Reservations

The reservation book is where the host keeps the day: who is coming, when, how many, at which table, what they are celebrating and what they must not eat. Open Restaurant, Café & Bar › Table Reservations & Waitlist from the menu (/reservations; the page is headed Reservations — table bookings only, not room reservations or spa appointments). It opens on today for your branch. Bookings made by phone, at the door and on your website all land here, and the floor plan, the till and the kitchen see the same guest, table, allergies and notes.

The screens in this manual are the demo business, Jupita Restaurant Demo, at its Kampala — Kololo branch on Friday 2 October 2026. The demo has no separate host login, so the pictures show a waiter (Brian) and the supervisor (Sam) doing the host’s work. A host does exactly the same: the Host role has the same reservation permissions.

Who can do what:

Read the day’s bookings

Purpose

See at a glance who is coming today, how many covers to expect, which guests are VIPs or celebrating, which deposits are paid, and who is waiting for a table — so the floor is ready before the guests arrive.

Role / permission required

Anyone with reservations.view: hosts, waiters, cashiers, supervisors, managers. The buttons that change bookings need reservations.manage.

Prerequisites

• You are signed in at your branch (see Sign in). The page shows the branch in the top bar; a manager with more than one branch changes it there.

Steps

1. Open Restaurant, Café & Bar › Table Reservations & Waitlist from the menu. The page opens on today.
2. To see another day, use the date box (1), the arrows Previous day and Next day beside it, or Today to come back.
3. Choose how to look at the day (2):
   • Day — every booking in time order, one row each.
   • Tables — one line per table with its bookings on a time scale.
   • Month — bookings and covers for every day of the month.
4. Read the figures at the top (3): Bookings, Covers, VIP, Celebrations, Deposits held and No-shows for the day.
5. Read a booking row (4): the time, the guest, markers for VIP, birthday, anniversary and allergies (red), then the booking number, the number of guests, the table, the occasion and the preferences. On the right: the deposit and the status (Pending, Confirmed, Arrived, Seated, No-show, Cancelled). Tap the row to open the booking.
6. Look at the Waitlist on the right (5): parties waiting now, how long they have waited, and what you told them. Over quote in red means they have waited longer than you said.
7. Tap Tables to check the tables. Only tables with bookings are shown; switch All tables on (1) to see the empty ones too. Each block (2) is a booking: tap it to open it.
8. Tap Month to see the busy days. Tap a day (1) to open it in the Day view.

Expected result

You see the day’s list. In the demo on Friday 2 October: Brian Okello at 14:00 (4 guests, Patio 4, booked online), Aisha Nakato’s birthday dinner at 14:30 (VIP, 8 guests in VIP 1, peanut allergy, deposit paid), Sarah Namukasa’s anniversary at 15:00, the Lakeview Tours group at 15:30 with a deposit of USh 150,000 still due, and Daniel Mugisha at 16:00 with no table yet. Parties waiting, such as Esther (2) and Mark & friends (5), are on the waitlist. Bookings that are over — seated, completed, no-show, cancelled — stay on the list, greyed. Changes made by another host appear by themselves.

Screenshot

Common mistakes

• Reading tomorrow’s page as today’s. The date box keeps the day you chose. Check the long date beside it (Friday 2 October 2026) or tap Today.
• Looking for a waiting party in the day list. Walk-ins who are waiting are only in the Waitlist; they join the day list when you seat or remove them.
• Missing an allergy. The red marker is on the row, in the booking, on the order and on the kitchen ticket. Read it aloud when you seat the table.

Troubleshooting

• “No bookings for this day”. There are none for this branch on that date. Check the branch in the top bar and the date.
• A table I expect is missing in Tables. It has no booking that day. Switch All tables on.
• The buttons New booking and Walk-in are missing. Your role can only view the book (reservations.view). Ask a supervisor.

FAQ

What makes a table show as reserved on the floor plan? About 45 minutes before a booking, its table is held for it on the floor plan (see Read the floor plan). You can still seat a walk-in there if you choose to.

Can I see bookings when the internet is down? Yes: the offline till shows today’s bookings and the waitlist as they were at the last sync (see Sell while the internet is down).

Take a new booking

Purpose

Put a guest’s booking in the book — by phone, by e-mail or at the door — with a table that is free and big enough, so the evening is planned and the table is held for them.

Role / permission required

Hosts, waiters, cashiers, supervisors and managers — anyone with reservations.manage. The pictures show Brian, a waiter.

Prerequisites

• The guest has told you the day, the time and how many they are.
• Their name and phone number (a phone number finds them again next time).

Steps

1. On Table Reservations & Waitlist, tap New booking.
2. If the guest has been before, tap Find customer (1), search by name, phone or code and tap them: their name, phone, VIP flag and allergies fill in. Otherwise type the Guest name (2) and Phone.
3. Set the Date and the Arrival time (3). The time box may show 7:00 PM for 19:00.
4. Type the number of Guests. Duration (min) is how long they keep the table (90 minutes unless you change it).
5. Choose the Table (4). The list only offers tables that are free at that time and big enough, smallest first. Leave No table yet if you will choose later.
6. Choose the Occasion (Birthday, Anniversary, Business, Date night, Celebration, Other).
7. Add Allergies and Preferences: type one, press Enter, type the next. Write anything else the team must know in Notes.
8. If you ask for a deposit, type it in Deposit required (5). You take the money later (see Take a deposit).
9. Check Source (Phone, In person, E-mail, Online) and VIP. Leave Confirmed on; switch it off if the guest still has to confirm. Leave Save as customer on to create a customer profile from the name and phone.
10. Tap Book (6).

Expected result

The message BKG-KLA-… booked appears and the page moves to the booking’s day. The new row shows 19:00, Joseph Ssali with the birthday and gluten markers, 4 guests · Patio 2 · Birthday, Deposit due USh 50,000 and Confirmed. Patio 2 is now held for him from 19:00 for 90 minutes.

Screenshot

Common mistakes

• Typing a known guest as new. Their visits, no-shows, points and allergies are on their profile only if you link it. Always try Find customer first, or type their phone: a booking with the phone of an existing customer is linked to them.
• Forgetting the allergies. What you type in Allergies goes on the order and the kitchen ticket when they are seated.
• Booking a small table for a big party “to fix later”. The table is refused if it is too small. Choose a bigger one, or push tables together and use Book anyway (see Troubleshooting).

Troubleshooting

• “Patio 2 is booked at that time (BKG-KLA-… …)”. Another booking overlaps. Choose another table or time. If you know better (the first party leaves early), tap Book anyway.
• “VIP 2 seats 8; the party is 10.” The table is too small. Choose a bigger table, or tap Book anyway if you will add chairs.
• The Table list is empty. No table is free and big enough at that time. Try another time, or leave No table yet.
• Book stays grey. Type a guest name (or pick a customer) and the number of guests.

FAQ

Can guests book online? Yes, when online booking is on for your branch (see Set up online bookings). Online bookings appear here with the source Online.

How do I take a party of 20? Book it without a table, or on the biggest table with Book anyway, and write the layout in Notes. For private functions use Book a venue.

Take a deposit for a booking

Purpose

Take money in advance for a large party or a busy night, so a no-show does not leave you with an empty table and food already prepared. The deposit is kept as credit for the guest and taken off their bill.

Role / permission required

Anyone with reservations.manage who can take a payment: hosts, waiters, cashiers, supervisors, managers.

Prerequisites

• The booking exists (see Take a new booking), and is pending, confirmed or arrived.
• For cash, your till is open (see Open the till). Mobile money and card need the transaction reference.

Steps

1. Open the booking’s day on Table Reservations & Waitlist and tap the booking.
2. Read the Deposit line (1): required · paid USh 0 of USh 100,000.
3. Tap Take deposit (2).
4. Check the Amount (1). It shows what is still due; change it if the guest pays part now.
5. Choose how they paid in Paid with (2), for example Mobile money (manual).
6. Type the transaction number in Reference (3).
7. Tap Take payment (4).

Expected result

The message Deposit recorded appears. The Deposit line reads paid · paid USh 100,000 of USh 100,000, the day list shows Deposit paid, and Deposits held at the top of the day includes it. The money is recorded in the day’s takings; a cash deposit is a cash-in in your drawer.

Screenshot

Common mistakes

• Taking the deposit as a sale at the till. A deposit rung up as an order is not linked to the booking and is not taken off the bill. Always use Take deposit on the booking.
• Choosing Cash for a mobile money payment. The drawer is then over at the cash-up. Choose the method the guest really used.
• No reference for mobile money. Without it nobody can match the payment to the statement.

Troubleshooting

• “Open a till to take cash.” Cash goes into a drawer. Open your till, or take the deposit by another method.
• Take deposit is missing. The booking is seated, cancelled or a no-show, or you can only view the book.
• “Enter the deposit amount.” The amount is empty or 0.

FAQ

How is the deposit used on the night? It is kept as customer credit for the guest. At Pay, choose Customer credit and use the credit code shown on the guest’s profile (Gift cards & credit) or in the till’s customer panel (see Attach a customer).

Can a guest pay the deposit in two parts? Yes: take the first part, then Take deposit again for the rest.

Seat an arriving booking

Purpose

Welcome the party, give them their table and open their order on it — with their name, allergies, occasion and notes already there — so the waiter starts service straight away.

Role / permission required

Hosts, waiters, supervisors and managers — reservations.manage. The pictures show Sam, the supervisor.

Prerequisites

• The booking is on today’s list, pending, confirmed or arrived.
• The table is free (nobody is still eating at it).

Steps

1. On Table Reservations & Waitlist, tap the booking.
2. Check the guests, the table, the preferences, the allergies and the notes.
3. If the party is here but not ready to sit (waiting at the bar), tap Arrived (1). The booking shows Arrived.
4. When they are ready, tap Seat (2).
5. The Table (1) shows their booked table. Choose another if you need to; occupied tables cannot be chosen.
6. Tap Seat (2).

Expected result

The message Kiggundu family seated — order ORD-KLA-… opened appears (1) and the booking shows Seated with Seated — the order is on the table at the till. (2). The table is occupied on the floor plan with a dine-in order for 4 guests, carrying the booking number, the guest’s name and phone, the allergies, the occasion, VIP and your notes. The waiter carries on at the till (see Start a table order). When the bill is paid, the booking is completed and counts as a visit on the guest’s profile.

Screenshot

Common mistakes

• Opening a table order on the till instead of seating the booking. The booking then stays confirmed, turns into a no-show after its time, and the guest’s allergies and notes are not on the order. Always seat from the booking.
• Seating at a different table without choosing it. Change the Table in the Seat dialog, so the floor plan and the booking agree.

Troubleshooting

• “Roof 1 is occupied.” Someone is still on that table. Choose another table, or wait until the bill is paid and the table is cleared.
• “Choose a table to seat the party.” The booking had no table. Pick one in Table.
• “The reservation is no-show.” The booking was marked a no-show (by someone, or automatically 30 minutes after its time). Seat the party as a walk-in (see Walk-ins and the waitlist).

FAQ

Can I seat a booking while the internet is down? Yes: on the offline till, Bookings lists today’s bookings; Seat opens the order on the table, and the booking is marked seated when the till syncs.

Where is the deposit? It is on the guest as customer credit. At the end of the meal choose Customer credit at Pay (see Take a deposit).

Walk-ins and the waitlist

Purpose

Look after guests who come without a booking: seat them at once when a table is free, or put them on the waitlist with an honest wait time and seat them in turn — so nobody is forgotten at the door and every cover is counted. When a party gives up waiting, take them off the list with the reason.

Role / permission required

Hosts, waiters, supervisors and managers — reservations.manage.

Prerequisites

• You are on Table Reservations & Waitlist for today.

Steps

To put a party on the waitlist:

1. In Waitlist, tap Add.
2. Type the Name (1), the Phone (so you can call them) and the number of Guests (2).
3. Type the wait you told them in Quoted wait (min) (3), and any wish in Notes.
4. Tap Add (4). The party joins the end of the list (1) with how long they have waited so far, their own Seat button (2) and Remove (3).

When a table frees up:

5. Tap Seat beside the party.
6. Choose the Table (1) and tap Seat (2).

When a party leaves, or phones to cancel, before you seat them:

7. Tap Remove beside the party.
8. In What happened (1), choose Left without being seated or Cancelled by the guest.
9. If you like, type a Note (optional) (2), such as why they left.
10. Tap Remove (3).

When a party walks in and a table is free now:

11. Tap Walk-in at the top of the page.
12. Choose the Table (1), type the Guests (2) and, if you like, their Name (optional) (3).
13. Tap Seat (4).

Expected result

After Add: Okot party added to the waitlist, and the list shows 3 guests · waiting 0 min (quoted 15). Over quote appears when they wait longer than you said. After Seat: Okot party seated — order ORD-KLA-… opened; they leave the waitlist and appear on the day list as seated. After Remove: Nambi party removed from the waitlist; the party leaves the list and stays in the book as Cancelled, with what happened and your note as the reason. After Walk-in: Walk-in seated — order ORD-KLA-… opened. In both cases the order is open on the table for the waiter, and the covers count in the day’s figures.

Screenshot

Common mistakes

• Opening a table order on the till for a walk-in. It works for the sale, but the visit and the covers are not in the reservation book. Use Walk-in so the day’s covers are complete.
• Quoting a short wait to keep the guest. They see the clock too. The red Over quote is your reminder to go and talk to them.
• Seating the next party instead of the first. The list is in order of arrival: number 1 has waited longest.

Troubleshooting

• Add stays grey. Type a name and the number of guests.
• The table I want is not in the list. Occupied tables cannot be chosen for a walk-in; tables held for a booking show held. Choose another, or ask the table to settle.
• A party left without being seated. Tap Remove and choose Left without being seated. If nobody removes them, their line leaves the list by itself 12 hours after they were added.
• There is no Remove or Seat button. You can see the list but not change it: you need reservations.manage.
• I removed the wrong party. A removed party cannot be put back on the list. Add them again with Add; they join the end of the list.

Mark a no-show

Purpose

Record that a booked party did not come, so the table is free for others and the guest’s history shows it — the next time they book, the host sees their no-shows and can ask for a deposit.

Role / permission required

Hosts, waiters, supervisors and managers — reservations.manage. Keeping the deposit of a no-show also needs reservations.deposits (managers).

Prerequisites

• The booking is pending or confirmed, and the guest has not come.
• You tried to call them (the phone is on the booking).

Steps

1. On Table Reservations & Waitlist, tap the booking.
2. Read the guest’s history under Customer (1): visits, no-shows and points.
3. Tap No-show (2).
4. If a deposit was paid and you are a manager, choose whether to keep it with Forfeit the deposit.
5. Tap No-show in the dialog.

Expected result

The message Marked no-show appears. The booking shows No-show (1), the guest’s no-show count goes up by one (2), and No-shows at the top of the day goes up. The table is free again. A paid deposit stays on the guest for a manager to refund or forfeit, unless you forfeited it now.

Screenshot

Common mistakes

• Marking a no-show for a guest who called to cancel. That is a cancellation, not a no-show: use Cancel with the reason (see Change or cancel a booking), so their history stays fair.
• Marking too early. Guests are often late. The system does it for you 30 minutes after the booking time if nobody has arrived.

Troubleshooting

• No-show is missing. The booking has arrived, is seated or cancelled, or it is already a no-show (the automatic run may have marked it).
• The guest turns up after all. A no-show cannot be seated. Seat them as a walk-in (see Walk-ins and the waitlist).
• Forfeit the deposit is not offered. Only managers with reservations.deposits see it, and only when a deposit was paid.

Change or cancel a booking

Purpose

Keep the book true when plans change — a later time, more guests, another table — or when the guest cancels, so the table is free for someone else.

Role / permission required

Hosts, waiters, supervisors and managers — reservations.manage.

Prerequisites

• The booking is pending, confirmed, arrived or on the waitlist.

Steps

To change it:

1. On Table Reservations & Waitlist, open the booking’s day and tap the booking.
2. Tap Edit.
3. Change what changed: the Arrival time (1), the Guests (2), the Table, the Duration (min), the notes or the deposit asked for.
4. Tap Save (3).

To cancel it:

5. Tap the booking, then Cancel.
6. Type why in Reason (1).
7. Tap Cancel booking (2).

Expected result

After Save: BKG-KLA-… updated and the booking shows the new time and party. After Cancel booking: the booking shows Cancelled with your reason, it is greyed on the day list, and its table is free.

Screenshot

Common mistakes

• Making a second booking instead of editing. The guest then has two bookings and one becomes a no-show on their record. Edit the one you have.
• Cancelling a booking with a paid deposit and forgetting the money. Cancelling does not refund it: a manager refunds or forfeits it (see Refund or forfeit a deposit).

Troubleshooting

• “Someone else changed this reservation. Reload.” Another host saved it at the same time. Close the dialog, reload the page and edit again.
• “Why is it cancelled?” Type a reason of at least three letters.
• The new time is refused: “… is booked at that time”. The table is taken then. Choose another table, or Book anyway if you know better.

Refund or forfeit a deposit

Purpose

Decide what happens to a deposit when plans change: give it back to a guest who cancelled in good time, or keep it when a party did not come.

Role / permission required

Branch or restaurant manager, general manager or owner — reservations.deposits. The pictures show Moses, the branch manager.

Prerequisites

• The booking has a paid deposit (see Take a deposit).
• To pay it back in cash, your till is open (see Open the till).

Steps

1. On Table Reservations & Waitlist, open the booking’s day and tap the booking. The Deposit line (1) says paid.
2. To give the money back, tap Refund deposit (2). To keep it, tap Forfeit deposit (3), type the Reason and tap Forfeit.
3. In Refund deposit, leave Pay back in cash from the till on (1) to take the cash out of your drawer, or switch it off when you pay back another way (mobile money, bank).
4. Write how you paid it back in Note (2).
5. Tap Refund (3).

Expected result

The message Deposit refunded appears and the deposit line reads refunded · paid USh 150,000 of USh 150,000. A cash refund is a cash-out from your drawer. A forfeited deposit reads forfeited and is recorded in the accounts as kept. The booking itself is not changed: cancel it if the guest is not coming.

Screenshot

Common mistakes

• Refunding in cash from the till after paying back by mobile money. The drawer is then short. Switch Pay back in cash from the till off when the money went back another way.
• Refunding part of a deposit the guest already spent. Only what is left on the credit is refunded or forfeited.

Troubleshooting

• “Open a till to refund cash.” No till is open in your name. Open one, or switch the cash option off.
• “There is no deposit held on this reservation.” It was already refunded, forfeited or spent.
• The buttons are missing. Only reservations.deposits shows them, and only while the deposit is paid.

Set up online bookings

Purpose

Let guests book a table from your website, branch by branch, and know the rules the book follows — how long a booking keeps a table, when a table is held and when a late booking becomes a no-show.

Role / permission required

General manager or owner — storefront.manage. The pictures show Grace, the owner.

Prerequisites

• Your storefront exists (see Set up the storefront).
• The branch’s tables and seats are set up (see Design the floor plan).

Steps

1. Open Storefront from the sidebar. It opens on General.
2. Under Features, tick Reservations (1). This adds Book a table to your website.
3. Tap Save (2).
4. Open the Locations tab.
5. Tick Bookings (1) for each branch that takes online bookings.
6. Choose the Online hours (2): Branch opening hours or Round the clock. Online bookings must fall inside these hours.
7. Tap Save locations (3).

Expected result

Locations saved appears. Your website shows Book a table for the branches you ticked, and online bookings arrive in Table Reservations & Waitlist with the source Online. In the demo, both Kampala — Kololo (round the clock) and Entebbe — Lakeside (branch opening hours) take bookings.

Screenshot

Common mistakes

• Ticking Bookings but not the Reservations feature. Both are needed: the feature switches the page on, the location says which branch takes bookings.
• Taking bookings online for a branch whose tables are not set up. Guests can then book without a table; set up the floor first.

Troubleshooting

• The Storefront page is read-only. You can look but not change it without storefront.manage.
• Guests say they cannot book a time. The time is outside the location’s online hours, or no table is free for their party then.

FAQ

What rules does the book follow? Each business starts with these: a booking keeps its table for 90 minutes unless you change the Duration (min); its table is held on the floor plan 45 minutes before the booking; a booking nobody has arrived for is marked a no-show 30 minutes after its time; and the deposit of an automatic no-show is kept for a manager to decide, not forfeited. There is no screen to change these rules; they are stored as settings of the business or the branch.

Can I stop online bookings for one evening? Untick Bookings for the branch and tap Save locations; tick it again the next day.