Does My Restaurant Need Reservation Software at All?
Not every restaurant needs reservation software. It becomes worth paying for only when one of a few specific situations appears in your daily work.
When a notebook is enough
If your paper book is working, you do not need to change it. One notebook, kept in a spot everyone taking bookings can reach and written in handwriting anyone can read, is already one place to write.
There is no rush to pay for a tool if:
- You take almost no bookings and most guests walk in.
- You run one restaurant and the person who reads the book is always there.
- Everyone who answers the phone or replies on LINE can reach that one notebook before answering the guest.
- Copying future bookings or checking table overlaps is not causing trouble.
A paper book also has no monthly software cost and works when the internet is down.
The signs it has stopped being enough
A notebook starts to strain when bookings sit in two places or when the person who needs to see the book is not standing next to it.
- A booking comes in for next month, and that week’s sheet is not printed yet. We run three restaurants in Bangkok—yakiniku, izakaya and shabu-shabu—and our izakaya used a paper book. We printed Excel sheets one week at a time. When a booking came in a month ahead, the sheet was not printed yet, so we wrote it on a calendar to copy over later. Until someone copies it, that booking is not on the sheet.
- You take bookings by both phone and LINE. A manager takes a phone call and writes the booking on a note. Before the note reaches the book, a host sees a LINE message asking about the same time, sees the table as open in the book, and replies “ได้ค่ะ” (yes, we can). When the note is copied over, the table has two parties on it.
- You are at another restaurant today. To find out how many parties your other restaurant has tonight and at what times, you have to call the restaurant and ask. Paper can be read only by someone standing next to it.
- Regulars’ notes live in one person’s memory. When a regular calls, staff have to ask whoever remembers them, or notes do not carry over when staff change.
Try fixing the habit first
Before paying for software, try changing the rules around your current notebook. None of these costs money.
- Write in one place. Phone calls, LINE, Instagram DMs and messages to someone’s personal LINE all go into the same book.
- Write first, then reply. Check the book, write the booking, and only then answer the guest. Stop writing notes to copy later. A LINE “read” mark or “thanks for your message” is not a booking—say “ได้ค่ะ” after it is written.
- Write the end time as well as the start. A table is taken from a start time to an end time. Writing only the start time makes it hard to see whether the next booking overlaps, or whether a walk-in fits before a later booking.
- Write walk-ins in the same place. Floor staff can see who is sitting down, but the person answering the phone can only see the book. If walk-ins are not written down, occupied tables look free. See how to write walk-ins in the reservation book.
If these habits solve the mix-ups on paper, you can stay on paper.
If you do look at software, decide which job it is
“Reservation software” covers three different jobs. Paying for the wrong one will not fix your problem.
| The job you want done | What the tool does | What to keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Guests book online themselves | Gives guests a web page to pick a time without calling | Does not cover phone or LINE bookings unless staff also enter them |
| Being found by diners | Lists your restaurant on a dining site that sends guests | Can charge referral fees or per-booking fees |
| Staff keep one book | Staff enter phone, LINE and walk-in bookings in one shared book | Stays empty unless staff enter bookings; does not reduce phone calls |
If you are deciding between a guest booking page and a book for staff, read staff reservation book or guest online booking.
Where Rezabo fits and where it does not
Rezabo is a reservation book for restaurant staff. When a booking comes in by phone or LINE, staff enter it into the book. The screen switches between Thai, English and Japanese on each device, and if you run more than one restaurant, you can see today’s party count and guest count on the store list and switch books in one tap. On the same table, a booking that starts too close to another cannot be entered, and if the times overlap, a confirmation screen appears.
Rezabo is not a fit if you need any of these:
- Online booking that guests make themselves
- Automated confirmations or reminders, including LINE notifications
- Deposits or prepayment
- POS sync
- Exporting your booking data
Rezabo also has no waitlist. Restaurants that need guest referrals, online booking or payments are better served by an all-in-one service.
To try it, start with one table on your next shift
You can try it free for one month. No card is needed, and nothing is charged automatically.
Run a small Japanese restaurant in Bangkok? Read which reservation system fits
FAQ
What if staff do not enter the bookings?
Bookings that are not entered do not appear in the book, and overlaps with them cannot be caught. No tool prevents that. Start by making “write first, then reply” a house rule.
Will a reservation book app reduce phone calls?
No. Rezabo is a book that staff fill in. Guests keep booking by phone or LINE as they do now.
How much does Rezabo cost after the free month?
1,900 THB per month per restaurant, or 19,000 THB per year per restaurant paid at once (both exclude VAT). Three restaurants come to 5,700 THB per month plus VAT. There is no setup fee, no referral fee, and no extra charge based on booking count.