Restaurant Waitlist & Reservation System
Walk-Ins and Reservations on One Screen
One screen for your host stand: see who's waiting, what's coming up, and text any guest.
Trusted by independent restaurants and national brands
- Locations
- 2,000+
- Guests served
- 30M+
- Free plan · no contracts
- $0
The Problem
Your host stand shouldn't be this hard
If your restaurant takes walk-ins and a few reservations, you already know the drill. Here's what makes it harder than it needs to be.
No clear picture of what's coming up
Your host is checking a clipboard for walk-ins and maybe a notebook or phone for reservations. There's no single view of who's waiting, who has a reservation arriving soon, and what the next 30 minutes look like.
Wait time quotes that miss the full picture
You tell a walk-in "about 20 minutes" without accounting for the reservations arriving soon. The actual wait is longer, the guest is frustrated, and you had no way to see it coming.
No easy way to reach guests
When a table opens, your host is shouting names, calling phone numbers, or walking the lobby to find the next party. Meanwhile the line keeps growing and walk-by traffic sees the crowd and keeps going.
Reservations live somewhere else — or nowhere
Some restaurants track reservations in a notebook, some take them by phone and hope they remember, some just don't take them at all because it's too much hassle. Either way, reservations and walk-ins aren't connected.
One Unified View
Walk-ins and reservations on the same screen
In TablesReady, walk-ins and reservations live side by side on one timeline. Your host sees every party at a glance — who's waiting, who's reserved, when they're arriving, and what's coming up next.
No clipboard. No separate notebook. No buzzers to hand out — TablesReady doubles as a restaurant paging system that texts guests when their table is ready.
- Walk-ins and reservations on a single timeline
- Estimated wait times that account for upcoming reservations
- Tap to text any party — walk-in or reservation
- Guests confirm or cancel by replying to a text — fewer no-shows, less phone tag
- Color-coded status so hosts see priorities instantly
Self-Service Check-In
Guests add themselves — walk-in or reservation
Walk-ins scan a QR code or text a number to join the waitlist. Reservation guests book online from your website or directly from Google via Reserve with Google. Everything lands on the same screen for your host.
No app download. No account creation. Guests just arrive or book — and it all flows into one place.
Full Online Booking
Complete reservation and booking capability, built in
TablesReady isn't just a waitlist tool with reservations bolted on. It has a complete online booking system: guests can reserve from your website, your TablesReady page, or Google. Add floor plans and table management to see your entire dining room at a glance.
Most of our restaurant customers are walk-in-heavy and use simple reservations alongside their waitlist. When you want full online booking, it's part of the Business plan — with no per-cover fees. And if you just need simple staff-entered reservations alongside your waitlist, that works on every paid plan — no online booking setup required.
Learn more about restaurant reservations
Table Management
See your whole floor while you work the waitlist
Add table management to see your dining room at a glance. Track party sizes, assign tables, and monitor table turns in real time to keep your waitlist and reservations moving.
- Visual floor plan with real-time table status
- Automatic estimated wait times based on party size
- Text the next party the moment their table is ready
- Drag-and-drop seating from the waitlist to a table
Your Brand
Booking and waitlist pages with your branding
Customize notifications and guest-facing pages with your logo and colors, add text in multiple languages, and embed it all on your website. Guests see your restaurant, not ours.
Who This Is For
You need this if…
- Your restaurant does mostly walk-ins but also wants easy reservation capability
- You want walk-ins and reservations visible together so your host always knows what's coming up
- You want full online booking without paying per-cover fees
- You're a multi-unit operator wanting a single, simple platform across all locations
Comparing alternatives?
See how TablesReady compares to OpenTable for walk-in-heavy restaurants — features, pricing, and an honest take on where each one wins.
How It Works
Up and running in minutes, not days
No hardware. No app for your guests to download. Just add parties and tap to text.
Add walk-ins or reservations
Tap to add walk-ins at the door. Accept reservations from your website, Google, or your TablesReady page. Everything appears on one screen.
Text them when ready
One tap sends a customized SMS to any party. Guests reply to confirm, cancel, or ask a question. Two-way texting keeps everyone in sync.
See the full picture
Track wait times, no-show rates, and reservation flow. Know exactly when to seat, when to quote, and when to staff up.
What Restaurants Say
Restaurants run walk-ins and reservations on TablesReady
Rated 4.7 out of 5 on Capterra.
“Easy, efficient, guest friendly and easy to train employees to use. Going on waits has been a lot smoother since using this application.”
“It really is that easy. I didn't even train anybody on how to use it. I literally just said, 'It's self-explanatory. Hit the plus button, put the information in, and then when you go to call them, make sure that you delete them off the list, we're done.'”
“We switched to Tablesready about 6 months in and noticed immediate results. The space became less chaotic and people were able to enjoy their time at our event without being worried they would miss their order.”
Pricing
Restaurant waitlist & reservation system pricing
No per-cover fees and no contracts. Online booking, Reserve with Google and table management are included in the Business plan.
Free
$0/month
150 messages / mo per location
- Digital waitlist & self check-in
- Customizable text notifications
- Embed on your website
- Up to 100 parties a month per location
- Up to 2 Free locations per account
Starter
from $39/month
1,000 messages / mo
- Everything in Free
- Two-way texting
- Predicted wait times & analytics
- Basic reservations, unlimited users
Business
from $79/month
1,000 messages / mo
- Everything in Starter
- Online bookings & table management
- Square & Google integrations
- SMS automations & geofencing
Trial includes up to 150 texts · No credit card required · Compare all plans
Frequently asked questions
Can TablesReady handle both walk-ins and reservations?
Yes. TablesReady was built from the ground up to handle walk-ins and reservations on the same screen. Your host sees a single, unified view of everyone — who's waiting, who's reserved, and when they're arriving. Wait time estimates automatically account for upcoming reservations.
How do walk-ins and reservations appear together?
Walk-ins and reservations appear together on your TablesReady waitlist page. Each party is color-coded by status (waiting, confirmed, seated, etc.), so your host can see priorities at a glance. You can also switch to a reservation grid view that shows bookings by time slot.
Do guests need to download an app to make a reservation?
No. Guests make reservations through your website, your TablesReady online booking page, or directly from Google Search and Maps via Reserve with Google. Walk-in guests can join the waitlist by scanning a QR code or texting a number. No app download, no account creation.
Can I accept reservations from Google?
Yes. TablesReady integrates with Reserve with Google, so guests can join your waitlist or book a reservation directly from Google Search and Google Maps. These bookings flow straight into your TablesReady dashboard alongside walk-ins and other reservations.
How can restaurants manage reservations and waitlists with a POS system?
TablesReady runs alongside your POS: walk-ins and reservations live on one screen at the host stand, and guests get a text when their table is ready. With the Square POS integration on the Business plan, customer and order details come in from Square automatically. With other POS systems, TablesReady works side by side, and Zapier and webhooks are available for custom connections.
Does TablesReady include table management and floor plans?
Yes. The Business plan adds table management: a visual floor plan with real-time table status, drag-and-drop seating from the waitlist, and table-turn tracking, so your host can quote waits and seat parties from the same screen.
How much does a restaurant waitlist and reservation system cost?
Paid plans start at $39/month with no per-cover fees and no contracts. Online booking, Reserve with Google and table management are included in the Business plan. You can try TablesReady free for 14 days — the trial includes up to 150 texts and doesn't require a credit card. See pricing.
One screen. Walk-ins and reservations. Done.
Try TablesReady free for 14 days and see how simple it can be.
Start Your Free 14-Day Trial