OpenTable Lets Diners Book Their Favorite Seat in the House

New Seating Options feature rolls out globally allowing diners to reserve a table on the patio, a seat at the bar and more;

Restaurants can expand reservation availability, while fulfilling diner preferences with alternate table types

LONDON – August 9, 2018 – OpenTable, the world’s leading provider of online restaurant reservations and part of Booking Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG), today announced the global rollout of Seating Options, a feature that allows diners to reserve a seat at the bar, counter, a table outside and more during the reservation process. Not only does the feature give diners the freedom to choose where they want to sit at the restaurant, even before they arrive, but it also increases restaurant availability during peak dining times.

Diners can now easily find restaurants around the globe offering various seating options and table types when searching for reservations across desktop and mobile web, as well as on the OpenTable iOS and Android apps. Alternative seating options are noted with a table icon on restaurant profile pages.

“With Seating Options, diners have the flexibility and freedom to make each dining experience exactly what they desire, whether it’s an awesome scene by the bar or a quiet spot outdoors”, said Joseph Essas, Chief Technology Officer at OpenTable. “It’s also a powerful tool for restaurants, who can now offer diners even more choice, while maximizing every seat in the house.”

Located within GuestCenter, OpenTable’s flagship restaurant management product, Seating Options allows participating restaurants to categorize tables on their floor plan as either standard, bar, high top, outdoor or counter. These alternate seats are typically empty despite being highly coveted. Aside from attracting diners who may be looking for a seat at the bar or on the patio, Seating Options allows restaurants to open up more seats, increase the number of reservations available and ultimately boost profit.

“We were receiving more and more requests to make a reservation at our bar,” said Celia Aleixo, General Manager at Roux, Pariliament Square. “Implementing the seating options feature enabled us to clearly differentiate between our dining tables and bar seating via OpenTable online and through the app at the time of reservation. This ensures that diners are able to personalise their visit to Roux at Parliament Square, making sure they secure the right table for a perfect dining experience.”

Seating Options is now available globally with nearly a third of restaurants on OpenTable already using the feature. For diners interested in learning more, visit the OpenTable blog. Restaurants can find out more on the Open for Business blog.