How to Build A Restaurant Reservation App Like Opentable?

Twenty-five years as an early player bolstered OpenTable’s foundation in the restaurant tech space. Outsetting the market and building a new restaurant app industry eliminated the mandate to call and book reservations. As time passes, making a restaurant reservation on your phone is no longer a trend. Often, restaurants don’t have people to pick up the calls.

This is what the CEO of OpenTable, Debby Soo, talked about during an interview with Fortune. With more than a decade of insights and analytics, her conclusion about hassle-free restaurant reservations represents the convenience of diners.

Such convenience-centric apps are advantageous and transcend the saturated restaurant market. Restaurant owners plan on building similar apps to generate revenue streams. This was the case with Zomato, which, step after step, became an all-in-one restaurant and food delivery app.

Since you, a restaurant owner, are looking for the cost to build a restaurant reservation app like OpenTable, it is time to move through the comprehension phase first. As restaurant booking app development is not a minute concept, some app types can trigger the exploring aspect within you and alleviate combined features. To come to a concrete restaurant app decision, this bifurcated guide can assist you in defining your restaurant booking app requirements.

Distinctive Types of Custom Restaurant Booking App Like OpenTable

As we have comprehended the necessity of restaurant reservation apps like OpenTable and the transforming impact they are bringing in, we must get clarity on the types of apps businesses can focus on. As the ultimate goal for restaurant apps changes, so do the types. Only some can find themselves aligned with food delivery apps, while some may find restaurant review apps leaning towards their app vision. Before inquiring about a company for on-demand app development services, it is better to get the requirements straight first. 

• Ordering and Delivery Apps

An ordering and delivery app like DoorDash is the market’s most popular restaurant app type. However, over the past decade, ordering food has become easy. The evident statistic reflecting that 70% of consumers ordered food in the month of 2024 is a straight-up positive affirmation of how users responded to it. 

Some of the ordering and delivery app features:

• Food Ordering Management
• In-Build Messaging
• Order History
• Live Tracking
• Ratings and Reviews
• Handling Orders
• Social Media Integration
• Personal Profile
• Loyalty Programs
• Customer Support

If you plan on incorporating a few features from this type of restaurant app, you must show the same interest to your food ordering mobile app development company.

• Restaurant Menu Apps

Among the essential yet necessary restaurant apps is the restaurant menu app, which serves the sole purpose of reflecting the charges of restaurants, be they small chains or high-end dine-ins. These menu apps are popular among users who prefer to avoid going here and there but just look at the menu to assess if the restaurant offers the dishes they want to eat.

Some of the restaurant menu app features:

• Menu Visibility
• Restaurant Profile Creation
• Adding Restaurant Descriptions
• Location Integration
• Reviews and Ratings
• Push Notifications

As the restaurant-centric process is essential, understanding the impact of these apps is crucial. We, as a restaurant reservation app development company, have experience and have worked on a project named Order Here for our client. To learn the process, you can check out the case study and comprehend it with ease.

• Table Booking Apps

Table reservation apps like OpenTable are popular choices when people have something to celebrate or schedule a meetup with friends. All the users have to do is find their preferred location, navigate the available times, and book the reservation based on the headcount. Once the reservations are made and accepted, the party planning committee can begin with the invitations and inform the people of the plan.

Some of the table booking app features:

• Real-Time Availability
• Online Table Reservations
• Reservation Modification
• Table Management
• Real-Time Notifications
• Integration with Other Systems
• Reporting and Analytics

• Restaurant Loyalty and Promotional Programs Apps

Some people hold different statuses in society. However, restaurant loyalty and promotional programs have come to the rescue. These restaurant apps bring forth promotional offers from the restaurants during their particular hours. For customers, this can be a new chance to try out a place they would not prefer in the first place if the offer never existed. Establishing a win-win situation is the primary goal of these apps.

Some of the restaurant loyalty and promotional programs

 app features:

• Loyalty Points System
• Tiered Rewards Programs
• Customizable Rewards
• Digital Coupons and Promotions
• Push Notifications
• Mobile Payment Integration
• Referral Programs
• Location-Based Offers
• Custom Branding

Features of Restaurant Booking Apps Like OpenTable

After comprehending the distinctive restaurant app types, it is time to fixate on one: a restaurant reservation app like OpenTable. As the elaboration proceeds, it is imperative to apprehend the app requirements, app design, features, and functionalities. To begin with, this section will provide an understanding of the distinction between two app types unfolding in the restaurant booking app development process. 

The setup operates on two apps, one for users and diners and the other for restaurants and staff. Both features are different yet correlate to simplify the table reservation process. 

For Restaurant-Facing App

The restaurant and the workforce that manages the customer seating plan utilize the restaurant-facing app. From managing the guests and comprehending table management status to functioning on automated confirmations, this restaurant-centric app holds value in streamlining elementary functioning.

• Restaurant Registration

The restaurant registration features are the app’s primary aspect that you must mandate. With this feature, your restaurant table booking app like OpenTable allows restaurants to create profiles, get verified, and list themselves.

• Guest Management Software

When you instill guest management software, you incorporate a CRM for restaurants to align their functioning. The same features are employee management, table reservation management, bill invoice creation, and guest profile creation. 

• Customer Insights and Analytics

Next on the list are customer insights and analytics. These features allow restaurants to assess their engagement and further develop plans to target the audience in a manner that interests them. 

• Automated Confirmations and Reminders

Earlier, it used to take a person to pick up the calls and confirm the reservation for the people. However, with the restaurant-facing app, the hassle and work associated with confirmation and reminders have been eliminated.

• Payments and Invoice Generation

The restaurants on the app can receive payments based on their offer and generate the invoice accordingly for the customers. This way, their payment management affiliated with restaurant booking apps like OpenTable is attached to one platform.

For Patron-Facing App

Next, we have the patron or user app for the reservation app, like OpenTable. The user app draws in people and allows them to locate a restaurant that fits their morning, evening, or night plan. The features that need to be included in this user app are mentioned below that you must focus on.

• User Login

As you develop your restaurant booking mobile app idea, you must ensure that the user starts the journey with the login section, which requires a number or email address. Once in, they must have a profile to ensure smooth functioning throughout the reservation process.

• Search Functionality

Different occasions require the availability of various types of restaurants. Your restaurant reservation app like OpenTable must allow users to search for the ideal restaurant based on their occasion with advanced search functionality.

• Real-Time Availability and Waitlists

Not getting the exact status of the restaurant can cause problems for people with aligned plans and invitations. For instance, a feature to understand the current status of the restaurant and the cleared slots can be resourceful in ways only users can decide. 

• User Reviews and Ratings

According to statistics, 94% of diners check a restaurant’s reviews before booking a table. Previous customers’ reviews and ratings assist and influence their dining decisions. As these are essential for decision-making, your restaurant table booking app must have a review and rating section.

• Online Payments

Last of all, we have the payment integration feature where the user can directly avail of the offer and pay the amount. This way, they stay inclined towards restaurant booking apps like OpenTable and come back for more offers and payment facilities.

Build A Restaurant Reservation App Like OpenTable With Intelligent Technologies

The combination of cognitive technologies has enabled the modernization of table-booking apps like OpenTable. These technologies streamline the table booking processing, automate the reservation system, and improve the customer experience. To elaborate on a few, we have come up with a list of technologies to integrate that can change the perspective of the existing restaurant functioning.

• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

AI and ML welcome predictive analysis, which analyzes existing data to assess upcoming peak hours, popular dining timings, and no-show probabilities based on pattern recognition. Incorporating intelligent technologies is transforming how restaurants and diners explore.

• Natural Language Processing

The most common use of NLP in the restaurant industry is the introduction of AI and NLP-powered conversational chatbots. They have changed the customer support system of restaurants and brought a smooth communication bridge for the restaurant app users.

• Cloud Computing

For restaurant chains with multiple outlets, cloud computing has become imperative. Storing and accessing vast amounts of data has become feasible for the decision-makers of these giant chains.

• Internet of Things

Conflict-centric restaurant operations, such as optimizing seating arrangements and human-centric check-ins, are now better off with the Internet of Things and its incorporation into the system. With its automated accessibility, IoT is restructuring the processing with straightforward facilitation.

Cost to Develop a Restaurant Booking App Like OpenTable Based on Factors

When it comes to the OpenTable app development cost, it is a question that keeps revolving around the heads of decision-makers. Finding a fixed figure for the app development process while keeping hidden factors in mind is not straightforward. But by elaborating on the factors affecting it, you can get an estimated idea of the same.

• Custom Restaurant Reservation App Development Platform

The first factor that affects the OpenTable app development cost is the choice of platform. As the target audience aligned with the business ideas can be different, the platform for them can be distinctive as well. You can choose from iOS or Android app development for native apps or cross-platform app development for both apps with a single code base. The table below is a platform-centric reference for comprehending the cost of building an app like OpenTable.

• Restaurant Table Booking App Size

Regarding the restaurant table booking app size, not mentioning the impact of features would be illogical. As the features and functionalities can be simple and advanced, so will the conclusive OpenTable app development cost. To state the obvious, the bigger the restaurant booking app size per the features inclusion, the more expensive it is to develop an app like OpenTable.

• UI/UX Design for Table Booking App

Among the many factors affecting the OpenTable app development cost, the UI/UX design is one. It is imperative because customers and their subsequent engagement depend on a vision-centric and information-accessible approach. Choosing template designs may seem cost-effective, but in the long term, building a user interface that focuses on the customer experience is much better.

• Restaurant Reservation App Development Cost Based on Technology Stack

Bringing the technology stack into focus as the OpenTable app development cost differs based on it. For instance, when businesses choose Android or iOS app development, the technology stack for both changes as per the needs. Keeping that in mind, as the tech stack affects the cost of creating an app like OpenTable, so do the technology-specific developers and their experince.

• Hiring Model for Restaurant Table Booking App Development 

The hiring model makes a significant difference as we come to the last factor affecting the OpenTable app development cost. Building an in-house team or hiring freelancers can be hectic job to manage, but with a restaurant reservation app development services provider, the entire process can be seamless. Keeping that in mind, the table below reflects the cost of building a restaurant reservation app like OpenTable based on the hiring model.

Conclusive Cost To Build a Restaurant Reservation App Like OpenTable

Prioritizing the main question, how much does it cost to build an app like OpenTable? As the above section has provided a detailed analysis of the factors affecting the OpenTable app development cost, it might have assisted you in reaching an estimate idea.

However, to enclose the cost in a figure, we must provide you with a capital investment bracket for future reference. The OpenTable app development cost often ranges from as low as $30,000 to as high as $150,000 based on factors like the app’s intricacies, size, platform, and more.

Step-By-Step Restaurant Booking App Development Process

As we moved through different sections, elaborating diverse segments based on your needs, it was time to address the restaurant booking app development process. With an appropriate approach and systematic process, you should align all the phases in the order mentioned below to ensure getting a robust restaurant reservation app like OpenTable.

1. Defining Restaurant App Requirement
2. Hire a Restaurant Booking App Development Company
3. UIUX Design To Build an app like OpenTable
4. Online Restaurant Booking App Development
5. Quality Assurance and Testing
6. Deployment and Maintenance

As soon as your restaurant booking app, like OpenTable, is released, you must focus on its market success while ensuring that it is updated and scalable.

Why Determine AppsChopper as Your Trusted Custom Restaurant App Development Company?

Reliance on a restaurant booking app development agency for the entire process refers to you making a worthy decision. These app development companies hold experience worth the investment and prioritize your project by providing you with industry-specific experts.

AppsChopper, a leading restaurant reservation app development company among the competitors, has decade-long proficiency in building an app like OpenTable. With 200+ developers and 100+ industry-centric experts, we present apps that align with your vision of a restaurant table booking app.