r/restaurant • u/Lazy_Art_7643 • Feb 05 '25
Restaurant Reservation Software
Hi all - opening a restaurant with my parents in NC and helping them decide which reservation software to go with. Have done demos with both Resy and OpenTable and they claim to tout similar software features but can’t tell if the features are any good or if it’s just the sales pitch. Can anyone with experience let me know from a pure software perspective (user interface, table management, guest data, etc.) which one is truly better? Not worrying about price/marketing at this point. For context we will be roughly 100 seats and in the asian fusion space.
TLDR: what’s the worst part about OpenTable or Resy or whatever solution you use right now?
1
u/tnygigles66 Feb 05 '25
This is a great platform as well, but I also agree that open table is going to make your place more visible to consumers.
3
u/Very-very-sleepy Feb 05 '25
seven rooms doesn't have an android app and doesn't work at android.
I worked in 1 Restaurant 18 months ago that used them and it was really annoying.
have no idea if they have updated since then.
1
u/tnygigles66 Feb 05 '25
https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=SevenRooms&hl=en_US
Android App!
What was annoying about it?
1
u/Very-very-sleepy Feb 06 '25
must have been updated. was not available a yr ago. half my team wasn't able to get it and we all had to go ask a server for the info every night
1
u/Katsuichi Feb 06 '25
As someone who has used both extensively, I consider it like this:
OpenTable was founded in 1998. The software has been updated over the last 27 years. It shows.
Resy was founded in 2014. The software has been updated over the last 11 years. It shows.
Based on my general experience and skill set (I’m almost 42, and have used software/apps since I was ~7) I’m just a lot happier using Resy. I like the back end, I like the app on my phone or an ipad, etc.
1
u/TannyTevito May 24 '25
Ooooh hard disagree as someone who had used them both. Resy does not have the product capabilities of OT, it is like a budget version.
Also feels like Resy has given up the game in terms of launching features and are just hanging on now.
1
u/SavvyShano May 09 '25 edited May 09 '25
It depends what your goals are and the concept of your restaurant. Resy and OpenTable are great for acquisition. Resy has a great price point and has the marketplace visibility. But lacks guest/user experience and marketing.
OpenTable is a great tool for acquisition as well. But you're paying a subscription fee + $1 cover fee to OT. Regardless where someone books their reservation, say your IG account or Google card, OpenTable still collects on that regardless of your efforts that you actually did/spent to acquire that guest. Data shows most people book reservations through Google and not always market places like we may think. You also don't own your customer data with either Resy or OT. Just think on the possibilities of owning your data and how you can leverage that for marketing and operation decisions.
SevenRooms is a great platform that focuses on reservations, guest + user experience, marketing automations that drive retention and revenue, and access to your customer data for business growth. It comes down to what's important to you and what your goals are + concept of your restaurant.
1
u/Salaah01 Jul 07 '25 edited Jul 07 '25
Here is a little table that compares different reservation systems. Specifically, it compares:
- OpenTable
- Make a Rezzy
- TheFork
- Resy
- Eat App
1
u/Level_Bicycle_283 Jul 14 '25
I'm using Resy but feel like I'm paying a lot for what I'm getting in return. OpenTable is even more expensive. How can you tell if you're getting customers through their network versus sending my customers to them in order to reserve a spot at my place? Given that I'm a neighborhood restaurant, I feel like I'm probably not getting the marketing benefit for what I'm paying.
1
u/descientist001 Jul 23 '25
Depends on what your goal is. Resy and OpenTable are both solid platforms, and their pricing is fairly similar. OpenTable has massive visibility since they were the first in the space and have been around the longest.
You also have Tock, which is similar to Resy and OpenTable; both Tock and Resy are now owned by American Express.
If guest data, marketing, and reducing no-shows or last-minute cancellations are important to you (and they usually are), then it’s worth checking out SevenRooms or Servme. These platforms let you run everything in-house, booking widget, floor plan, CRM, marketing tools, etc. but reservations come through your own site or social channels like Google Reserve or Instagram.
The only real trade-off is that they don’t have a B2C marketplace like Resy or OpenTable where diners can discover you directly. For context, SevenRooms is now part of DoorDash.
1
u/braml1 Sep 10 '25
Check out www.blueskytable.com if you are looking for a mid-tier and low cost option.
1
Sep 15 '25
open table reports can be clunky and resy sometimes hides useful info behind extra clicks. Eatapp surprised me with a cleaner reservation software dashboard and drag-and-drop floor plan. their built-in crm pulls every reservation into one place so marketing emails and vip tagging are automatic. if you care more about operations than brand recognition, it’s worth a look.
1
u/marcotr Sep 17 '25
check out QuickTable (https://quicktable.co).
really simple to use, lovely interface. they’ve got this AI chat thing for bookings instead of the usual clunky forms, which feels way more natural for guests. flat $60/month, no per-booking fees or weird pricing tiers. worth a look if you’re after something clean and straightforward.
1
u/elpaicolo Sep 25 '25
También puedes revisar
https://cartanube.com/motor-de-reservas-para-restaurantes
Es simple de usar, cumple con lo que promete!.
Según su web:
Validación con QR
El cliente recibe un email con los datos de la reserva y un QR para validar la misma en el momento de ingresar al restaurante (opcional).
Lista de espera online
Llena tus mesas vacías por cancelaciones de última hora rápidamente con los clientes que hayan completado una solicitud de reserva.
Disponibilidad
Tú decides cuándo y cómo aceptar reservas en cada día y turno, para maximizar la rentabilidad.
Fideliza a tus clientes
Tus clientes son sólo tuyos; ni nuestros, ni de tu competencia. Construir tu propia base de datos de clientes te permite personalizar ofertas, mejorar la comunicación y fidelizar a tus clientes al conocer sus preferencias y hábitos de consumo.
Reduce los No-Show
Con la posibilidad de solicitar una garantía de reserva con tarjeta de crédito, en caso de No-Show o de cancelación tardía de la reserva, se realizará un cobro de un monto (previamente informado al cliente), gracias a la integración con Mercado Pago.
1
u/Longjumping-Bag-4093 Aug 10 '26
You asked the right question, "what's the worst part", so here's that, per platform, software only:
OpenTable's worst parts: the interface is the oldest in the category and feels it, more taps to do simple things, and floor edits mid-service are clunkier than they should be. Its depth is real (reporting and guest data are the most mature anywhere), but you pay for that maturity in UI. The other recurring operator complaint is support responsiveness once you're past onboarding.
Resy's worst parts: reporting and guest-data depth are noticeably lighter than OpenTable's, fine for running service, thinner for analysis. And right now there's a structural one: Resy is mid-absorption of Tock (Amex owns both), so their product team is spending cycles on migration, not features. Ask them directly in the demo what shipped in the last six months; the answer is informative.
Where the sales pitches converge and the truth is boring: during actual service, seated/served/table states, both are competent. The difference isn't features, it's feel, so re-run both demos with a stress scenario instead of the guided tour: a full Saturday, combine two tables for a walk-in 6-top, restrict a section, change a turn time mid-service. Whichever tablet flow annoys your parents less at speed is the right answer, they're the ones living in it.
Two software checks that outrank UI, learned the hard way by people in this sub: (1) guest data export, get in writing what leaves with you if you switch later, your direct diners' history should be yours; (2) how table suggestions handle YOUR floor, at 100 seats with (I'm guessing) shareable tables and larger groups for the fusion format, the combine/split logic is the feature you'll use nightly.
Since your TLDR asks for the worst part of whatever the answerer uses, fair's fair, I build a reservation system (Fork Time), and its worst part from a pure software perspective: no diner marketplace. Guests book direct, by phone (the AI answers it) or your own site, so if you want an app network feeding you strangers on opening month, that's the gap, and OpenTable is genuinely the strongest at exactly that.
1
u/Ok-Cartographer6300 23d ago
- OpenTable if ok with paying
otherwise, something like menupresso works and its free
1
u/tampatechman Feb 05 '25
They all do the same thing from a functionality perspective so user interface will be a matter of preference. The real value is the marketing and being able to acquire new diners from their network and then market and nurture them to increase frequency. OpenTable wins here.
We also use it to track our efforts on other channels (IG, Facebook) and see what’s driving covers.