How to accept restaurant bookings on WordPress

Write down the information the booking system must enforce before you install anything. Decide your opening hours, booking interval, minimum and maximum party size, typical dining duration, advance-booking window and whether large parties need manual approval.

Also list holidays, private events and one-off closures. A reservation form that shows a table as available when the restaurant is closed is one of the easiest ways to create problems for staff.

For a small restaurant with few bookings, you can use a form that collects the guest’s name, date, time, party size, phone number, email address and special requests. Staff then check a diary or spreadsheet and reply to confirm or reject the request.

This manual route is inexpensive and can be fine for a low volume of bookings, but the form does not know your live capacity. It cannot reliably stop two people requesting the same table, and every booking needs follow-up. For real-time availability, time-slot limits, confirmations and booking records, use a restaurant reservation plugin. Plugins in this category commonly provide schedule controls, booking forms, notifications and admin management.

In the WordPress dashboard, open Plugins, choose Add New, search for a restaurant reservation plugin and install one that supports your actual seating model. Check whether it handles tables, total covers, booking duration, manual approval, closure dates and staff notifications before committing.

After activation, complete its setup or settings screens. Enter your opening hours, booking intervals, advance-booking limits, party-size limits and any exceptions. Restaurant reservation plugins commonly expose these controls in their schedule settings.

Create a dedicated page such as Reservations. Add the plugin’s booking form block, widget or shortcode to the page, depending on what the plugin provides. Add your address, phone number, service hours, cancellation policy and a note explaining how large-party requests are handled.

Some plugins document a booking form block, while others use a shortcode such as [booking-form]. Use the exact insertion method shown by the plugin you installed rather than guessing the shortcode.

Set an email notification for staff whenever a booking is submitted. If the plugin supports it, send the guest a separate confirmation, pending message or rejection message based on the booking status. Include the date, time, party size, contact details and special requests in the notification.

Decide whether bookings are confirmed instantly or held for staff approval. Automatic confirmation is suitable only when the availability rules accurately represent your tables. Check the site’s sending email address and deliverability; a booking can be recorded correctly while the notification is lost in spam or never sent.

Make test bookings from a private browser window on a phone and a desktop. Try a normal party, the maximum party size, a closed period, a fully booked slot and a large party that requires approval. Confirm that unavailable times disappear, the guest sees the correct success message and staff receive the expected alert.

For the fast way, use Grillino if you want a restaurant-focused WordPress theme with menu layouts and integrated table reservations in one site setup. Install it through Appearance > Themes, activate it, then configure the reservation and restaurant content before publishing the booking page. Keep a phone fallback visible because systems and inboxes can fail during a busy Friday service.