OpenTable Introduces Owners and Managers iPhone App for GuestCenter

iPhone app and Apple Watch notifications allow restaurateurs to monitor business on the go

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Apr 26, 2017, 08:30 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, April 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- OpenTable, the world's leading provider of online restaurant reservations and part of The Priceline Group (NASDAQ: PCLN), is making it easier for restaurant owners and managers to keep a pulse on their business on the go, through its GuestCenter iPhone app and notifications to the Apple Watch.

The iPhone app enables restaurateurs to make informed business decisions whenever and wherever they are by providing them with data, insights and the tools needed to keep their operation running smoothly.

OpenTable's GuestCenter iPhone app allows restaurateurs to monitor business on the go.

Dustin Brashears, General Manager of Alta CA, explains how OpenTable's GuestCenter iPhone app gives him the flexibility and insight to make better decisions for his business.

"We understand that running a restaurant places round-the-clock demands on owners and managers, and for those that have more than one location these demands are multiplied," said Christa Quarles, CEO, OpenTable. "The GuestCenter iPhone app creates an additional connection between OpenTable and restaurant owners and managers by helping them to better understand and improve their business in a simple and flexible manner."

Initial data indicates the iPhone app is gaining traction fast with high user adoption and engagement. The app is opened on average nine times per day by each user and more than half engage with it daily.

"I'm the chef and owner of The Bellwether, so I'm very tied into the restaurant and often times running from one place to the next. With the iPhone app, I'm able to see where reservations are throughout the day, if we're going to be busy, whether we need to bring in someone else and when orders are dying down so we can alert our cooks. I literally check it 15 times a day," said Ted Hopson, Chef and Owner at The Bellwether.

The key benefits of the iPhone app include:

Business insights on the go. Understand how many diners have been seated, upcoming reservations numbers and when peak dining times are, all at a glance. Get valuable insights everyday as well as being able to monitor key dining holidays such as Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and New Year's Eve.
Ensure service is properly prepped. Know which tables are VIP, larger parties or which diners may be celebrating a special occasion. Ensure the front of house team are prepared for any changes to service that may be needed to ensure great hospitality for special diners or for key annual dining dates.
Manage reservations and guest book. Make new reservations, review guest notes or details and update the status of diners on the move.
Notifications to the Apple Watch. Be alerted when a VIP has been seated, a reservation has been amended or cancelled and when new bookings are made.

The iPhone app is the latest GuestCenter innovation. GuestCenter is OpenTable's flagship cloud-based hospitality product for restaurants worldwide, available on iPad and web. GuestCenter has been designed and custom-built from the ground up to help restaurants optimize their service and benefit from data-driven insights to ensure their restaurant runs as efficiently as possible. The unique technical architecture of the product ensures its reliability as well as enabling the rapid delivery of new features and upgrades.

GuestCenter integrates restaurants' real-time availability on the OpenTable network, which seats more than 21 million diners per month across more than 40,000 restaurants around the globe. To learn more about the iPhone app for GuestCenter, visit our YouTube.

About OpenTable:
OpenTable, part of The Priceline Group (NASDAQ: PCLN), is the world's leading provider of online restaurant reservations, seating more than 21 million diners per month via online bookings across more than 40,000 restaurants. The OpenTable network connects restaurants and diners, helping diners discover and book the perfect table and helping restaurants deliver personalized hospitality to keep guests coming back. The OpenTable service enables diners to see which restaurants have available tables, select a restaurant based on verified diner reviews, menus, and other helpful information, and easily book a reservation. In addition to the company's website and mobile apps, OpenTable powers online reservations for nearly 600 partners, including many of the Internet's most popular global and local brands. For restaurants, the OpenTable hospitality solutions enable them to manage their reservation book, streamline their operations, and enhance their service levels. Since its inception in 1998, OpenTable has seated over 1 billion diners around the world. OpenTable is headquartered in San Francisco and has bookable restaurants in more than 20 countries, including Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, United Kingdom and the United States.