Maximise bookings with multiple restaurant reservation channels

Published 11.17.2023 - Last update 08.22.2024
More channels for more bookings
Table of contents
  1. The importance of multiple restaurant reservation channels
  2. Optimise reservations through our widget and partner platforms
  3. TheFork Manager
  4. Maximising bookings across all reservation channels
  5. Empty tables and ever-increasing costs?

When it comes to choosing a dining experience, every guest is unique. People discover restaurants through various channels on the Internet. While some have never touched a smartphone and will find your restaurant by chance, others explore hotspots months in advance through TikTok and Instagram. Therefore, it's crucial to ensure that your restaurant is directly bookable on all these platforms! 

With TheFork Manager, you will receive reservations not only through Europe's largest restaurant booking platform but also through our numerous other lead-generating partners. 

Let's explore where guests can find and book your restaurant.

The importance of multiple restaurant reservation channels

Do you wish to improve the online visibility of your restaurant but don’t know how? 

Firstly, it is crucial to promote your business across different access points, making it easier for customers to book a table however they choose. TheFork Manager enables an extended reach to a global audience through our website and app, which are used by millions of people across 11 European countries.

The online reservation process is simple: With a set amount of space and finite number of tables, restaurants have fixed availability rates. You decide how to manage your reservations and how many guests your restaurant can handle.

With TheFork Manager, guests can reserve a table via various channels. Once they have secured their spot, your restaurant availability rate will change across all the online platforms you use to handle bookings, marking the table unavailable. 

The implementation of a solid social media strategy and an effective reservation management system aims to streamline operations, allowing real-time control over bookings while reducing no-shows. 

Optimise reservations through our widget and partner platforms

With TheFork Manager, there are two main routes guests can take to make a reservation at your establishment. 

The first is through our inbuilt widget, a reservation module that allows guests to book instantly. The second route manages bookings made through our partners, some of the biggest online brands in the restaurant industry, who provide potential customers with other gateways to your available tables.

Below is a list of channels through which guests can reserve a table at your restaurant when it is bookable online with TheFork.

TheFork website and app

If you don’t know where to start, why not download our app? With millions of users across 11 European countries, our website and app are the perfect tools for anyone who loves dining out. 

As well as booking a table through your restaurant’s page, TheFork users can also find other helpful information: 

  • Photos of the location
  • Full menus
  • Detailed information about your establishment, e.g. access information or directions
  • Star ratings
  • Customer reviews

Tripadvisor - The ultimate travel platform

As a global brand renowned in the travel industry, TripAdvisor needs no introduction as the go-to online booking hub for experiences, reviews, and recommendations. 

While you can have a TripAdvisor page without a reservation button, why not make your online presence more conversion-friendly by adding one for tourists and locals alike to make a direct reservation when searching for restaurants? 

This way, you’ll be able to turn online visitors into real-life guests, enhance the overall customer experience from the start, and have another successful reservation channel for your restaurant.

Widget on your own restaurant page

With our widget, you can make it easier for guests to book a table directly through your own website. 

Our widget allows you to customise it according to your brand's visual identity and values. Plus, all online reservations made using it are commission-free.

TheFork Manager

Want to know how your restaurant could benefit?

Social media: Facebook and Instagram

Do you want to take your restaurant to the next level by smoothly handling online booking? Consider embedding a reserve button on your Facebook or Instagram page. 

By integrating TheFork Manager with your online profiles, guests can easily book a table directly from your social media channels. 

After coming across your profile, viewing a tempting post, or checking out a story, they can instantly make their online reservation through our widget — commission-free.

Google and Google Maps

When customers aren't going straight to an industry-specific search tool like TheFork, they're likely to start their restaurant search on Google

Thanks to TheFork’s integration with Google, guests can book their spot by clicking on the Google reserve button, making it incredibly streamlined for them to secure a table. 

Even when guests explore an area on Google Maps, they are only a few clicks away from booking your restaurant with Google Reserve. These functionalities are commission-free with our Pro+ package and simplify the whole reservation process, leaving more time to work on the things that matter most.

Michelin: for the crème de la crème

We’re very proud of our ongoing partnership with the Michelin Guide — a collaboration that values excellence and top-tier quality above all.

If your restaurant has received a mention, Bib Gourmand, or even stars, guests can book directly through the Michelin Guide platforms in just a few clicks.

Maximising bookings across all reservation channels

By joining TheFork Manager, you’ll discover a new way of handling online reservations across a variety of channels. 

Your restaurant will be searchable on the main social media channels — Instagram and Facebook — and you’ll diversify your reservation process. This will make the online customer experience even more fulfilling, allowing your guests to book a table in no time. 

This will help you keep track of reservations in real-time and reduce no-shows, boosting your visibility and the chance to have more guests at your tables. 

 If you're already working with TheFork Manager but you’re still not receiving guests across every available channel, your personal Account Manager is always ready to assist you. 

If you're not yet partnering with TheFork but are seeking new ways to improve your restaurant’s reservation channels, we'd love to connect. Click here for more information on scheduling a no-obligation introductory call.

Empty tables and ever-increasing costs?

Try TheFork Manager! An immediate increase in bookings and easy-to-use management software