Online table reservations for restaurants, cafés and wine bars
A table for four at 7pm, please. On the phone, in the middle of service. This guide shows how guests reserve online, how Resavis assigns the right table, how you plan sittings per evening and how a wine evening or a brunch with a fixed number of places runs on the same page.
ForRestaurantsCafés and bistrosWine bars and tastingsBeer gardens and country pubsHotel restaurantsCookery schools and catering
Guests choose the party size and a time, and Resavis assigns the smallest suitable table that is free.
Reservation length and time slot interval determine how often a table is used each evening. The booking page only shows what is genuinely free.
Wine evening, brunch, cookery class: events with a fixed time and number of places, with a ticket price if you like.
What makes scheduling hard in this industry
The phone during service
Reservation calls come in when the restaurant is full. If nobody picks up, the table goes to the place next door.
The wrong table
A table for two for a party of six, a table for six for a couple. Without any seating logic, the evening gives away seats.
No-shows at the weekend
Reserved tables left empty on a Saturday cost you the evening’s takings. Without a reminder and a deadline, the table stays empty.
Occasions and requests
Birthday, high chair, allergies, window seat: whatever gets noted on the phone is missing at the table in the evening.
How Resavis solves this for Restaurants & Hospitality
No special features, just the existing building blocks combined the right way: services, staff, buffers, form builder, payments and notifications.
Tables with seats
Every table is a resource with a number of seats. The “Table reservation” service works by party size, and Resavis picks the smallest free table that fits the group.
Reservation length as a sitting
120 minutes per reservation with a 15-minute time slot interval: a table for four manages two to three sittings an evening, without guests overlapping.
Reminder and cancellation deadline
A reminder the day before with a cancellation link, cancellations allowed up to four hours before. For groups of eight or more, a separate service with a deposit via Stripe or PayPal.
Occasion and requests in the form
A dropdown for the occasion, a checkbox for a high chair, a text field for allergies. The answers appear on the reservation and in the notification to your front-of-house team.
Wine evening as an event
Tastings, brunch and cookery classes with a fixed time and number of places, registration with the number of guests, a ticket price or free entry. The attendee list is ready for your front-of-house team.
Dining room and terrace as locations
Tables for each location. If it rains, you switch off the terrace in minutes and the indoor reservations stay as they are.
Table occupancy calculator: seats, sittings and revenue per evening
Tables, seats, sittings per evening, average spend per guest and no-show rate: the calculator shows how many guests an evening can hold, what no-show reservations cost and how much the reminder wins back.
How to set up Resavis for Restaurants & Hospitality
Six steps, in this order. Most businesses are taking bookings within an hour.
Create tables as resources
Each table as a staff member with seats: table 1 with 2, table 5 with 6. Opening hours as working hours, your closed day as a day off.
The table reservation service
Switch on reservation by party size, at most 8 people per reservation, a duration of 120 minutes, a 15-minute time slot interval and all tables assigned.
Switch off staff selection
Guests choose the party size and time, not the table. Resavis assigns the right one.
Form fields for occasion and requests
Occasion, high chair, allergies, window seat request. Phone number as a required field for questions on the evening.
Deadlines and deposits
A cancellation deadline of four hours, a reminder 24 hours before. For groups of eight or more a service with a deposit, for celebrations an event.
A reserve button everywhere
Website, Google Business Profile, Instagram, a QR code on the menu and in the window.
How a customer books with Trattoria Sole
A sample business from your industry with typical services, team and form fields. Click your way through, nothing is saved.
Settings that have proven their worth in this industry
Starting values for services, booking page and notifications. You can change everything at any time.
| Setting | Recommendation | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Time slot interval | 15 minutes | Reservations at 7pm, 7.15pm, 7.30pm: the evening fills up without gaps. |
| Reservation length | 120 minutes in the evening, 90 at lunchtime | Gives two to three sittings per table each evening. |
| People per reservation | 8 | Larger groups by phone or as an event. |
| Minimum notice | 30 minutes | Spontaneous guests can still reserve from the car park. |
| Cancellation deadline | 4 hours | A table that becomes free can be given to other guests the same evening. |
| Reminder | 24 hours before | With a cancellation link, so the table becomes free in good time. |
| Staff selection | Off | Guests reserve for a number of people and a time, Resavis assigns the table. |
Setup checklist for Restaurants & Hospitality
Tick off what is done. Your progress is saved in your browser until you delete it.
Frequently asked questions: Restaurants & Hospitality
How does Resavis find the right table?
Every table has a number of seats. Guests choose the party size, Resavis only shows times when a suitable table is free and, when the reservation is made, assigns the smallest free table that fits the group. A couple won’t end up at the table for eight.
Can tables be combined for large groups?
Not automatically. For large groups, create a table such as “Long table for 12”, or limit online reservations to eight people and take larger groups by phone or as an event.
How many sittings can a table manage in an evening?
That depends on the reservation length and your opening hours: with 120 minutes and opening from 5pm to 11pm, up to three sittings are possible. Resavis blocks the table for the length of the reservation and then releases it again.
What happens with guests who don’t turn up?
You mark the reservation as “No-show”, and the guest stays in your customer records with that note. A reminder with a cancellation link and deposits for large groups reduce the rate noticeably.
Can I close the terrace in bad weather?
Yes. Terrace and dining room are locations with their own tables. Deactivate the terrace tables or enter a day off, and the indoor reservations are not affected.
Related industries
Taking bookings within an hour.
Set up your services, team and booking page with this guide. Free for 14 days, no credit card required. Questions? +49 1577 5588 888 (also WhatsApp).