How to Manage Restaurant Reservations: Template and No-Show Policy

Create one line per request, whether it comes in by phone, by message or at the host stand. Copy these columns into a notebook or a shared spreadsheet: reference, date and time of the visit, number of covers, name or identifier, contact needed, channel, status, table or section, latest action and person responsible. Only assign a table after you've checked capacity. Keep contact details somewhere only the people who need them can access.

A made-up example: "R-014 | Friday 8 p.m. | 4 covers | phone | to check | no section assigned | reply promised by 5 p.m. | Sam". Once it's confirmed, update that same line with the section, the time of the reply and the person responsible. Don't create a second reservation. Anyone on the team should be able to pick up the request without digging through a coworker's private messages.

Use just a few statuses that everyone reads the same way: "to check" while capacity or a reply is still missing; "confirmed" once there's a clear yes; "changed" while a change is waiting to be checked again; "canceled" if the visit won't happen; "arrived" once the party is seated; "no-show" after you've followed your procedure. Write down the time and who changed the status.

A request received by message isn't confirmed just because it's sitting in someone's phone. When the time or the number of covers changes, edit the original line and note what needs to be reconfirmed. The floor manager needs to tell promised tables from open requests at a glance. Otherwise, two teams can count the same table as free.

Compare each request with the tables already confirmed, the space you actually have and the pace the kitchen can handle. A table of six doesn't automatically replace three tables of two: location, traffic flow and how long the meal will likely last all matter. If the request goes beyond your capacity, offer another time slot and keep the status at "to check" until the guest agrees.

To confirm, repeat back the date, time, party size and any relevant conditions, then send the reply through the agreed channel if you can. Tell guests how to let you know if they're running late or need to cancel. Don't promise a terrace table or a special menu without sign-off. In a hotel or a lounge, also spell out the section and any entry conditions when these vary from one guest to another.

Before service, set how long a confirmed table is held, who checks on a late arrival and who can release the table. Tell the guest this rule when you confirm. If they don't show up, check their line in the book, try to reach them if that's part of your procedure, then note the time and the decision before you offer the table to someone else.

Mark a booking "no-show" only once that procedure is complete, and "arrived" as soon as the party is seated. If the guest turns up after the table has been released, explain what happened and offer an option that's genuinely available. If you're considering a deposit for large parties, don't confuse a confirmed booking with money received. They're two separate statuses to track.

For a deposit or prepayment, tell the guest before they agree how much you're asking for, what it covers, how it's paid and what happens if they change or cancel their visit. Record in the book the payment reference, its status as verified with the payment provider and who checked it. Never mark a booking "paid" based only on a screenshot the guest sent. If the booking is canceled, keep a record of the decision you communicated and of any refund, to be verified with the provider. This process sits with your restaurant and a suitable payment service. Zeat doesn't take deposits or handle cancellations.

Before opening, share a view of the book that shows confirmed arrivals, requests still to handle, large parties and released tables. Make sure the host and the floor team read the statuses the same way. Pass on only what service needs to know, and have the right menu ready for the time of the visit. An accurate list is no help if it never reaches the person seating guests.

Once guests are seated, the reservation is done and service begins. Zeat can show the menu on guests' phones via a QR code and support ordering. It picks up after the welcome. Zeat isn't a reservation book, a confirmation tool or a no-show manager.