Restaurant waitlist software

Yes, with Plattio the guest scans a QR code at the door and signs up in their phone's browser, with no app to download. Your staff can add them from the dashboard too. They see an estimated wait straight away. When the table is nearly free, the alert arrives by WhatsApp or SMS.

A digital waitlist like Plattio's alerts the guest on its own, by WhatsApp or SMS. It also works out the estimated wait from real occupancy and keeps a record of how every wait ends. Paper does none of that. And because the list and the bookings sit in the same dashboard, people can wait outside without worrying about losing their place.

Plattio sends the alert by WhatsApp or SMS on its own, without anyone having to ring round. It goes out when the table is nearly free. No more stepping outside to shout names. Your team sees in the dashboard who was alerted and when. Bear in mind that SMS and WhatsApp messages are charged per message on top of your plan.

In Plattio the waitlist is integrated with the reservation book. The system knows which tables are committed and at what time. Overbooking stays under control, and you get a warning before you hand out a table that is already promised. A reservation guarantees a table at a set time; the waitlist orders everyone who turns up without one. Both live in the same floor dashboard.

Plattio works out the estimated wait from your restaurant's real occupancy, looking at which tables are taken and how long they have left. It recalculates as service goes on. If you would rather do the sums by hand, the Plattio guide publishes the full formula. There is a worked example for a 60-cover dining room.

A reservation guarantees a table at a set time; Plattio's waitlist orders the guests who turn up without one. It alerts them when their turn comes. The two don't compete. Most dining rooms run both at once, and in Plattio they share a dashboard without double-booking. The Plattio guide explains which one matters more, depending on the kind of venue.

Plattio records how every wait ends and turns it into real wait times, walk-offs and waitlist-to-table conversion. With those numbers you can tune the times you quote for each service. It all comes from your own venue.

There is no universal figure for how long a guest will wait for a table, which is why Plattio doesn't publish walk-off benchmarks. It depends on the kind of venue, the time of day and whether the guest knows how much longer it will be. It does publish the formulas, so you can measure your own.

Plattio's waitlist can be bought on its own: €29 a month paying the year up front or €36 a month with no commitment. It also comes included from the 360 Complete suite upwards. Alerts go out by WhatsApp, SMS or email. SMS and WhatsApp messages are charged per message on top. The 30-day trial doesn't include them.

Unlike a standalone queue app, Plattio's waitlist can see your reservations. If you have Reservations, it works on the same tables as the book and warns you before you offer one that is already committed. A standalone app takes names and sends alerts. It has no idea which tables you've got promised for 9.30 pm, and it keeps no record of how each wait ends.

To choose a waitlist app, look at six things. Sign-up by QR code, with nothing for the guest to install. Automatic alerts by WhatsApp, SMS or email, with the cost per message stated up front. An estimated wait that recalculates with real occupancy instead of a fixed figure. A link to your reservations if you take them, so you never hand out a committed table. A final status for every wait, plus metrics: conversion, walk-offs and quoted time against real time. And a clear price per venue, with a trial and no lock-in. Plattio's waitlist covers all six and, if you have Reservations, checks the queue against the book.

Yes, Plattio's waitlist is built to work in line with the GDPR. When guests sign up they give only the data the service needs: name, party size and a contact for the alert (phone number or email). That data is processed only to provide the service they ask for by joining the queue. That contact is there to let them know about the table, and marketing would need their separate consent. Your restaurant is the data controller and Plattio the processor, with a data processing agreement (DPA) available. Guests can exercise their rights of access, rectification and erasure at any time.

Your team runs the waitlist on Android and iOS phones and tablets, and on a computer with Plattio's desktop app. Guests install nothing: they scan the QR code at the door and sign up in their phone's browser.

We walk you through the initial setup on your real tables and the QR code at the door. After that, support handles your day-to-day questions. There is training when you start and it carries on as new questions come up. Before you start we check that your devices are compatible. We do not promise a deadline in days because it depends on your dining room and your team. Today the setup has no cost beyond your subscription.