Analog restaurant booking has always been a hellish experience for me. I really can’t stand arsing around having to spell out my name or my telephone number. I also really object to calling at 11am to book a table only to realise that the restaurant ‘isn’t open yet’. Ridiculous.
Which is why when OpenTable came along, I grasped the concept with both hands.
And when they launched a mobile web version, I remember using it at least three or four times a week in San Francisco.
Now that they have their mobile app, the experience of booking over 13,000 restaurants on-the-go is even simpler. It’s not just me who’s appreciating it either. As of today, OpenTable has now seated 3 million diners, generating $150m in revenues for its restaurant partners (based on a $50 bill per diner).
You can get the app for iPhone, Palm, BlackBerry and Android. Though OpenTable haven’t quite got the message about Nokia or Samsung as yet. I hope they do, soon.
Meanwhile users of other platforms can use the mobile.opentable.com to book.
I can't help but feel that they should be in no rush with the Symbian version. After all, I feel it will take continental Europe a while to get their heads around this concept. After all, isn't it part and parcel of spontaneously deciding to go out for a meal and then picking your desired eatery based on how long the cue is, or is not, for a table? And how would this work with things like Tapas bars? Or that fantastic little pizza place you go to that has been run by the same family for generations? I have mentioned Open Table to some of my friends and with the exception of just one single restaurant in the capital we can't really see the point of this… Yet…
I suppose it's mindset, Gareth. I do enjoy the spontaneity of just going to a restaurant, but I regularly want to arrange things with friends and family — and for many of those occasions I want to have the place booked and expecting us. And I want that to happen quickly and easily.