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Restaurants

A full restaurant without a crowded door

NextMe is a restaurant waitlist app and queue management system that makes it simple to manage your waitlist and get more diners through the door. Whether your restaurant accepts walk-ins, reservations, or both, NextMe gives you all the tools you need to streamline your customer flow. Restaurants that use NextMe often see a 30% increase in diner retention and double their table turns. The best part? It can be trained in minutes, used on any device, and plays nicely with existing restaurant technology solutions.

Waitlist dashboard with the virtual waiting room on a guest phone, shown in NextMe for a restaurant

Trusted by restaurant teams like

  • Buffalo Wild Wings
  • IHOP
  • Black Bear Diner
  • Lou Malnati's Pizzeria
  • Cafe Selmarie
  • Bongo Room
  • O'Charley's
  • Kanela Breakfast Club
  • Jack Brown's Beer & Burger Joint

How NextMe works for restaurants

  1. Self check-in form where guests join the waitlist from their phone, shown in NextMe for a restaurant

    Diners join the waitlist from anywhere

    Hosts add walk-ins in seconds, or diners join the wait themselves from your website, a tablet at the host stand, or a QR code at the door. Then they wait wherever they like instead of crowding your entrance.

  2. One-tap button that notifies a guest from the waitlist, shown in NextMe for a restaurant

    Hosts manage the line from one dashboard

    See every diner waiting, their estimated wait, and where they are in line at a glance. Run walk-ins and reservations side by side, send a text update in one tap, and keep your hosts focused on guests instead of the phone.

  3. Text message telling a guest they are ready to be seen, shown in NextMe for a restaurant

    Diners come back when their table is ready

    When it’s time, the diner gets a text to head back in. No pagers to hand out, no crowded entrance, no host fielding “how much longer” calls.

How a restaurant waitlist system can transform your operations

increase in diner retention
30%
fewer wait-related phone calls
40%
more positive online reviews
17%
faster guest intake
2x

Advances in technology are helping the restaurant industry, with its infamously tight margins, both save money and increase revenue. NextMe is at the forefront of this change, offering both simple and powerful waitlist solutions combined with unrivaled customer support that has become a rarity these days amidst a sea of corporate restaurant technology.

A waitlist solution is a must-have for restaurants in high demand. Diners have come to expect the ease and simplicity that comes with a text-based notification system and your staff shouldn’t have to be scrambling to write names on pen and paper. Perhaps most importantly, a waitlist solution will help your restaurant grow and stay viable in a competitive industry by helping you save money and retain more business.

Analytics dashboard with volume, wait time and messaging metrics, shown in NextMe for a restaurant

Walkouts are potential revenue your restaurant will never see

Wait times may be inevitable, but they don’t need to hurt your business. Diners often walk out of restaurants with long or unclear wait times. Unfortunately, this problem often goes unnoticed by restaurants, resulting in lost revenue and a poor customer experience. NextMe gives you all the tools you need to manage expectations and streamline your front of house (FOH) flow. Waitlist software doesn’t need to be overcomplicated, and we’re here to help you modernize your workflow in just a few easy steps.

Virtual waiting room showing a guest their place in line on their phone, shown in NextMe for a restaurant

Seat 30% more diners and double your table turns

NextMe helps restaurants reduce no-shows and get more patrons through the door. Set expectations and communicate with waiting guests to retain more potential diners who may otherwise walk out the door. Waiting diners can check their position in line and estimated wait time on your branded virtual waiting room. Guests are linked to this page from their initial text message, so there’s no need for them to download another app.

The waitlist on laptop, tablet and phone, shown in NextMe for a restaurant

Save money on expensive and outdated technology

Traditional waitlist solutions are clunky and outdated. Ditch the pager systems and bulky hardware that are costly to replace. You can use NextMe on any device; all you need is an internet connection. You’ll save money and your patrons will thank you. With self check-in, you can give diners the option to join the wait themselves from your website, a tablet or kiosk, or QR signage at your restaurant.

Two-way text conversation between the business and a waiting guest, shown in NextMe for a restaurant

Increase positive online reviews by 17%

It’s no mystery that long wait times are a common theme in negative online reviews. Your front of house (FOH) experience is the first impression many diners have of your restaurant. Give them the amazing experience they deserve with NextMe. Set wait time expectations, keep in touch with diners by text, and empower them to check their position in line on your branded virtual waiting room. Diners love the convenience and personalized experience that only NextMe restaurants can offer.

Three ways for guests to join: website, kiosk and QR code, shown in NextMe for a restaurant

Free up staff and streamline your operations

Our waitlist tool has helped reduce wait-related inbound phone calls by 40%, which means less time answering the phone. Self check-in makes it possible to have fewer staff at the host stand. With NextMe, your restaurant can truly do more with less.

Tech-forward restaurants trust NextMe

We’ve helped restaurants of all shapes and sizes unlock new growth. Southport Grocery & Cafe, a tiny brunch destination, saved over $2,000 by switching to NextMe. A larger chain, Lou Malnati’s, saved upwards of $10,000 across all their locations.

Frequently asked questions

What is a restaurant waitlist app?

A restaurant waitlist app replaces pen and paper lists and pagers with a digital waitlist. Diners join the wait, see their place in line, and get a text when their table is ready. Hosts manage the whole line from one screen.

Does it work for both walk-ins and reservations?

Yes. NextMe manages walk-ins, reservations, or both in one place. Hosts can see every diner waiting and keep the line moving in order.

Do diners need to download an app?

No. Diners get a text with a link to your branded virtual waiting room. There they can check their place in line and estimated wait. There's nothing to download.

Can NextMe replace our restaurant pagers?

Yes. NextMe texts diners when their table is ready, so there are no pagers to buy or replace. All you need is a device with an internet connection.

How does a waitlist help reduce walkouts?

Diners often walk out when waits are long or unclear. With NextMe, you set wait time expectations and keep in touch by text, and diners can check their place in line anytime. More of them stay until their table is ready.

Do we need to install any hardware?

No. NextMe runs on any phone, tablet, or computer with an internet connection. Your team can learn it in minutes, and there is no hardware to buy or install.

Ready to modernize the waiting experience at your restaurant?

Try NextMe free for 14 days or book a demo with one of our onboarding specialists.

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