Yelp Guest Manager vs OpenTable: Restaurant reservation systems compared
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Yelp and OpenTable are two of the restaurant industry’s leading names. Both offer benefits that save time and boost sales for restaurant owners, like enhancing their restaurant’s online presence, helping to reduce cancellations and no-shows, and simplifying table management. Collectively, they seat millions of guests each year through both outside sources like Google search and Maps, as well as through their own extensive customer networks. The key difference being that while OpenTable’s network is built exclusively for users looking to book reservations, Yelp’s network is made up of millions of guests (64 million more than OpenTable, in fact1) looking to find new places to dine as well as review their favorites.
As well, the Yelp Guest Manager vs OpenTable conversation should take into account far more than just reservations. While OpenTable does provide a robust reservation platform, Yelp Guest Manager offers its customers much more than just guest management tools, providing a full front of house system that runs that gamut of restaurant operations and marketing. Even if your restaurant doesn’t take reservations, you’re likely to enjoy the many benefits that a front of house system provides to other areas of your business.
By understanding the similarities and differences in functionality, features, and price, restaurateurs can make an educated decision on whether they should choose Yelp Guest Manager vs OpenTable for their reservation system needs.
Yelp Guest Manager
Most people are familiar with Yelp as the world’s leading review site. In 2016, Yelp acquired restaurant reservation platform SeatMe, followed by waitlist management service NoWait, to create Yelp Guest Manager. Yelp quickly rose to compete directly with OpenTable in online restaurant reservations, similarly to how it competes with Tripadvisor and Booking Holdings as a review site.
Alongside FOH software, Yelp offers a suite of services to support businesses in the dining world. These offerings include online reservations, waitlist, Kiosk, Ads, and Connect, the latter of which is an innovative way for restaurants to communicate and share updates with new and existing customers.
Yelp Guest Manager benefits
Yelp Guest Manager offers the following features for restaurant owners:
- Access to the largest restaurant consumer network in the US2
- 64 million more consumers than OpenTable1
- Online restaurant reservations through Yelp.com, Google, Maps, and directly on the restaurant website via an easy-to-install booking widget
- Customizable floor plan for easy table management
- Free iPad included with every plan
- Waitlist management for high-traffic periods and Yelp Kiosk for guests to check in without the aid of a staff member
- Two-way messaging between staff and guests
- Easy-to-use interface with POS integration that lets staff manage everything with one iPad
- Takeout management for curbside and in-person pickup
- White glove customer service and support
Yelp Guest Manager also provides reporting and analytics for restaurateurs to collect valuable insight around occupancy and sales, so they can staff appropriately to meet demand as well as optimize their menu based on order volume.
Yelp Guest Manager pricing
Yelp Guest Manager starts at a flat rate range from $99 to $299, depending on the plan, with no setup fee and no cover fees. A flat rate will likely benefit most restaurant owners, as cover charges can add up fast when you’re charged for every online restaurant reservation. To learn more, schedule a time to chat with a representative at your convenience.
Right now, attract more guests and pay $0 for up to 60 days with Yelp Guest Manager.3
OpenTable
OpenTable is a restaurant reservation system working with restaurants worldwide. They offer a range of features that builds on their online restaurant reservations, covering waitlist management, POS integration and analytics, and a suite of services around marketing and operations for dine-in and takeout alike.
OpenTable benefits
OpenTable offers several benefits to restaurant owners, similar to the features on Yelp Guest Manager:
- Online restaurant reservations through OpenTable.com, Google, Maps, and via a booking widget
- Table management and waitlist management
- POS integration and payment integration
- Takeout support
- Shift management and reporting
- A smaller customer network focused on booking a table
OpenTable drawbacks
While OpenTable’s functionality provides restaurateurs with many features to manage reservations, waitlists, and other operations, the platform isn’t as conducive to restaurants building relationships with their customers online. And while Yelp analytics and consumer data aren’t part of the reservation platform itself, they’re a factor that can’t be overlooked when assessing the long-term goals of attracting new customers and boosting sales.
Another thing to consider about OpenTable is the price. While OpenTable offers a wide range of features, they have a tiered pricing structure that makes certain features more expensive. Getting everything you want at OpenTable may cost a hefty sum.
OpenTable pricing
OpenTable’s full reservation system starts at $149/mo + cover fees, and does not include iPads or other equipment (restaurant owners must supply those themselves).
In addition to the flat monthly fee, you pay a cover charge. Cover fees are $1-1.50 per reservation made on the OpenTable website and mobile app as well as all OpenTable partner sites, depending on which tier plan you’re on. Reservations made on the restaurant website using the booking widget are 25 cents each. During peak times, these cover fees can really add up!
Benefits of picking the right reservation system
Most restaurants stand to reap serious rewards by the right FOH system. Platforms like Yelp Guest Manager and OpenTable help local restaurants with a long list of tasks that would either be overwhelming for staff to handle with the same efficiency unattainable without the aid of technology. In either case, restaurant reservation systems undoubtedly justify their monthly fees.
Here are a few things that reservation systems like Yelp Guest Manager and OpenTable can do to boost business and save time:
- Allowing potential customers to make online restaurant reservations lets you bring in business while you sleep, instead of relying on staff to answer the phone.
- Reservation systems like Yelp Guest Manager, with large customer networks, put you in front of a large audience that may not otherwise have found you in a standard online search.
- Waitlist management tools allow last-minute customers to put down their names on a digital waitlist and get real-time status updates online. Messaging features allow for two-way direct communication between hosts and guests as well.
- Cancellations and no-shows are minimized with automated reservation confirmation requests.
- POS integration allows front of house systems like Yelp Guest Manager and OpenTable to double as a customer relationship management (CRM) system. Restaurateurs can use these integrations to collect customer order data and remember important occasions like birthdays and anniversaries. Plus, it can help distinguish dine-in and takeout business.
Yelp Guest Manager vs OpenTable: Who wins?
Both Yelp Guest Manager and OpenTable boast great features and functionality, saving restaurant owners tremendous amounts of time while reaching a broad potential customer base. Online restaurant reservations, waitlists, takeout assistance, POS integration, and so much more will allow restaurants to operate efficiently and boost business no matter which side they take in the Yelp vs OpenTable debate.
As far as value is concerned, Yelp Guest Manager is the clear choice for a restaurant front of house system. A flat fee with no cover charges keeps costs down, while the extensive Yelp customer network brings in old and new guests alike. Whether you’re starting your first restaurant or have already built up a culinary empire, get started with Yelp Guest Manager today.