Guide for restaurant operators

How to choose reservation software for your restaurant.

The best system is not the one with the longest feature list. It is the one that reduces staff workload, prevents empty tables and keeps costs predictable.

A restaurant manager and colleague review the evening plan on a tablet
The right software is chosen with the people who will use it during service.

Guide by Mobee, updated on

Restaurant reservation software collects online requests and helps the team manage service. To be useful, it should cover the entire journey: availability, confirmation, cancellation, guest arrival and final history.

Seven features to compare

  1. Direct reservations: a page or widget for your website and social channels.
  2. One diary: online, phone and walk-in bookings in the same place.
  3. Confirmations and cancellations: simple actions for guests and staff.
  4. Arrival management: clear statuses during service.
  5. No-show protection: reminders, deposits or prepayments when needed.
  6. Guest data: restaurant-accessible history and notes handled with respect for privacy.
  7. Total cost: subscription, setup, per-cover fees, messages and payments.
The decisive question: how much does one extra reservation cost? With a fixed subscription and no per-cover commission, the marginal cost stays at zero.

Marketplace or direct reservations?

A marketplace can offer visibility by exposing the restaurant to its audience. A direct system serves a different purpose: turning your website, social channels and regular guests into bookings without intermediaries. The two strategies can coexist, but you should know which channel generated each reservation and what it cost.

Read the full cost

Do not stop at the monthly subscription. Check for setup fees, per-person commissions, message costs, payment percentages and contract terms. Transparent pricing lets you calculate the annual cost before you start.

Why the front-of-house team should help choose

The people welcoming guests work during the busiest moments. Ask them to test three actions: enter a phone booking, check in an arrival and release a table after a cancellation. If these take too many steps, staff will work around the system.

The Mobee approach

Mobee is designed for direct reservations: your venue page, confirmation and cancellation, the service list, check-in and prepayments. Its model uses a fixed subscription with no Mobee commission per cover.

Explore all features or compare plans.

Keep reading: how to set up online reservations in your venue or how to reduce no-shows without making booking harder.