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Restaurant booking form: what to ask guests and what to leave out

· 5 min read

A waiter taking an order from two guests at a table

A restaurant booking form has one job: to turn a guest who wants a table into a booking before they change their mind. Most guests book on a phone, often while agreeing on the evening with the people they are going with. Every field that is not needed gives them a reason to close the page and try the next place.

This post is about the form itself. Which system to run it on is covered in our post on choosing a table booking system.

What to ask

In this order:

  1. Party size. It goes first because it decides which times exist. A guest who picks Saturday at 20:00 and only then enters six people may find that the time is not available for six.
  2. Date and time. Show only the times when a suitable table is free, instead of a full list that ends in an error message.
  3. Name. One field is enough. Separate boxes for first and last name are one more thing to type on a phone.
  4. Phone and email. The email carries the confirmation and the reminder. The phone is for changes on the day, such as a terrace closed because of rain or a guest stuck in traffic.
  5. A note, optional. "Nut allergy", "birthday", "high chair", "we are bringing a dog". One box, clearly marked as optional.

That is everything a booking needs. Anything else can wait for the confirmation or a phone call.

What to leave out

  • Creating an account. Nobody wants a password for a dinner reservation, and you can confirm and remind without one.
  • Required seating choices. If you cannot promise the terrace or the window table, do not make guests choose. Let them mention it in the note and do your best.
  • Address, date of birth, "how did you hear about us". These are useful to you and tedious for the guest.
  • A newsletter box that is already ticked. Under GDPR, consent to marketing has to be a separate choice the guest makes. Leave the box unticked, or leave it out.
  • Card details for an ordinary table for two. On a normal weeknight it costs you more guests than it saves in no-shows.

How long the table is theirs

Two numbers matter to guests. Put them on the form or in the confirmation:

  • The length of the visit. If a table is booked for two hours because another booking follows, say so: "Your table is reserved for 2 hours." Guests accept it easily when they know in advance, and much less easily when they are asked to leave over dessert.
  • How long you hold the table for late guests. Fifteen minutes is the most common rule. After that the table may go to someone at the door. One line in the confirmation saves an argument.

Large groups

A form that accepts any number will one day accept 14 people for Friday at 19:30. Set a maximum party size for online bookings, usually the size of your largest table, and ask bigger groups to call. A large group often needs tables pushed together, a set menu or a deposit, and that is easier to agree on the phone.

Tables for walk-ins

If every table can be booked online, a busy Saturday can be full by Thursday, and regulars who drop in without booking get turned away. Keep one or two tables, often the ones at the bar or near the door, out of online booking. They stay in your plan for the evening and are simply not offered on the form.

Where to put the form

Guests look for a table in three places, and each of them should lead straight to the form:

  • Your website. A "Book a table" button on every page that opens the form itself rather than a contact page.
  • Google. Most guests find a restaurant through Google Search or Maps, and your Business Profile can carry a booking link.
  • Instagram. The link in your bio should open the form directly.

Use the same link in all three. Then every booking lands in one calendar, and nobody has to compare a notebook with a messaging app on a Friday night.

How it works in Termeva

Termeva has a separate mode for restaurants. You describe your tables and the number of seats at each. The guest chooses the party size, the date and the time, and the system assigns the smallest free table that fits. You set the usual length of a visit and the time needed to reset a table. Tables kept for walk-ins can be switched off for online booking, and groups larger than your tables are asked to call. Guests do not create an account. They get a confirmation email right away and a reminder the day before with a link to cancel. The menu, with sections, prices and photos, sits on the same website. More on the restaurant page.

Questions

What should a restaurant reservation form ask for?

Party size, date and time, the guest's name, a phone number and an email, plus an optional note for allergies or an occasion. Every field beyond that makes some guests give up before they press the button.

Should guests have to create an account to book a table?

No. A password step loses guests at the last moment, and a name with contact details is all you need to send a confirmation and a reminder.

How long should a restaurant hold a table for late guests?

Most restaurants hold a table for 15 minutes, and some allow 20 on quiet nights. Put the rule in the confirmation, so a guest who is running late knows to call.

How should a restaurant handle bookings for large groups?

Let the online form take groups that fit your largest table and ask anyone bigger to phone. Pushing tables together and agreeing on a set menu are easier in a conversation.

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