OpenTable for Restaurants Pros and Cons

Comparing the current guest center in Open Table to what it had 2 years ago, I have to say that Open Table has really stepped up its game. The Experience feature was very hard to use, especially when restaurants were trying to run a special event alongside the normal operation. Now the Experience feature is much easier to do and changes are effective faster. Another Upside of OT is their customer service. I only use CHAT when I need help, they are fast and the agents are very well-trained. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Open Table is a very expensive reservation management system, and its cost can make sense if their marketing and boost campaigns were included in their fees, but they are add-ons to the cost. The price doesn't make sense, especially when so many other reservation management systems charge a flat rate, regardless of the number of reservations through OT or using their widget on the restaurant's websites. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What I like best about OpenTable for Restaurants is its ability to streamline the reservation process, making it incredibly easy to manage bookings, track guest preferences, and optimize table seating. The platform's robust analytics and reporting tools also provide valuable insights into customer trends, allowing for better decision-making and improved guest satisfaction. Additionally, the integration with customer communication features helps enhance the overall dining experience, from reservations to post-dining follow-ups. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

while the customer database is helpful, it could benefit from more advanced customization options to further tailor guest experiences. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What I like most about OpenTable for Businesses is how easy it makes restaurant management. Everything is in one place, from reservations to table management, which helps everything run smoothly. It also provides real-time reports and data, which is very useful for making quick decisions. Additionally, it allows you to personalize the customer experience, which helps them return. Overall, it makes the restaurant more efficient. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What I don't like about OpenTable for Businesses is that it can be a bit expensive, especially if you have a small restaurant. Additionally, the platform can be somewhat confusing at first if you are not used to using it. Also, the commissions for online reservations add up quickly. If it were more affordable and easier to use, it would be much better. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Opentable is a well-regarded and trusted platform, with many customers around the world. All of its systems work well and there are lots of add-on options such as marketing controls, special events etc. I like the fact that our customers are easily able to use the system, many of them having been indoctrinated to Opentable over the years - we never have any guest complaints about the system or with their Opentable accounts. There is always someone at the end of an email or on the phone if we need it too. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Opentable is sometimes prohibitively expensive - I'd love to say you get what you pay for, but in some regards, Opentable can end up being a pay to win solution. This will suit larger restaurants and chains with bigger budgets well, but Opentable does not have a cheaper plan for independant restaurants, they charge the same no matter if you have 10 seats or 100. If you want extra features to help your small restaurant out - promotions, guest dining rewards etc. these all come at an extra price on top too. FOr one of the biggest platforms out there, there should be focus on cultivating and helping smaller restaurants compete on their own marketplace. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

We have been using OpenTable for the last 7 years - for managing reservations for 3 restaurants, and we are happy with the product in general. Many competitors are contacting us to make a transition to their products, but we still haven't found anyone with the same or better package. Most of the other companies do not have their own app for reservations, so that point can be considered as a big plus. Team at OpenTable is really cooperative and helpfull, and the interface is really simple and intuitive. Main thing to have in mind while using the product is to use all of it's options and to teach restaurant managers how to properly use the product. Implementation and integration was really easy, and we use the product every day. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

One thing that can be improved would be group reservations - giving more options for this kind of reservations. That would primarely be using secure link for clients to guarantee the reservations with credit cards, so the we do not have to fear that table for 10 will not show up. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The table management is well optimized, easy to learn and use and offers easy integration for many POS systems. Additional marketing support through campaigns can help build covers in slower time periods. The support is aces! In this day and age, getting proper support on cloud based systems can be rough and the live chat with OT always delivers. We use OT daily and is is easy to train on and use for all staff. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

You get what you pay for but the use of the widget created for experiences means that reservations booked through this channel cost you per cover. It is a hefty fee each month for the basic account plus all the cover charges so not a viable option for small businesses. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

OpenTable has been my go-to platform for reservations at all my restaurants. They have come a long way in terms of being not just a platform for reservations, but for being an ultimate tool for marketing, reviews, and data research. Its UI is extremely easy to use and it's incredibly easy to implement and integrate into other exisiting softwares. I have a great relationship with my reps from OpenTable and their support has always been very responsive and helpful. We use OpenTable daily and at all my restaurants. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The monthly fee can be a bit high after the initial waiver period. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The ability to be able to set multiple floor plans is great in a large establishment like ours. The experiences function is a great addition for special events and theme days such as race days and shows. If we do have any issues customer support are only an email/phone call away and always able to assist in a timely manner. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The waitlist functionality doesn't really get used as we don't have a seating/lounge area for guests to sit and wait for tables to become available. Other than this it is great system and we are finding new things every day to use. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

OpenTable has various tools they are not just a reservation tool. They assist with things like ticketed events, email marketing, and have dozens of integrations to help support your business as well. Their software is very user friendly for both the user and the guest when booking. Customer service is very quick to respond when you have a question or need a resolution. They are also some of the happiest people I've worked with so their company culture must be great. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The fees can add up quickly. You dont think much when you sign up for promotions that are $1 or $5 per cover, but our high volume restaurants pay upwards of $3k/month for covers. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Having my floor plan, reservations, and marketing at my fingertips is one of the most powerful feelings in the restaurant world. At a glance, no matter where I am, I can get a pulse check on my bistro. It's incredibly user friendly, and I can generally have my staff up and running wth a few minutes training. I've also found the support team to be incredibly responsive. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I find managing the 'Experiences' to be a bit clunky, however, the OT team has taken that feedback and is starting to make adjustments to the interface to make it easier to create and sell an Experience! Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.