Waitlist
Quick answer - The waitlist helps hosts manage walk-ins when no table is ready. Add guests with party size and contact details, quote a realistic wait, notify them when a table is ready, then seat, remove, or mark them as no-response.
Use this guide when - Hosts, front-of-house staff, and managers during busy service.
Before you start - Make sure Tables, Reservations, and Restaurant settings are accurate. Wait times are only useful when table capacity and reservation durations are realistic.
When to use the waitlist
Use the waitlist when:
- A guest arrives without a booking.
- You cannot seat them immediately.
- You need to track who is waiting and in what order.
- You want to text guests when a table is ready.
- You need reporting on walk-away or no-response guests.
Do not use the waitlist for future bookings. Use Reservations for those.
What the queue shows
Each waitlist entry usually includes:
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Position | The guest’s place in the queue. |
| Name | The guest or party name. |
| Phone | Used for SMS notification where enabled. |
| Party size | How many seats are needed. |
| Quoted wait | The estimate staff gave the guest. |
| Time waiting | How long the guest has already waited. |
| Notes | High chair, allergy, accessibility, seating preference, or special context. |
| Status | Waiting, notified, seated, removed, or no-response. |
Add a guest to the waitlist
- Open Restaurant.
- Choose Waitlist.
- Choose Add to waitlist.
- Enter the guest name.
- Enter the guest phone number if you will send SMS.
- Enter the party size.
- Add the quoted wait time.
- Add notes such as high chair, allergy, accessible seating, or outdoor table.
- Choose Add.
Repeat the quote clearly to the guest. A realistic 35-minute quote is better than a hopeful 15-minute quote that becomes a complaint.
Estimate wait time
Use the system estimate as a guide, then apply floor judgement.
Consider:
- Current seated tables.
- Upcoming reservations.
- Average turn time.
- Party size.
- Kitchen pressure.
- Whether a matching table is close to finishing.
- Whether outdoor or bar seating is acceptable.
If estimates are always wrong, check table durations, staff status updates, and floor capacity.
Notify a guest
- Confirm a suitable table is nearly ready or ready.
- Open the waitlist entry.
- Choose Notify.
- Confirm the SMS or message if prompted.
- Mark the guest Notified if the system does not do it automatically.
Only notify when the restaurant can actually seat the guest soon. Notifying too early creates crowding at the host stand.
Seat a waitlist guest
- Open the guest’s waitlist entry.
- Choose Seat.
- Select the table.
- Confirm party size and notes.
- Save the seating action.
- Tell the server about important notes.
The entry may become a reservation or seated visit depending on your account setup.
Remove or mark no-response
Use removal reasons honestly:
- Guest left.
- Guest did not respond.
- Guest declined the table.
- Duplicate entry.
- Staff error.
Good removal reasons help managers understand whether quotes are too long, notifications are failing, or the host process needs adjustment.
Common mistakes
- Adding guests without phone numbers, then expecting SMS to work.
- Quoting wait times without checking upcoming reservations.
- Notifying guests before a table is actually close.
- Seating a waitlist party without updating the system.
- Forgetting to remove guests who leave.
- Treating all party sizes as equal when only certain tables are available.
If something goes wrong - Check Reservations, Tables, and Notifications and SMS.
Related articles - Restaurant settings, Guests, Restaurant dashboard and analytics.
Last updated: April 2026