Guide
Why the table plan and availability belong together
Availability is not an empty box on a calendar. It is the result of your areas, your table layout and how long a service takes.
A time is “available” when a table of the right size is free at that time.
Your areas, the seats at each table, which tables can be joined and which are out of use all decide that. When the table plan and availability are kept in separate places, they will disagree.
Capacity is not a single number
“A restaurant for 120” is misleading when it comes to reservations. What matters is not the total number of seats but how they are spread across table sizes. Four tables for two and one table for eight give the same total — and completely different booking flexibility.
That is why availability has to be worked out table by table: is there a free table of the right size for this party?
Areas behave differently
Terrace, indoors, garden, VIP and bar areas usually have different capacity and different demand. Weather-dependent areas close for stretches of the year.
Defining areas separately makes it possible to offer guests a meaningful choice and to manage capacity realistically. Being able to take a table out of the plan matters for the same reason.
Service length and time slots
How long a reservation lasts decides how long a table stays occupied. How often a guest is offered a time decides how many services you can run in a day. A cafe with a short service and a restaurant running long dinners cannot share these settings.
Combining tables
Combinable tables are a particularly flexible part of your capacity. You may not have a table for six ready; if two tables for three can be joined, that booking can be taken.
Having those rules in the system means the right times are shown online and the team sees the right layout during service.
Assigning tables at peak hours
In a busy service, table decisions are made fast. Having the table plan on the same screen as the reservations speeds that up, and telling free, reserved, seated and combined tables apart at a glance helps avoid mistakes.
Frequently asked questions
Should we take bookings beyond our capacity?
Whether to use overbooking depends on your own capacity and reservation policy. We look at how needs like this are handled in your current setup together during the demo.
How should we handle weather-dependent areas?
By taking the area or its tables out of the plan for a while. When you close the terrace, no terrace times open.
Related pages
- Table & Area ManagementFollow the terrace, indoors, garden and VIP areas from one screen. See which table is free and w…
- Online BookingThe guest picks a date, time and party size and books in a few steps. The reservation lands in y…
- WaitlistKeep guests waiting at peak hours in one queue, see how long they have waited and seat the right…
- RestaurantsReservations, the table plan and guests on one screen through a busy evening service. Combine ta…
Let us answer your questions together
We can cover topics specific to your business during a demo call.