Every restaurant, café, bar, or pub has its prime time – and its quiet hours. Friday and Saturday nights are buzzing, but weekday lunches or early dinners often leave dining rooms half-empty.
👉 Those off-peak times = fewer bookings, lost revenue, and wasted potential.
The good news?
Smart restaurants are now using a mix of clever booking systems and powerful restaurant marketing tools to fill off-peak tables and increase revenue – without heavy discounts or extra admin.
Why Off-Peak Hours Are Hard to Fill
Picture this:
- A gastropub packed on Saturday but almost empty on Monday night.
- A café thriving during Sunday brunch but struggling to attract weekday lunch traffic.
Even with amazing food and service, without a modern restaurant reservation system and smart marketing integrations, many venues miss out on growth opportunities.
The Smart Way Restaurants Are Filling Empty Tables
Discounts and promotions can help, but they rarely attract new long-term customers. That’s where visibility + technology step in.
Take this example:
A small Italian restaurant offered early bird discounts via First Table and instantly filled quiet dinner slots. Even better, many diners came back at full price later.
All bookings synced automatically into their resOS restaurant booking system, eliminating phone calls and admin work.
What Is First Table (And Why It Works)
First Table helps restaurants, pubs, and cafés fill empty seats by rewarding early diners. Guests pay a small fee to reserve the first table of service and enjoy 50% off their food bill.
For venues, that means:
- ✅ Off-peak hours filled with paying customers
- ✅ New diners who often return later at full price
- ✅ Free marketing exposure (listed on a popular dining platform)
- ✅ No monthly fees – just a small fee per booking
💡 Example: A tapas bar in London used First Table to boost Tuesday night bookings. Soon, those diners turned into loyal customers.
Why Use resOS + First Table Together?
The secret isn’t just attracting customers — it’s managing them seamlessly.
With the First Table + resOS integration, every booking goes straight into your reservation system. Staff stay organized, service improves, and no bookings slip through the cracks.
🔑 Example: A pub in Manchester filled both quiet Tuesdays and busy Fridays while managing everything inside resOS.
Struggling with empty tables during off-peak hours?
Activate the First Table + resOS integration to bring in more guests when you need them most.
Read more about how to activate First Table here
Benefits of Connecting First Table With ResOS
- 🚀 More customers during off-peak hours
- 🍴 Higher weekday lunch traffic
- 📢 Free marketing exposure on First Table
FAQ for Restaurant, Pub, and Café Owners
How does First Table help increase revenue?
By filling empty tables during quiet times, bringing in paying customers who often return again.
Can resOS integrate with First Table easily?
Yes — the connection is quick, and bookings go straight into your restaurant booking system.
What are the benefits of filling off-peak tables?
You earn more, your venue feels lively, and staff make better use of their time.
How can I attract more customers with First Table + resOS?
Offer early-bird deals through First Table and let ResOS handle the admin. This helps you get more diners with little effort.
