Reservations are small, events are not
A table for two on a Tuesday needs almost no handling. A birthday for twelve in the back room, with a set menu and a deposit conversation, needs plenty. Most restaurants run both through the same phone, which is how the big booking gets scribbled on a napkin.
Separating them online means each type of request arrives with the right details attached.
What the pages ask
With Centera, you set up a booking page per service. A restaurant might use three or four.
- Table reservation: party size, date and time, a notes field for high chairs, wheelchair access, or a birthday.
- Private dining or back room: head count, occasion, whether the guest wants a set menu, and a time window.
- Catering tasting: a short visit for a planner to taste before they commit, with a date for the event.
- Large pickup order: the date, pickup time, and a list of what the caller wants, so you are not guessing on the phone.
Each page blocks the right amount of time and syncs with your calendar, so a rehearsal dinner doesn't land on the night the room is already held.
Reminders, rescheduling, and the empty table
A no-show on a Saturday costs a table at the worst possible hour. After booking, the guest receives a confirmation with the date, party size, and a link to change or cancel. A reminder goes out ahead of time. People who can't make it are likelier to cancel than to ghost you, which lets you reseat the table.
Reschedule links also help with events. A planner who needs to move a tasting by a day does it themselves and you see the change right away.
A QR code at the host stand and on the door
Your QR code opens the booking page. Put one at the host stand for parties who want to come back, on the window for passersby after closing, and on the takeout bag for people who liked their dinner and will plan the next one. Add it to a menu insert so a guest can book a private room before leaving.
What it isn't
This is booking, not a full online ordering system. A cart, a menu with modifiers, and a checkout tied to your kitchen is custom work, and you can see how that goes on our custom work page. The booking page does what a good host does: asks the right questions and holds the right time.
If you want to see it with your own rooms and hours, the 15-minute review is where to start, and the free report shows how your restaurant looks online now.
Questions owners ask
Can I limit how many people book a night?
Yes. You set which times and party sizes each page offers, so you only take what the room can seat.
Can a guest book a private room online?
Yes, through its own page. You can have it ask for head count and occasion, and you confirm before the date is firm.
Does this take payments?
Payment links and invoices are part of Centera, so you can send one for a deposit on an event. How you handle deposits is up to you.