How to take a table reservation

Restaurant table reservations are a separate flow from POS orders — they're commitments to a table at a future time, not active orders. This article walks through taking a reservation and converting it to an order when the guest arrives.

Step 1 — Enable on the POS Point

POS → POS Points → tableReservationsEnabled toggle. Off by default in some setups; on for restaurants and bars with seating that take advance bookings. Save.

Step 2 — Open the reservations view

From POS, switch to the table reservations tab (icon depends on layout — calendar or table-with-clock). The view shows tables on one axis and time slots on the other for the selected date. Existing reservations appear as colored blocks.

Step 3 — Create the reservation

1. Tap an empty time slot on a free table. A creation form opens.
2. Fill in: guest name, phone, party size, special requests (allergies, occasion). Optionally link to an existing client profile.
3. Confirm the time block (default 90-120 minutes for dinner, depending on POS Point setting).
4. Save. The slot now shows reserved with the guest name.

Step 4 — When the guest arrives

Tap the reserved slot, mark Arrived (or convert to active order — terminology varies by layout). The reservation flips into an open order on that table; from here, take the order normally — products, courses, payment. The reservation's link to the order is preserved so reports can attribute the visit back to the booking.

Common patterns

• Phone booking — guest calls; host opens the reservations view, finds an open slot, creates the reservation while on the call. Confirm by reading back the time, table, and party size.
• Hotel guest dinner booking — front desk takes the request, switches to the restaurant POS Point's reservations view, books. Link to the guest's stay reservation so the dinner appears in their itinerary.
• Walk-in awaiting table — for properties with a wait, create the reservation for the next available slot when a table opens, then convert. Tells later staff what's expected.
• Recurring weekly booking — VIP guest dines every Tuesday at the same table. Create one reservation per week (no recurring built-in); takes a minute to set up the next 4-6 weeks.