It has been a while ago since I last touched the theme of Restaurant reservation systems.
New York Times runs a story about the success of OpenTable, which wasn’t exactly an overnight success. The thing that pushed OpenTable over the edge toward acceptance wasn’t so much the public-facing business —let your customers make reservations online— but the software that the restaurants were provided to keep better track of their customers and their habits. It used to be a big deal that Four Seasons Hotels tracked the preferences of all their customers but now any restaurant with the OT system can easily do the same.
Doug Washington, a co-owner of Town Hall, said the notes were not just helpful, they are occasionally indispensable. Next to the name of one regular, who has a habit of bringing in women he is not married to, is an instruction to make sure the man’s wife has not booked a separate table for the same day.
One Response to NY Times on the rise of OpenTable
Timo Kaleva July 20, 2007
Here comes the big brother again.
I hope that Doug mentioned in the article simply doesn’t know what he is talking about. I can understand if some statistics are collected, e.g. favorite table, food, drink and so forth. But companions? Too far.