# A table booking system for your restaurant, with no fee per guest

> A custom table booking system for restaurants and chains: tables on a floor plan, deposits for groups, events and set menus, with code and data you own.

Page: https://timerise.ai/industries/restaurants

At a glance:
- Who builds it: Timerise, a software studio that builds custom booking systems its clients own.
- Price: one fixed project price, typically $15,000 to $50,000, agreed before the build.
- Timeline: a clickable prototype and a quote within 48 hours of the brief; live 6 to 8 weeks after the first call.
- Running costs: After the build there is no subscription and no commission on bookings. Hosting is billed by usage, and three years of support come with the project.
- Ownership: the code, the data and the documentation belong to the client.
- How to start: a free brief at https://timerise.ai/brief. An AI agent can write and submit the brief through the MCP server at https://timerise.ai/api/mcp (setup: https://timerise.ai/help/development/tim-mcp-server).
- Last updated: 2026-10-19.

Booking platforms charge per guest and keep the guest list. We build table booking systems for restaurants and restaurant chains: online booking on your own website, a floor plan for the host, deposits for groups and events, with the code and guest data owned by you.

What a booking system for restaurants and restaurant chains can do. Start with booking and payments; add the rest when you need it.
- Online table booking: Guests pick a date, a time and the number of people. The system finds a table that fits and leaves time to turn it. Built from the Agent Skill at /skills/time-slot-generator.
- Floor plan for the host: The host sees every table on the plan, seats walk-ins and joins tables for groups.
- Deposits for groups: A deposit or a card hold for large tables and busy nights, so a no-show is still paid for.
- Events and set menus: Tasting dinners, brunches and private events with tickets, a limit of places and payment online. Built from the Agent Skill at /skills/bookable-events.
- Waitlist: When the night is full, guests join the waitlist and get a message when a table frees.
- Guest notes: Allergies, birthdays and past visits, visible to the host before the guest arrives.
- Reminders: SMS reminders with a link to confirm or cancel, so the table goes back on sale.
- Several restaurants: One system for the whole chain: each place keeps its own plan and hours, and the guest list is shared.

How your team runs it: Hosts, managers and the owner work in one panel: tonight's tables, bookings by hour, guests and deposits.

When your own system is worth it:
- The platform charges you per guest or per booking
- You run several restaurants and want one guest list
- Groups and busy nights bring no-shows
- You sell events, tasting menus or private dining

What restaurants and restaurant chains gain over a SaaS platform:
- Cost. On a SaaS platform: A fee per guest or per booking, every night. With your own system: One fixed price, with no fee per guest.
- Your guests. On a SaaS platform: The platform keeps the guest list and shows guests other places. With your own system: The guest list is yours, in your own database.
- No-shows. On a SaaS platform: Deposits follow the rules the platform allows. With your own system: Deposits work the way you set them, per table size and per night.
- Events. On a SaaS platform: Events are sold in a separate ticket tool. With your own system: Events and tables are booked in the same system.

FAQ:
- Q: Will it work with our POS system?
  A: Yes, if the POS has an API. We check that at the brief and include the integration in the quote.
- Q: Can guests book from Instagram and Google Maps?
  A: Yes. Your booking page has its own link, which you put on Instagram, Google Maps and your website.
- Q: How much does it cost?
  A: The price depends on the scope and is fixed before the build starts. Most projects fall between $15k and $50k. It is a one-time cost, with no subscription and no commission on bookings.
- Q: How long does it take?
  A: You get a clickable prototype and a quote within 48 hours of the brief. The build takes two to three weeks, and the system is live six to eight weeks after the first call, including migration and handover.
- Q: We already use a booking tool. What happens to our data?
  A: We move your customers, bookings and history into the new system, even when the current provider has no export. The old tool keeps running until the data matches, so bookings never stop.
- Q: Who owns the system?
  A: You do. The code, the data and the documentation are handed over. It runs in your own cloud account or on our infrastructure, and 3 years of support are included.

Read more:
- Reducing no-shows: Proven strategies for businesses (/blog/reducing-no-shows-secure-bookings-and-minimize-cancellations)
- The hidden costs of bad scheduling (/blog/hidden-costs-of-bad-scheduling)
- Booking for experiences, not just services (/blog/booking-for-experiences-not-just-services)

Nearby industries:
- Booking systems for hotels and guesthouses (/industries/hotels)
- Booking systems for events and festivals (/industries/events)
- Booking systems for escape rooms (/industries/escape-rooms)