Jason Hill, owner of the upcoming E.L.K of Monroe restaurant in downtown Monroe, N.C., thinks reservations and reservations systems can potentially make or break an establishment.
“Understanding your client base, their needs and expectations, and the intended and unintended consequences of following a reservation system can lead to success or failure,” said Hill, whose restaurant will focus on elevated southern cuisine with bold flavors and natural ingredients.
Hill explained that the goal with reservations for most restaurants is two-fold. “First, the goal is to set expectations with the guest regarding their experience,” he said. “A reservation generally sets the expectation for little-to-no wait upon arriving at the restaurant, as well as the ability to enjoy their meal for an extended period of time, often with little pressure to leave once finished dining. The second goal for many establishments is to control the flow of orders into the kitchen so as not to overwhelm restaurant staffing and capability.”
Cliff Cate, vice president of go-to-market, restaurants, at Yelp, believes that reservations and reservation systems have certainly become central to running a successful restaurant or bar. Yelp offers restaurants and bars its Yelp Guest Manager, a front-of-house reservation and waitlist system with a large U.S. consumer network. “Not only do they help fill seats, they help operators anticipate busy times, manage guest flow, and deliver a better, more reliable experience for every diner,” he said.
Cate shared that in addition to bringing in more diners, an effective reservation system builds predictability and control for both guests and staff. “Guests can easily reserve specific seats or sections, receive prompt confirmation, and track their place in line in real time. This creates a smooth, personalized experience that encourages return visits,” he said. “For operators, modern reservation platforms offer insights into booking patterns, guest preferences, and peak times.”
Juan Diego Canahuati, owner of Arcano, a Latin restaurant with bold, authentic flavors, and a modern twist in Coral Gables, Fla., said reservation systems are critical to managing flow, maximizing revenue, and delivering a great guest experience. “For restaurants especially, they provide predictability and control over staffing, inventory, and kitchen pace,” he noted. “For bars with dining programs or high-demand hours, a hybrid system, walk-ins + reservations, helps balance spontaneity and structure.”
Facing Reservation Challenges, from No-Shows to Guests Inflating Party Sizes
Paul Ramsey, restaurant division manager at Kanki Japanese Steakhouse—with restaurants in Raleigh and Durham, N.C. —said that when it comes to reservations, one of the trends he’s seeing across the industry is an increase in last-minute bookings, guests inflating party sizes, and occasional no-shows.
Ramsey said that while these trends can be disruptive, they don’t impact Kanki restaurants—thanks to their strong walk-in volume—as severely as they might impact other reservation-driven restaurants. That being said, Kanki still takes steps to tighten its reservation confirmation process, especially for larger parties.
“We are up front about reservation policies, and we stay guest-focused while protecting the business,” said Ramsey. “Transparency and clear communication are key.”
Angela Duke, vice president and director of marketing at SquareOne Holdings, which operates multiple locations of the brand’s STIR and State of Confusion restaurants out of Chattanooga, Tenn., agrees that some of the biggest challenges with customer reservations are no-shows and last-minute cancellations. “These directly impact our ability to maximize revenue and efficiently manage our staff and inventory,” she said.
Duke said that her hospitality group aims to minimize no-shows through confirmation emails and SMS or text reminders. For customers booking large parties and showing up with less, they try to mitigate this by confirming party sizes closer to the reservation time through personal phone calls by the management team. In terms of charging a fee for no-shows, they’re not following that reservation trend. “Our goal is to build positive, loyal guest relationships,” she explained. “We prefer to focus on over-communication with them vs. charging them for a no-show.”
For Canahuati, of Arcano, no-shows and last-minute cancellations are the biggest pain points because they lead to lost revenue and gaps in service flow. “We’re seeing more casual no-shows, especially with multiple bookings at different venues,” he said. “Some guests are also reserving large parties to guarantee a table, then showing up with fewer people. To manage this, we now require credit card holds for groups of 8+ and send SMS confirmations the day prior and two hours prior. We also stagger reservation slots to ease pressure on the kitchen and bar.”
Izzy Kharasch, a Chicago-based bar and restaurant industry expert and president of Hospitality Works, pointed out that more and more restaurants are indeed charging guests for no-show reservations.
“The charges can range from $25 per guest to as much as $100 per guest,” said Kharasch, speaking on no-show fees. “Restaurants that have preset menus will take the reservations with full payment up front. These restaurants will charge the full price for a no-show if the guest did not give notice in enough time.”
Canahuati suggested that charging a customer a fee for a no-show reservation depends on the bar or restaurant concept and the clientele.
“High-demand or fine dining spots often charge no-show fees or require prepayment,” said Canahuati. “For more casual places, a card hold with a no-show warning is usually enough. Transparency is key—guests don’t mind policies when they’re clear and fair. Our advice: Don’t punish the guest but protect your team’s time and your business. We do have a $25 per person no-show fee, however we charge the fee and give it back to the guest as credit on their next visit.”
Kharasch advised bar and restaurant owners/operators to let guests know that they will be charged for the full price of the experience if they don’t show up on certain occasions, such as New Year's Eve.
“Lots of people like to make reservations at multiple restaurants so they can decide where to go at the last minute,” said Kharasch, on customers booking for certain holidays and occasions. “However, if you [as the customer] know that you will be charged 100 percent if you go or not, it will make going an easier decision. I recommend that restaurants do a basic no-show charge if the guest did not cancel within 48 to 72 hours.”
Nancy Weinstock McDaniel, vice president of New Orleans-based Latter Hospitality, which operates Tujague's Restaurant, The Bower, and Birdy’s, said they try to be “extremely fair” with their establishments’ policies.
“Typically, we only require guests to book with a credit card for large parties,” said Weinstock McDaniel. “For special events and holidays, we ask that everyone book with a credit card. Our policy is that we will not charge guests unless the reservation is a no-show or completely cancels within 24 hours of the reservation time. We also make exceptions to these policies under extenuating circumstances. If a group books a 10-top and is a no-show, that hurts business for us because we were holding that table for those guests and may not be able to reseat it last minute. It doesn't just hurt the bottom line for our team; it hurts our team members. At the end of the day, if the customer attempts to get in touch with us and cancel or explain why they had to cancel, we will not charge them and will be reasonable.”
Another trend is that some restaurants are putting restrictions on how long guests can sit at a table, according to Kharasch.
“When you make your reservation, you may be told that you will have to leave the table after 90 minutes,” said Kharasch. “As long as the service is perfect and the guests get to comfortably enjoy their experience, this should not be a problem. I don't love this system because it feels like we are putting restrictions on our guests, but I certainly understand the reason that more and more restaurants are implementing this system.”
This timing consideration with reservations happens when an owner/operator wants to forecast how long each table’s party will stay for their dining experience. “If the restaurant plans for each stay to be 90 minutes and the table gets up around that time, everything is fine,” said Kharasch. “However, things start to go wrong when a group has completed their meal but want to sit for a total of two hours and the restaurant falls behind, which negatively affects the incoming guests. When this happens to multiple tables, the night becomes a balancing act for the restaurant.”
Hill, of E.L.K of Monroe, said reservation challenges are well known in the bar and restaurant industry; thus, some owners and operators may choose to avoid taking reservations.
“My advice, perhaps controversially, is largely to avoid reservations unless you deem them a necessary and vital part of your strategy in delivering a specific dining experience, such as in a fine dining restaurant,” revealed Hill. “In my opinion, having reservations brings additional complications to customer satisfaction. The most difficult scenario to navigate is having both reservations and walk-ins, as the quality of the meal can quickly take a backseat to perceived ‘favoring’ of customers.”
Regardless of which reservation method a restaurant chooses—no reservations, reservations only, or a mix—Hill said the most important aspect regarding is clear communication with the customer.
“Outside of food quality, the biggest source of customer dissatisfaction I’ve seen is lack of clarity and lack of communication in seating,” cautioned Hill.
Technology: Choosing the Right Platform for Your Reservation System
Cate, of Yelp, encouraged owners and operators to seek reservations systems and technology that centralizes and automates the process as much as possible.
“Many modern platforms, such as Yelp Guest Manager, offer tools like floor plan editors, shift scheduling, and the ability to generate booking links for different marketing channels, which can help track where reservations are coming from,” explained Cate. “Centralized systems that support automated communications, including SMS confirmations and waitlist updates, make it easier for guests to stay informed and for staff to focus more on hospitality instead of manual follow-ups. Additionally, platforms that give insight into reservation and guest trends across both web and mobile interfaces can support smarter staffing, marketing, and operational decisions.”
Cate said that, ultimately, the goal is to adopt reservation technology that streamlines the experience for both guests and staff and adapts as business needs change.
Weinstock McDaniel, of Latter Hospitality, said they use either OpenTable or Resy at all of their hospitality group’s locations. “Both systems allow us to book reservations online and over the phone,” she said. “It is extremely helpful not only in managing costs, but also in preparing our team for service. It's nice to know if repeat customers are coming in or if any VIPs are choosing to dine with us. It's also important to know which first-timers are coming in. We want to give special attention to everyone, but in a unique way, depending on who they are. It's nice to know if the guest is from out of town or lives around the corner.”
Canahuati, of Arcano, said reservation platforms like OpenTable, SevenRooms, and Resy are powerful not just for bookings, but for CRM, marketing, pacing, and analytics. At his restaurant, they use tags in the reservation system to identify VIP customers, guest allergies, or if someone is a frequent diner, and they can customize messages to offer personalized service.
“Look for systems that allow integrations with POS [point of sale system] and email platforms for a more connected guest journey,” advised Canahuati. “OpenTable integrates with our POS system and allows us to review the guest data prior to their arrival. This is a powerful tool for any restaurateur looking to deliver a seamless guest experience while elevating the dining experience.”
When it comes to reservation platforms, Cate said that owners and operators should invest in reservation systems that go beyond simple booking and integrate communication, staff management, and analytics all in one place.
“Enhanced dashboards that provide data on booking sources and busiest periods help operators proactively schedule staff and maximize table usage,” shared Cate. “Technology, whether from Yelp or other platforms, is best used to reduce manual error, streamline communication, and let staff devote their energy to delivering a personalized guest experience rather than administrative tasks.”
Marketing Tips for Your Bar or Restaurant’s Reservation System
At Latter Hospitality, they want to make it easy for guests to book a reservation at any of their establishments, so they try to make their reservation system easy to find on their websites, social channels, email blasts, and more.
“The goal is to make the experience for our customers a great one, even at the time of booking the initial reservation,” said Weinstock McDaniel. Technology makes it easy these days with adding buttons to book nearly everywhere.
Duke, of SquareOne Holdings, added that mobile optimization can’t be overlooked when it comes to reservations. “Ensure your online booking portal is mobile-friendly, as many guests book on the go,” she said.
Kharasch, of Hospitality Works, said that an effective reservation system enables two-way communication between guests and the establishment, with emphasis on the establishment's ability to reach out to guests. “Use the information to send out a newsletter or the weekly specials, special dinners, or tastings,” he advised.
At Arcano, they use their reservation system to drive repeat visits, to send automated thank-you notes, birthday reminders, and return incentives. “Highlight bookable moments—chef dinners, cocktail pairings, pre-theater menus—in your newsletter or Instagram bio,” said Canahuati. “And during off-peak times, try limited-time experiences or small discounts to drive bookings.”
Kharasch said that owners and operators should track their guests’ visits through the reservation system. “Utilize the information to communicate with the guest when they have not been in for a few months,” he shared. “Keep good notes on every guest so when they walk in you know who their favorite server is, you know if it's their birthday, or anniversary.”
Owners and operators should also consider using the reservation system to increase online reviews, according to Duke. “After a visit, prompt guests to leave reviews on platforms like OpenTable, which can encourage others to book,” she said.
Reservation Tips: Do’s and Don’ts for Owners and Operators
Duke, of SquareOne Holdings, said her best advice when it comes to reservations and reservation systems is to implement a well-structured system and develop a clear understanding of how guests flow through the restaurant.
“Embrace modern technology and learn to use it effectively, but don’t depend on it to solve every problem,” said Duke. “Hospitality is inherently hands-on, and nothing replaces the value of genuine, personal interaction. Train your team not only on the technical aspects of your reservation and guest management systems but also on the importance of warm, personal engagement. The goal is to use technology to enhance not replace the guest experience.”
Duke offered some additional advice for owners/operators when it comes to how bars and restaurants handle reservations, including:
- Do be clear about your reservation policy.
- Do communicate effectively with guests (confirmations, reminders).
- Do train your staff thoroughly on the system.
- Don't make it difficult for guests to cancel or modify reservations.
- Don't rely solely on manual processes for busy periods.
- Don't ignore the data your reservation system provides.
If you’re a new owner/operator or looking at making a change to your reservation system and policies, Hospitality Works’ Kharasch said it’s okay take baby steps.
“Start slowly, don’t move to 100 percent reservations if you don’t have a handle on the average dining experience,” advised Kharasch. “Also, make sure that the front desk staff really understands how to time guests, and more importantly, knows what to say to guests when the restaurant begins to fall behind. Make sure to have the policies in place for deposits, no-shows and minimum charge for not showing up.”
Reservations Are the ‘First Touchpoint of Hospitality’
Reservations are more than just logistics; Canahuati, of Arcano, said they’re the “first touchpoint of hospitality.” “How guests book [a reservation], how they’re greeted, and how their expectations are managed sets the tone for everything else,” he said. “A good reservation strategy is as much about experience as it is about efficiency.”
Cate, of Yelp, said a “smart reservation strategy” goes beyond booking tables—it’s about shaping the whole guest journey and setting a business apart in a crowded market.
“Leveraging the latest tools and technology allows restaurants and bars to create more seamless and memorable experiences for guests,” said Cate. “Every interaction, from the initial booking to a post-dining survey, is a touchpoint to reinforce your commitment to hospitality and building loyalty. Combining thoughtful service with technology is the key to winning repeat business.”
Aaron Kiel is an award-winning journalist and public relations professional in Raleigh, N.C. He’s worked in the beverage, tea, and coffee industries for two decades, as well as hospitality and technology. He’s a journalist at heart, but he also wears a PR and communications hat through his consultancy, ak PR Group. Aaron is a contributing writer/reporter for Questex’s Bar & Restaurant News and he’s a past editor of Questex’s World Tea News. In 2023, he was a finalist and honorable mention in the “Folio: Eddie & Ozzie Awards” for “Range of Work by a Single Author – B2B” for World Tea News, and in 2024, he won two awards for his work with Bar & Restaurant News, including a Gold Northeast Region Award in the American Society of Business Publication Editors’ (ASBPE) Azbee Awards under the “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion” category, and a “Folio: Eddie & Ozzie Award” in the B2B article category for “Culture & Community.” He also received a 2024/2025 ASBPE Diversity Fellowship Award, which supports and recognizes diversity in the field of B2B journalism. Connect with him on Instagram: @adventurer_explorer or visit akprgroup.com.
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