Guides
Straight answers for the host stand
No filler, and nothing invented: pricing teardowns with sources, no-show policies that operators actually use, and the working math of a dining room. Where a fact matters, the link to its source is right there.
OpenTable Pricing: The Real Monthly Cost in 2026
OpenTable's list price is $149 to $499 a month, but the real bill is subscription plus cover fees plus a new 2% service fee. Sourced numbers, operator-reported bills, and a calculator for your own volumes.
How to Write a Restaurant No-Show Policy (With Templates)
The definitive guide to a no-show policy that actually works: the fee, the window, the card on file, the exact wording, and where to publish it. With copy-paste templates and a free generator.
July 2, 2026 · 8 min read
No-showsHow Much Should a Restaurant Charge for a No-Show Fee?
No-show fee benchmarks from documented operator reports and press: $10-25 a head casual, $50+ fine dining, and how to pick your number from your average check.
July 2, 2026 · 6 min read
No-showsHow to Reduce Restaurant No-Shows: What Actually Works
The practical no-show playbook, ranked by documented results: card holds, day-before reminders, deposits for big parties, calling at 15 minutes, and an honest waitlist.
July 2, 2026 · 7 min read
GuidesHow to Take Reservations Without OpenTable
The DIY-to-software ladder for taking reservations off OpenTable: phone and paper, Google Sheets, a booking page on your own site, and how to migrate your guest book out before your export window closes.
July 2, 2026 · 8 min read
PricingOpenTable's 2% Service Fee, Explained for Restaurants
Since January 2026, OpenTable adds a 2% service charge to no-show penalties, deposits and prepaid dining booked through its platform. What it covers, what it costs on real policies, and the options.
July 2, 2026 · 6 min read
No-showsCredit Card Holds for Reservations: How They Work
What a card hold actually is, how Stripe-style holds work behind the scenes, the disclosure rules that make a no-show fee chargeable, and who takes a cut on each platform.
July 2, 2026 · 7 min read
No-showsReservation Deposit vs Card Hold: Which Should Your Restaurant Use?
Deposits take money now and apply it to the bill; card holds charge only if the guest breaks the policy. When each wins, what operators report, and the fee structures to watch.
July 2, 2026 · 6 min read
TemplatesRestaurant Reservation Templates: Sheets, Emails, Policies and Scripts
Every template a host stand needs, free: the printable reservation sheet, the Sheets/Excel build, the confirmation email pack, SMS reminders, policy wording and the phone script, with guidance on using each.
July 2, 2026 · 6 min read
No-showsIs It Legal to Charge a No-Show Fee at a Restaurant?
The general legal principles behind restaurant no-show fees: disclosure, card authorization, reasonableness and chargebacks. Not legal advice; rules vary by state and country, check local law.
July 2, 2026 · 6 min read
OperationsWalk-Ins vs Reservations: Finding Your Restaurant's Balance
How to decide what share of your floor to book and what to hold for the door: the trade-offs, the mechanics (book-and-release, pacing, the waitlist), and how to find your ratio from your own numbers.
July 2, 2026 · 7 min read
OperationsThe Restaurant Waitlist Guide: Paper, Apps and Honest Quotes
How to run a waitlist that seats more covers: the paper version done right, when a waitlist app earns its keep, an honest look at the tools (including rivals), and the quoting craft.
July 2, 2026 · 7 min read
Prefer doing to reading? The free tools run the numbers and the templates have the wording, no email wall on either.
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