Walk-in guests scan a QR code at the door and join a waitlist in Google Sheets with a quoted wait time. When a table frees up, the host taps ready and the guest gets a WhatsApp message with a 5-minute hold.
Typical results
1 tap
For the host to call the next party
5 min
Table hold after the WhatsApp message
±5 min
Typical gap between quoted and actual wait
Figures reflect typical results for this kind of automation.
The challenge
On busy nights the host keeps the walk-in list on paper, calls out names over the music and guesses at wait times. Guests crowd the entrance for fear of missing their turn, and many give up and leave when the quote turns out wrong. Nobody records how long the real waits were, so every new quote is another guess.
Before and after
Waitlisted guests who leave before seating
−30%Gap between quoted and actual wait
−67%Host time spent calling names per service
−88%The automation
A QR code at the door opens a form for party size and a phone number. Each entry lands in a Google Sheets waitlist, which the host sees on a tablet in arrival order with a quoted wait. When a table frees up, the host taps ready and the guest gets a WhatsApp message with a 5-minute hold, so they can wait at the bar or nearby. The sheet logs quoted and actual waits by party size and hour.
How it works
- 01
Guest scans the QR code
At the door, guests enter party size and a phone number to join the list.
- 02
Entry in Google Sheets
The entry lands in the waitlist sheet with arrival time and a quoted wait based on recent averages.
- 03
Host taps ready
The host sees the list on a tablet and taps ready when a table that fits the party frees up.
- 04
WhatsApp table message
The guest gets a WhatsApp message with a 5-minute hold, so they can wait at the bar or nearby.
- 05
Wait times recorded
Quoted and actual waits are logged for each entry, so future quotes come from real data.
Starts from
- QR code at the door
Delivers
- Host tablet view
- Table-ready WhatsApp message
- Quoted vs actual waits
The impact
Guests wait where they like instead of at the door, and about 30% fewer of them walk away before being seated. Quotes get closer to reality within a few weeks because they come from logged wait times, and the host spends service seating people instead of calling names.
Questions about this automation
Do guests need to download an app?
No. The QR code opens a short web form in the phone's browser that asks for party size and a phone number. The confirmation and the table-ready message arrive on WhatsApp, which most guests already use, and guests without WhatsApp can get the same message by SMS.
What happens if a guest does not come back within the hold?
The hold is 5 minutes by default, and the host can change it for the whole night. When it runs out, the entry is marked expired in the sheet and the host calls the next party with one tap. Guests who are on their way can reply to the message, and the host sees the reply.
What does the host stand need?
A WhatsApp Business number, a Google account for the waitlist sheet and a tablet at the host stand. The QR code is printed for the door and the bar. Simple automations like this are usually live within days, and the restaurant keeps its existing table layout and host routine.