, like dietary requirements.

For restaurants, reservation apps help to streamline the booking process, tap into a market of new customers, gain insights into guest preferences and boost marketing efforts.

However, with so many restaurant reservation apps on the market, it can take time to understand which option is best for your business. To help, we’ve compiled a list of the seven best reservation apps for restaurants.

Lets’s dive in.

5 best reservation apps for restaurants

1. OpenTable
2. Now Book It
3. SevenRooms
4. Obee
5. Quandoo

1. OpenTable

OpenTable is one of the largest restaurant reservation apps in the world, with over 60,000 venues using the system worldwide. 

With over 1.7 billion restaurant seats filled annually across the world, OpenTable is often the go-to restaurant reservation app for both Aussies and international tourists visiting Australia, so it’s an excellent option for reaching a large pool of potential customers.

As well as an online booking tool that integrates with your website, OpenTable has an extensive suite of marketing and analytics tools to empower restaurants to send customised marketing campaigns and deliver personalised experiences for guests.

For restaurants with more than one location, it’s also possible to share guest data across sites and identify performance trends across your locations within one system. Plus OpenTable integrates with Lightspeed, making it easier for you to drive reservations to your restaurant. When your guests arrive, you can assign them a table number from OpenTable that will automatically sync with Lightspeed POS. 

Pricing

Pricing for OpenTable is available on request via their website.

2. Now Book It

Now Book It is a leading Australian reservation platform used by over 11,000 venues.

Designed by hospitality professionals, it offers online reservations, table management, event bookings, gift card sales and a 24/7 AI receptionist to handle calls.

Now Book It lets restaurants manage reservations online and over the phone with a cloud-based system that includes a booking widget that can be added to your website and can be customised to suit your branding.

Online payments are supported, including booking deposits and event pre-payments. You can also sell digital gift cards through your website, and if you use Lightspeed, the integration helps link reservations with customer profiles.

Pricing

While exact pricing for Now Book It is only available on request, their website states that they charge a low, flat monthly subscription with no cover fees.

3. SevenRooms

SevenRooms is a platform that specialises in providing customer data and insights tools to hospitality businesses. They also have a product suite that allows businesses to connect with customers and enhance the guest experience.

The SevenRooms online reservation system makes offering direct reservations across your website, social channels, and email marketing easy thanks to booking links, integrations and plugins.  

If you have more than one venue, SevenRooms makes it possible to share reservation and customer data between locations. This means if one of your venues is fully booked, the system will automatically offer tables at nearby sister venues, keeping guests in your ecosystem and away from potential competition. 

It’s also possible to accept payment online, such as reservation deposits and charging for no-shows.

SevenRooms also integrates with Lightspeed, giving you invaluable insights into your guests’ spend and empowering you to create exceptional experiences that boost profitability and repeat business.

Pricing

Pricing for Sevenrooms is only available on request via their website. 

4. Obee

Obee is an online reservations and table management system which allows you to manage your table reservations across one or more locations. If you’re full, you can also allow guests to add themselves to an online waitlist.

Obee also lets you automatically confirm reservations, email or text booking reminders to guests, and offer alternate times to fill reservation gaps. Plus, if there are no tables for walk-in guests, you can text them when a table becomes free. 

Pricing

Pricing for Obee is available on request via their website.

5. Quandoo

Quandoo is a reservation system built for growth that helps you boost your online presence and take control of your reservations. 

It’s quick and easy for customers to reserve a table online via your website and social media channels. You’ll then automatically receive a notification about new bookings, cancellations or modifications. Plus, it’s also possible to add walk-ins and phone reservations into the system. 

Pricing

• Pro plan: $29 monthly subscription, a $99 setup fee and a $3.50 fee per guest per booking. The Pro plan includes the booking widget, social media integrations, a profile for your restaurant on Quandoo’s market place and more.
• Premium plan: $99 monthly subscription, a $299 setup fee and a $3.50 fee per guest per booking. This includes everything from the Pro plan plus waitlists, interactive table plans, real-time reporting and analytics and more.

What to look out for when choosing a reservation app for your restaurant

Restaurants are spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing a reservation app for their restaurant. When narrowing down your options, keep the following in mind to ensure you opt for the best reservation app that suits your business needs.

• Does it integrate with your point of sale? If not, there are handy intermediary apps, like Doshii, that make integrating apps with your POS quick and easy.
• What other add-ons and features come with the system?
• Can it scale with your business?
• Are there flexible plans and pricing options?
• Is it user-friendly, and is there an option to demo the product?

With these points top of mind, picking the best restaurant reservation app for your business should be much easier. You’ll quickly reap the benefits of an efficient booking system that attracts customers, streamlines reservations and empowers you to enhance the guest experience.