These recipes lean on two references: the reservation form, field by field and the reservation statuses guide. Keep them handy if a step mentions a field or status you’re unsure about.
Walk-in guest (no reservation)
A party arrives without booking and you have room.1
Start a new reservation
Tap New reservation (or the +). Set source to Walk-in.
2
Fill the essentials
Enter group size and the current time. Add the guest name if you want to keep a profile (optional for walk-ins, but it builds history).
3
Seat them straight away
Because the source is Walk-in, you can create the booking already Seated. Assign a table — tap Auto for the best fit, or pick one on the floor plan.
4
Save
Save. The table is now occupied across every view, and your covers update immediately.
Modifying a reservation (time, table, or party size)
A guest calls to change their booking, or you need to rebalance the floor.1
Open the booking
Find it in any view and tap it open. (In Planning on desktop you can also right-click for quick actions.)
2
Change what you need
Edit the time, group size, room, or tables. If a new time is full, the time picker shows it in red — pick an available slot.
3
Re-check the table
If you changed the time or grew the party, confirm the table still fits — tap Auto to re-assign, or pick a bigger table.
4
Save and decide on notifying
Save. If the change is meaningful (time, party size, payment), EatNow offers a notify the guest toggle — turn it on to send them the updated details.
Handling late guests
Their slot has passed and they’re not here yet.1
Spot them
On Planning, a late booking shows a red, blinking ⚠ Late marker. On the Cockpit Turn tab, the card gets a red border and dot, and the column header counts how many are late.
2
Reach out
Call the guest (or message them — the booking has their phone if it was captured). Open the booking to find their number quickly.
3
Hold or release the table
Decide based on their answer. If they’re on the way, keep the table. If you need it, you can offer it to a walk-in via the Turn tab.
4
Close the line if they never come
Once it’s clear they won’t arrive, set the status to No-show. If there’s a card hold or deposit, EatNow asks whether to capture or release it.
Combining tables for a large party
A group is bigger than any single table.1
Open or create the booking
Set the group size to the full party so capacity matching and the kitchen know the real number.
2
Select multiple tables
In the Tables field, open the picker and select every table the party will use. The reservation can hold several tables at once.
3
Verify the layout on the floor plan
Use the floor-plan picker to make sure the chosen tables are adjacent and their combined seats cover the party.
4
Assign a waiter and save
Pick the waiter who’ll run the section so it shows the blue flag in the Cockpit, then save.
Managing VIP guests
Make sure the team gives a guest the extra care they’re due.1
Tag them VIP
On the booking, add the VIP tag. This raises a magenta flag on the reservation card in the Cockpit so the whole team spots it at a glance.
2
Brief with notes
Put the important context in Internal info (private) — it’s staff-only and never sent to the guest (e.g. “owner’s guest, comp the dessert”).
3
Pick the right table and server
Assign their preferred table and an experienced waiter. If they’re a returning guest, their customer profile may already carry preferences from past visits.
4
Call it out in the briefing
During the pre-service briefing, the magenta flags on the Cockpit Flow tab make every VIP of the night obvious — no printed list needed.
Handling complaints & special requests
A request before the visit (allergy, occasion, seating wish) or an issue during it.1
Record dietary needs where the kitchen sees them
Put allergies and food requests in Allergies & comments. This alerts the kitchen and raises a yellow flag on the Cockpit card.
2
Note non-food requests internally
Seating wishes, occasions, or sensitivities go in Internal info (private) so the floor is briefed without anything reaching the guest.
3
Act during service
Open the booking from the grid to read its notes before approaching the table. For a complaint, capture what happened and any goodwill (e.g. a discount) on the reservation so there’s a record.
4
Follow up after
For a guest with an email, you can let the post-visit review request go out, or hold off if the visit didn’t go well — your call.
A note on mobile
Every recipe above works the same on a phone or tablet. The differences are in how you act, not what you can do:- Quick actions: tap a block for the action menu; tap See details for the full form (right-click is desktop-only).
- Moving a booking: long-press, then drag — you’ll feel a short vibration when drag is armed.
- Scrolling a grid: swipe horizontally, starting on an empty cell (starting on a block begins a drag).