Restaurant booking software: what really matters
Choosing a booking tool isn't just about nice screens. The pricing model, table management, no-shows and where customers book weigh far more on your accounts. Here are the four things to check before you decide. The same reasoning applies to a salon taking appointments or a tradesperson receiving quote requests.
Fee per cover or fixed price
There are two models:
- Platforms (such as TheFork): sign-up is often free, then a fee is charged on every cover booked through them, around €2 to €5. Handy to get discovered when you start, but the bill grows as you fill up.
- Subscription software (such as Zenchef or Voxtya): a fixed monthly price, however many bookings you get. With Voxtya, it's €29 a month, with no commission.
A simple calculation: at €2 per cover, 15 covers booked online every day cost about €900 a month. With a fixed price, those same bookings cost nothing extra. Many restaurants combine both: the platform to attract new customers, their own tool for regulars.
A number of covers or a real floor plan
- Simple mode: a number of covers per service (for example 40). Easy to set up, ideal for a small room.
- Floor plan: your tables one by one, by area (main room, terrace, mezzanine). Each booking is automatically placed on the best table for the party size, and you move whatever you like.
Both are included in Voxtya's Bookings service: start simple and switch to the floor plan whenever you want.
Fewer no-shows
- An instant confirmation, then a reminder the day before by email, with a cancel link: customers let you know instead of not showing up, and you rebook the table.
- A clear cancellation deadline (for example 2 hours before service), shown at booking.
- Manual approval for large parties: call the customer before blocking half the room.
- A record per customer that tracks visits and no-shows: you know whom to ask for a confirmation.
On your website or on a dedicated page
- On your current website (WordPress, Wix, Shopify…): paste a short code, and the form appears inside your page. Nothing else to change.
- On your Voxtya website or a booking page in your name: the "Book" button is already there, and you share the link on your Google listing and social media.
You can switch from one to the other anytime, without losing your bookings.
Bookings from visitors and English-speaking customers
Tourists and visitors often book from their phone, the day before or on the same afternoon, sometimes from another time zone. Booking times on Voxtya follow Paris time, so the slot a visitor picks is the slot you see in your planning. Confirmation and reminder emails go out automatically, which saves you a phone call in a second language, and the booking link works the same from your website, your Google listing or Instagram.
Learn more: our pricing (€29 per service) · Voxtya or Zenchef · Voxtya or TheFork · the website · review collection · all features