The problem
Sunday lunch bookings arrive by phone in the middle of Saturday night service, and Christmas party tables are held on a promise. If a food-led pub takes 200 table bookings a month at 4 minutes each by phone or message, that's 800 minutes, about 13.3 hours a month, much of it while the bar is busy.
What the AI does
resOS is commission-free table booking software for restaurants, cafés, bars and pubs. Its site says it takes bookings from your website and social media, manages tables for each service, and sends confirmations and reminders that ask guests to confirm. Deposits, prepayments and no-show fees need its Online payments add-on at €11.99 (about $13£10€12A$19C$19) a month; text messages cost €0.10 each and email is free. Set sitting times for Sunday lunch, put the booking link on your website and Facebook, and ask for a deposit on tables of 8 or more in December. Allergy notes on a booking go to the manager and kitchen, who speak to the guest and check your own allergen records.
A worked example
A food-led village pub in Hampshire serves about 200 booked tables a month, mostly Sunday lunch and Friday nights, and runs Christmas parties in its back room. The landlord puts the resOS link on the website and Facebook page.
Before
200 bookings x 4 minutes by phone or message = 800 minutes, about 13.3 hours a month
After
If half (100) book online at 30 seconds to check and 100 still phone at 4 minutes: 50 + 400 = 450 minutes, 7.5 hours a month
What it's worth
About $140£105€125A$202C$197 a month saved, against about $65£49€58A$94C$92 for resOS. That's 5.8 hours (800 minus 450 = 350 minutes) at an assumed $24£18€21A$35C$34 an hour; half booking online is an assumption. Basic is €45 (about $52£39€46A$75C$73) a month for up to 350 bookings, plus Online payments at €11.99 (about $13£10€12A$19C$19) for deposits; about 100 text reminders at €0.10 add €10 (about $12£9€11A$17C$17). Fewer no-shows at Christmas aren't counted.
How to set it up
- Start on the free plan to set up your tables, opening times and Sunday sittings, then move to Basic before you pass 25 bookings a month.
- Set sitting lengths from how long tables really take on a Sunday, and test a few bookings yourself.
- Add the Online payments add-on and ask for deposits only on large tables and party bookings, with clear terms.
- Turn on confirmations and reminders, and read them as a guest would.
- Make sure every allergy note on a booking reaches the manager and kitchen before service.
What goes wrong
- The free plan stops at 25 bookings a month; a busy pub needs Basic (350 a month) or Plus (750, €85 or about $97£73€87A$140C$137).
- Deposits need the Online payments add-on, and the pricing page doesn't give the card fees, so check them.
- Guest names and numbers are personal data under UK GDPR. Don't add bookers to what's-on emails without their consent.
- Keep some tables for walk-ins if your locals expect them; a fully booked pub on a Sunday can turn regulars away.