Find the perfect booking system for your restaurant
Choosing a reservation system can be overwhelming, especially when each restaurant has unique needs. The wrong system can cause chaos—missed bookings, long wait times, and frustrated customers.
👇 But don’t worry, we’ve taken care of it in this article. 👇
For small, local restaurants (Under 75 seats)
If you run a cosy spot, you need a simple, affordable system that doesn’t overcomplicate things.
Here’s a guide to what features to look for based on your restaurant size, so you can avoid the hassle and keep your tables full.
| Easy online booking | Customers should book directly from your website or social media. |
| Basic table management | Helps seat guests quickly without confusing software. |
| Low or no cost | Stick to free systems like resOS that don’t charge booking fees under 25 bookings a month. |
For mid-sized restaurants (up to 150 seats)
Got more seats and higher traffic?
You’ll need extra features to keep things running smoothly:
| Table and waitlist management | Make the most of every seat, even during busy times. |
| Customer insights | Know your guests’ preferences to offer a personal touch. |
| Built-in marketing tools | Promote specials and events to bring in more customers. |
For large chains (150+ seats across multiple locations)
Big operations need powerful tools to keep everything running as it should across locations:
| Centralized management | Control bookings for all locations from one place. |
| Detailed guest profiles | Offer loyalty perks and personalized experiences at scale. |
| Integrations | Sync with your other systems like POS and inventory to streamline operations. |
5 most used reservation systems for restaurants in the UK
Here’s a quick look at some top reservation systems in the UK that can save you time, keep your guests happy, and grow your business.
resOS
resOS is designed for simplicity and affordability, catering especially well to small and mid-sized restaurants. It offers a free plan that includes basic online booking, customer management, and table management tools, making it an excellent choice for those on a tight budget.
Its user-friendly interface and lack of booking fees for up to 25 bookings a month make it stand out among other options.
➕ Pros: Free plan, easy setup, and straightforward management without unnecessary complexities.
➖ Cons: Some advanced features are available only in paid plans, but the free version covers most needs of smaller establishments.
Pricing
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ResDiary
ResDiary offers a free plan with basic online booking, customer management, and table management tools. It’s popular in the UK and easy to integrate with your website and social media.
➕ Pros: Recognizable brand with big customer portfolio
➖ Cons: Some advanced features require paid plans.
Pricing
ResDiary offers 4 price plans in which the payment is done in a quarterly contract. Each one of the 4 plans includes all functionalities. The only difference is the number of reservations it allows the restaurant to make using the platform. The plans are:
SevenRooms
SevenRooms goes beyond bookings with guest engagement and CRM features. It’s perfect for restaurants looking to build strong customer relationships.
➕ Pros: Flexible and adjustable to many industries, not only restaurants
➖ Cons: Advanced features require a paid plan.
Pricing
SevenRooms doesn’t provide transparent pricing, so you’ll need to reach out to their team for a quote. However, it’s reported that pricing starts at around $6,000 per year. While they don’t offer a free version, you can try it out for free before committing.
TableAgent
TableAgent is completely free with no booking fees, making it ideal for small restaurants. It’s easy to use and offers basic reservation management.
➕ Pros: No costs, straightforward setup.
➖ Cons: Limited advanced features for larger needs.
Pricing
TableAgent is a completely free, cloud-based restaurant reservation system. With TableAgent, you can create, manage, and access reservations anytime, from any device, including phones and tablets. There are no monthly fees and no software to install.
Nevertheless, based on reviews, the system has limited features compared to more comprehensive options, which may not suit every restaurant’s needs.
Tablein
Tablein is user-friendly and great for small to mid-sized restaurants. It’s easy to set up and offers a simple way to manage reservations online.
➕ Pros: User friendly, relatively cheap, for small venues
➖ Cons: Fee reservations that might create a huge amount of add-ons to the plan
Ready to give it a try?
Don’t let your current system hold you back. Explore resOS and find the best features for your restaurant today!
