How Dick’s Last Resort improved the wait for guests
Dick’s Last Resort is a bar & restaurant chain known for its intentionally rude and surly wait staff. With 10 locations in popular tourist destinations across the U.S., the brand attracts a large audience of out-of-town visitors looking for a fun and unique dining experience.
Given its first-come, first-serve dining concept, they run a long wait at most of its restaurants. With extensive waits out the front door, busy phone lines, and a confusing booking platform known for reservations, customers were often forced to find alternative dining options. The Dick’s Last Resort team needed a way to improve FOH efficiency, restaurant seating, and the waiting experience for both their guests and staff.
I knew Yelp was a better fit for our brand and would help drive a much bigger diner audience to our restaurants. The system is extremely user-friendly for our customers and staff – everyone seems to be enjoying it and I’m a huge fan.
— Ali Swann, Sales Director
After Ali Swann, Sales Director, tried Yelp Waitlist at a nearby restaurant and had a positive experience, she decided to pilot it at their Panama City Beach, FL location in April. The restaurant immediately saw improved efficiency during peak hours, more efficient restaurant seating, and a positive response from guests. Visitors could now check-in on the waitlist from anywhere, wait where they wanted, and show up right on time when their table was ready. The days of standing outside the restaurant and asking the host for updates were long gone.
Two months later, Dick’s Last Resort ended their partnership with Resy and switched to Waitlist at six additional locations. They started using the Kiosk feature of Waitlist so diners could get in line even if they show up to the restaurant first. With the help of Yelp’s Customer Success team, they were able to smoothly transition systems and get all locations up and running quickly. With Yelp’s powerful analytics, the brand has been able to track tremendous growth in just a short amount of time and easily identify areas of opportunity.
In those two months, 55,000 diners joined the Yelp Waitlist. Almost 15,000 got in line before showing up to the restaurant, and 30,000 used Kiosk to get in line at the restaurant without talking to the host. When that many diners get to choose how they wait and staff gets to focus on hospitality, everyone wins. As Ali Swann said, “everyone seems to be enjoying” Yelp Waitlist.