---
title: "Table reservations"
description: "Customers pick a business and book a table. The reservation reaches the restaurant in the Merchant dashboard, and they can order ahead."
canonical: https://www.ordering.co/features/table-reservations/
---

Table reservations

# Give a table reservation a place in the ordering flow.

Customers can choose a business, reserve a table, and—when they want to—place an order for their visit in the same storefront flow.

[Talk to Ordering.co](https://www.ordering.co/contact/)[See the two paths](#two-paths)

Choose a visit

Reserve a table

Prepare ahead when an order is attached

One customer journey, with a reservation-only or reservation-and-order choice.

Choose the visit

## Keep a simple booking simple. Add an order only when it helps the visit.

Both paths begin where customers already browse the business. The difference is whether the kitchen receives an order before the guest arrives.

01

### Reserve a table

A customer selects the business and reserves a table for the visit.

02

### Reserve and order

A customer books the table and places an order in the same flow, giving the kitchen an order to prepare against that reservation.

For the restaurant team

## Bring the reservation into the places where orders are already handled.

Reservations reach the restaurant in the Ordering Merchant dashboard and the business app. An order attached to a reservation is visible before the customer arrives.

1. 01**Reservation arrives**

   The restaurant receives the reservation alongside the operating tools named in the feature source.

2. 02**Order context is visible**

   When the customer pre-orders, the restaurant can see that order before the table is occupied.

3. 03**Service starts prepared**

   The kitchen can prepare against the reservation instead of starting the order when guests sit down.

Plan the operating rules

## Make the booking experience fit the way your restaurant actually serves guests.

- Guest and table policy

  Decide which party sizes and reservation windows make sense for the floor and service model.

- Restaurant workflow

  Define how the team will review reservations and coordinate an order that arrives before the visit.

- Pre-order experience

  Choose when a reservation-only visit is appropriate and when guests should be able to order ahead.

## Design the reservation flow around your service.

Talk through the customer journey and the restaurant workflow you want to support.

Product guide: [Services and reservations](https://docs.ordering.co/docs/products/customer-app/browse/services-reservations/)

[Talk to Ordering.co](https://www.ordering.co/contact/)[Explore features](https://www.ordering.co/features/all-features/)