Decision: when a guest asks for a reservation, what does Foodie do with it? Three modes — pick the one that matches your booking system.
The three modes
Mode 1 — Confirmation Needed
Foodie collects the reservation details (party size, time, date, contact info).
The request lands in your Inbox tagged "Reservation Request."
Your team reviews and confirms or declines manually.
Pick this if: you don't use OpenTable, Resy, or SevenRooms — or you do but want final control before anything is booked.
Mode 2 — Send a link by text
Foodie offers to text the guest your booking link.
Guest receives an SMS with the link, completes the booking themselves online.
Foodie steps out of the loop after the link is sent.
Pick this if: you use OpenTable, Resy, SevenRooms, or any custom booking link, and you'd rather guests self-serve than have Foodie do it for them.
Mode 3 — Integrated
Foodie is connected directly to your reservation platform.
Foodie checks live availability, books the table, and confirms with the guest — no human in the loop.
Confirmation text gets sent to the guest automatically.
Pick this if: you use one of our supported platforms (OpenTable, Resy, SevenRooms, Tock) and want full automation.
How they compare
Mode | Speed for guest | Staff workload | Reservation system needed |
Confirmation Needed | Slowest — they wait for you | Highest | None |
Send a link | Fast | Lowest | Any with a public link |
Integrated | Fastest | Lowest | OpenTable, Resy, SevenRooms, Tock |
Most venues we work with are on Integrated. The setup takes ~10 minutes once you grant us access.
What gets configured along with the mode
Maximum party size for automated booking. Above this, Foodie hands off to your group/events workflow — see Large parties & private events.
Lead time — how close to a reservation start time a new booking can be made.
Cutoff — how many minutes before closing reservations stop.
Grace period — how late guests can be before the booking is auto-cancelled.
Cancellation policy — what Foodie quotes when guests ask. "Please cancel on OpenTable at least 24 hours before your reservation" is typical.
Special requests prompt — should Foodie always ask "any special requests for your reservation?" Some venues like this; some find it slows the call.
Two traps to avoid
Dining areas in OpenTable. Most venues haven't fully configured dining areas in their OpenTable account. If yours hasn't, Integrated mode will book everything as "other," and Foodie won't be able to seat guests in the patio vs. main dining vs. bar correctly. We'll fix this for you during onboarding — just grant us Guest Center access.
Party-size limit mismatch. OpenTable max party size and Foodie's automated-booking limit need to agree. If OpenTable caps at 6 and you tell Foodie to auto-book up to 8, parties of 7–8 will fail at the OpenTable step and your guest will think you're full. Tabule learned this one the hard way.
How to change it later
Fully reversible. The mode is a single setting in the app. Your reservation history is unaffected.
Common questions
Can different times of day use different modes?
Not at the venue level, but you can use Call Transfer Hours to limit when Foodie attempts integrated bookings vs. handing off. Most venues find one mode works for the whole day.
What if OpenTable says no availability?
Foodie tells the guest, and (if you're set up for it) offers alternative times that are available, or alternative venues in your group via cross-sell. The guest never gets a generic "we're full" — they always get options.
Can Foodie collect deposits / credit-card holds?
Not directly through Foodie. If your reservation system requires a card hold, Foodie will text the guest a link to complete the booking themselves — effectively switching that one call to Mode 2 even if you're on Mode 3. This is by design; we'd rather not handle card numbers in voice.
Wizard decision_key: reservation-method