Reopening On Resy

How restaurants around the world are using Resy to manage their businesses and reopen in a new dining landscape.

As restaurants around the US and abroad reopen, they are utilizing the dynamic set of tools within their ResyOS dashboards to manage their businesses. Restaurant operators can use Resy’s technology to help manage social distancing, control guest flow and capacity, to communicate with guests pre- and post- meal, for contactless payment, and to add additional revenue streams. Here are just a few of the ways Resy’s tools are helping restaurants Rebuild, Reopen and Reunite with guests.

• RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED | Many restaurants are requiring reservations as a first step toward delivering safer hospitality, and in effect Resy has seen an increase in restaurants transitioning from no-reservations onto Resy, which is known for its industry-low no-show rate. Utilizing a reservation system, like Resy, helps restaurants adhere to their local reopening guidelines, connect with guests pre- and post- meal, and maintain a record of every diner, for potential contact tracing.
  • Resy’s two-way SMS text functionality can be used to confirm reservations, taking that task off of a team member’s plate (close to 80% of reservations get confirmed by text, for restaurants using this feature, giving them advance visibility into actual guest volume ~24 hours in advance).
  • Resy’s Invite feature, in conjunction with Resy’s Contact Tracing Report, gives restaurants additional visibility of guests in the restaurant. Resy Invite allows the guest making/holding a reservation to invite their dining companions; invited guests that “RSVP” are added to the reservation, logged in ResyOS, and then show up on Resy’s Contact Tracing Report, a newly released COVID feature.

• DINING ROOM & RESERVATION MANAGEMENT | Resy’s sophisticated and highly customizable dining room management platform is well suited for this moment; restaurants can create custom floor plans with added space between tables, differentiate tables types so guests know what to expect on arrival (i.e. Indoor, Outdoor, Bar Area), stagger reservation times and seatings in order to control capacity inside the restaurant. Resy’s signature Notify feature helps maximize capacities by filling cancelled reservations. Additionally, Resy is in constant dialogue with restaurant operators to determine what tools and features will be most helpful to them as they move forward and reopen; new tools include:
  • Resy’s Capacity Monitor tool helps restaurants manage against occupancy regulations by setting a capacity limit — say 50% — in their ResyOS dashboard. If this tool is turned on, an operator will receive alerts as they approach the limit, and ResyOS will automatically disable online reservations when the capacity is maximized.
  • Resy’s Mobile Waitlist tool allows guests to add themselves to a restaurant’s waitlist if they are in close proximity to the restaurant, preventing host stand and bar area crowding. If a restaurant is using Mobile Waitlist, a diner can “Join Waitlist” when they launch the Resy app on their phone. The restaurant then alerts guests via SMS when their table is ready.

• HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOL COMMUNICATION | Restaurants can use Resy’s custom communications tools – customizable confirmation emails, two-way SMS text capability – to let guests know in advance of dining how they are handling health and safety. For example, a restaurant can choose to include in their reservation confirmation email that temperatures will be checked on arrival, if the bar area is open, that they will be using contactless menus and payment, and more. Restaurants can then use Resy’s post- meal guest experience email, or a custom Resy Survey, to gather feedback.

• CONTACTLESS PAYMENT. Restaurants can use Resy’s prepayment tools to eliminate on-premise payment. Options include:
  • Resy’s Pre-Pay feature allows restaurants to request payment via PCI compliant text before, during, or after their dining experience.
  • Resy’s Ticketing tool requires guests to pay for their meal at the time of booking. This tool is well-suited for restaurants offering set menus.

• DIVERSIFICATION AND NEW REVENUE STREAMS | As restaurants reopen and rebuild, adding revenue streams will be crucial to their businesses. Resy believes a core part of the new dining business model lies in off-premise restaurant experiences, that’s why Resy is launching Resy At Home.
  • *Coming Soon* Resy At Home is Resy’s meal booking and pickup platform – fully integrated into restaurants’ reservations page – which will allow consumers to reserve, and purchase, a whole host of curated restaurant experiences.Through Resy, restaurants can offer bundled meals, kits, grocery boxes, wine selections, and anything they dream up to let you surround yourself with the restaurants you love.

• RECONNECTING WITH DINERS | As restaurants reopen, reconnecting with guests is top of mind, and Resy helps them tap into an extensive consumer network. Through curated Digest and Hit List emails, original stories on Resy.com, Collections, programming, and more, restaurants on Resy are getting in front of an extensive consumer network, including American Express Cardmembers.
  • Resy’s Open Date Alert lets restaurants keep guests in the loop about their reopening date. Restaurants simply add their open date into their ResyOS Dashboard, and it automatically populates their listing page.If a diner adds a restaurant to their “My Hit List”, they are subscribed to updates about the restaurant’s reopening.
  • Resy restaurants enjoy ongoing marketing and exposure, thanks to American Express, Resy’s parent company, such as:
    • American Express Card Member dining offers & incentives: American Express is rolling out a series of Card Member offers that incentivize and reward Card Members for spending with the restaurants they love, such as 2X Membership Rewards points on Seamless/Grubhub for all US Membership Rewards enrolled Card Members through December 31, 2020. These build on the rich dining rewards and benefits already offered on many of their Cards.
    • Free Resy.com restaurant listing and ResyOS: American Express recently launched Stand for Small, a platform featuring a group of leading companies that support small businesses. As part of the offerings, restaurants receive a free Resy.com restaurant page listing and free access to ResyOS through December 2020.
    • New Free Shop Small® templates and resources at ShopSmall.com: American Express has also created ready-to-use marketing materials that small merchants can use to encourage their customers to Shop Small, including email templates, signage, and customizable promotional materials, as well as access to content with advice from other small business owners.