Finding the best restaurant reservation management system that meets your dining concepts needs can be daunting. With so many solutions and features out there, where do you start?
Often referred to as restaurant seating software, or table management systems, F&B reservation solutions can be loaded with features.
In this article, we’ll cover and compare the best restaurant reservation management systems. Particularly, Sevenrooms vs OpenTable vs Servme.
Read on to find what you’re looking for.
How to choose the best restaurant reservation system for your needs
Before we can compare solutions, let’s first help you identify what matters when comparing restaurant reservation management systems.
Booking and table management
This is the core feature of reservation software. It should support your needs of collecting bookings online and over the phone.
Online should cover your bookings via your restaurant website, social media especially Facebook and Instagram, and other online channels.
Reservation systems will provide you with a reservation widget to add to your website so you can collect reservation deposits and bookings.
The restaurant reservation system should make it easy for guests to make bookings and cancel them. It should also help you display your reservation, cancellation fees and your no-show policy.
As for table management, there are several features. The aim is to help you edit and maintain flexible table combinations, streamline seating management, and improve table turnover.
You need restaurant floor planning software that gives you multiple views of your concept’s seating areas. A powerful table management and floor planning software will include list view, floor plan view, and grid view. It should also show you your cover flow view.
Guest experience and communication
Guest experience management software is built-in in the top reservation management systems. It combines the power of a restaurant CRM to help you improve guest experiences.
Top features include creating guest profiles, sending automated notifications for guests including reservation reminders and cancellations, and personalized communication.
Features should also include feedback collection, mainly through automated guest surveys and reviews.
Operational efficiency and reporting
Look for a reservation system that provides you with a variety of integrations, including restaurant point-of-sale (POS) systems. These will help you with payment processing both online and in your venues and with reporting.
You can also benefit from POS reports and other POS features like identifying guests’ favorite dishes.
Other integrations to consider are booking integrations, telephone integrations, and payment integrations.
All of these integrations should provide you with relevant reports. Your reservation system should provide reporting features for other aspects besides payments.
For example, Servme’s restaurant reports include the daily sales report, the Top Clients List/Top Spenders, among others.
Cost and support
Lastly, you need to consider the cost of this reservation software and the availability of support. Spending a fortune without getting adequate support can result in reduced efficiency, slower operations, and an unclear work flow.
When comparing restaurant reservation management systems, make sure you review their pricing structures, offerings per plan, and the availability of support. This ensures they’re a good fit for your budget and current and future needs.
Compared: Servme vs Sevenrooms vs OpenTable
Now, let’s compare our top 3 contenders, Servme, Sevenrooms, and OpenTable.
We’ve divided the comparison into several sections. These are: reservation and table management, pricing, support and onboarding, marketing features, personalization, additional features, and product updates.
Servme vs Sevenrooms vs OpenTable: Reservation management
It’s no surprise that all 3 platforms come with powerful reservation management features. Servme, Sevenrooms, and OpenTable all offer reservation management, including online bookings, waitlist, and seating and table management.
For table management, all offer automatic table combinations, which means the software can show you which tables can be merged or combined without hurting the restaurant’s flow.
In Servme, you can also enter the number of guests and the software recommends the best seats for that group.
Servme vs Sevenrooms vs OpenTable: Pricing
Point of Comparison/ System | Servme | Sevenrooms | OpenTable |
Number of plans | 3 plans (Starter, Essential, and Advanced) | Tailored pricing, reportedly starts at $499 per month | 3 plans (Basic, Core, and Pro) |
Starter/Basic plan | $129/month | N/A | $149/month (excluding cover fees) |
Essential/Core plan | $199/month | N/A | $299/month |
Advanced plan | $299/month | N/A | $499/month |
Setup fee(s) | No setup fee. | One-time setup fee (value not shared via the website) | Not clarified via their website. |
Cover fees | No cover fees | No cover fees | $1.5 cover fee per booking via OpenTable’s dining network |
Multiple device accessibility | Accessible on Android, iOS (app & tablet) and Web. | Accessible on iOS and Web. | Accessible on Android, iOS and Web. |
Learn more about Servme’s pricing plans here.
Servme vs Sevenrooms vs OpenTable: Support
You cannot sign up for a restaurant reservation management system that doesn’t offer adequate support.
Support also covers setup fees (for new customers), availability, and team training.
Here’s a comparison of what type of support you can expect with Servme, Sevenrooms, and OpenTable.
Point of Comparison/ System | Servme | Sevenrooms | OpenTable |
Free setup | Yes | No | No |
Free data migration | Yes | No | No |
White glove onboarding | Yes | No | No |
Knowledge base | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Regular quarterly business reviews | Yes | No | No |
Customer support | Yes, dedicated account manager | Customer support is only available via email and appointment setting. | Yes |
Servme vs Sevenrooms vs OpenTable: Marketing features
Another important feature you’ll find in the top restaurant reservation systems like Servme, Sevenrooms, and OpenTable is marketing features.
Now, it’s easier to manage a large portion of your restaurant’s marketing strategy from within your reservation system.
Point of Comparison/ System | Servme | Sevenrooms | OpenTable |
Email marketing | Yes | Yes | Yes |
SMS marketing | Yes (all countries) | Yes (in select countries) | Yes (in select countries) |
WhatsApp Business | Yes | No | No |
Detailed reporting | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Customizable templates | Yes | Yes | No |
Servme vs Sevenrooms vs OpenTable: Personalization
Customers crave personalization and a modern restaurant reservation and table management system should offer personalization opportunities.
Consider having a personalized marketing strategy for your restaurant. Personalization can come in the form of personalized WhatsApp messages, restaurant email campaigns, or SMS.
Your restaurant management system’s CRM is where the personalization begins. Here are several points to consider when making your decision.
Point of Comparison/ System | Servme | Sevenrooms | OpenTable |
CRM & segmentation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Guest tags | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Automated guest surveys | Yes | Yes | Only in select plans |
Automated tags (automatically added based on attributes) | Yes | Yes | Only in select plans |
Servme vs Sevenrooms vs OpenTable: Integrations
Consider a reservation system that offers a wide range of integrations, from booking channels, like Tripadvisor and Zomato, to increase restaurant reservations, to a property management system (PMS) integration, to POS integrations, among others.
Here is a quick overview of integrations available in Servme, Sevenrooms, and OpenTable.
Point of Comparison | Servme | Sevenrooms | OpenTable |
Booking channels | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Direct Opera integration (for hotels) | Yes | No | No |
Telephone integration | Yes | No | No |
API Integration | Yes | No | No |
POS integrations | Yes | Yes | Yes |
For booking channels, Servme integrates with Tripadvisor, Zomato, social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, the Michelin Guide, Afternoontea in the UK, Reserve with Google, among others.
Servme vs Sevenrooms vs OpenTable: Product updates
There’s no point in using a reservation system that doesn’t grow with you or support your needs as your dining concept grows.
One of the top reasons restaurants and F&B concepts enjoy using Servme is because they see their product requests come to life.
One client told us over a call: “We feel like we’re part of the development team. Whenever we make a request, the support team shares it with the tech team who gets back to us with ‘this is possible and this isn’t.’ And we’ve seen new features implemented based on our requests.”
Some of the top product features Servme has developed and released based customer requests include:
Manager’s Notes (mainly used by hotel dining concepts)
Top Clients Report (Enhanced)
Guest Live Spending
Besides customer requests, Servme is constantly adding new features that increase personalization, loyalty, and guest retention. Our most recent releases include:
Servme’s iPad app
WhatsApp Business for restaurants integration
WhatsApp marketing templates for restaurants
Further reading: The Starter’s Guide to WhatsApp Business for Restaurants
The bottom line
Choosing the right restaurant reservation management is pivotal for efficiency, guest satisfaction, and ultimately, your brand’s growth.
The ideal restaurant reservation management system depends on your specific needs and priorities.
While Sevenrooms and OpenTable offer valuable tools, Servme distinguishes itself with a suite of features, particularly excelling in customer support, reservation software, and personalized marketing features. Not to mention seating management and guest retention.
For restaurants seeking a solution that not only manages bookings seamlessly but also empowers targeted marketing, fosters deeper guest relationships, and provides dedicated support, Servme emerges as a compelling choice.
Ready to experience the difference? Book a personalized demo with Servme today and discover how we can elevate your restaurant's success.
Mohammed Rafy
Operations
