Setup Guide
Follow these seven steps to configure every setting correctly before your restaurant goes live. Each step matches a section in your Settings page. Work through them top to bottom and you will be taking reservations in no time.
Restaurant name
The name guests see at the top of your booking page and in confirmation emails.
Example: My Restaurant
Every new reservation notification is sent here. Use an inbox you check often, like your host stand or manager email.
Example: reservations@myrestaurant.com
Phone
Shown to guests so they can call with questions. Include your country/area code.
Example: +1 555-0123
Address
Your physical location, displayed on the booking page so guests know where to go.
Example: 123 Main St, Austin, TX
Timezone
Critical for accurate availability. All booking times are calculated in this timezone, so set it to where your restaurant physically operates.
Example: Central Time (CT)
Booking URL
Generated automatically from your restaurant name and cannot be edited. This is the public link guests use to make reservations.
Example: simplereso.com/book/my-restaurant
Day toggle
Turn each day on or off. Toggle a day off entirely if you are never open then (for example, closed every Monday).
Example: Monday: off · Tuesday–Sunday: on
Open & close times
The first and last time guests can be seated. The last bookable slot is calculated so a full reservation finishes by closing time.
Example: Open 11:00 — Close 22:00
Online booking
The master switch for your public booking page. Leave this OFF while you finish setup, then turn it ON when you are ready to go live.
Example: OFF during setup → ON at launch
Total seats
The maximum number of guests that can be seated across your whole restaurant at one time. This caps concurrent reservations.
Example: 60 seats
Max seats per time slot
How many guests can start a reservation in a single slot. Keeps your kitchen from being slammed by everyone arriving at once.
Example: 12 seats per slot
Max party size
The largest group that can book online. Larger groups will need to call you directly, which is often better for big events.
Example: 8 guests
Reservation duration
How long a table stays occupied, in minutes. After this time, those seats free up again for new bookings.
Example: 90 minutes
Slot interval
The spacing between bookable times. A 30-minute interval offers 6:00, 6:30, 7:00, and so on.
Example: 30 minutes
Minimum advance booking
How many hours ahead a guest must book. Set this so your team has time to prepare. Use 0 to allow immediate same-time bookings.
Example: 2 hours
Confirmation message
A short, friendly note guests see after booking and in their confirmation email. Add parking tips, dress code, or a warm welcome.
Example: Thanks for booking! Street parking is available out front.
Tip: Example math: with 60 total seats, 12 max per slot, and a 90-minute duration, you spread arrivals out and keep roughly 12 new guests flowing in every slot without exceeding 60 seated at once.
Closed all day
Blocks all bookings for a date. Use for holidays, private buyouts, or maintenance days.
Example: Dec 25 — Closed (Christmas)
Modified hours
Keep the day open but with different open/close times than usual.
Example: Dec 31 — Open 17:00 to 01:00 (New Year's Eve)
Tip: You can add or remove special days at any time, so there is no need to map out the whole year before launch.
Direct booking link
A ready-to-use link to your booking page. Add it to your Google Business profile, Instagram bio, and email signature.
Example: simplereso.com/book/my-restaurant
Embed code (iframe)
Paste this snippet into your own website HTML to show the booking widget directly on your site, no redirect needed.
Example: <iframe src="…/embed/my-restaurant">
Tip: Test the direct link yourself first. Place a real booking to confirm the flow and check that the confirmation email arrives.
Manager PIN
Set a 4-digit code in the Manager PIN section of Settings. Anyone opening a protected page will be asked for it each visit.
Example: A code only managers know, e.g. 4821
Tip: Until you set a PIN, the manager pages stay open. Set one before launch so day-to-day staff cannot accidentally change your hours, capacity, or billing.
Subscription status
Check that your status reads Trialing or Active. If it shows anything else, start checkout from the Billing page.
Example: Status: Trialing (14 days free)
Tip: Online booking will only serve guests while your subscription is in good standing, so confirm this before flipping the switch.