RESTAURANT SEAT RESERVATION SYSTEM

A SYSTEM PROPOSAL

SUBMITTED BY,
JANE KARIUKI MURIUKI
DIT-01-0043/2023

A SYSTEM PROPOSAL RESEARCHED AND SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL

FULFILMENT FOR THE AWARD OF A DIPLOMA IN INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY BY ZETECH UNIVERSITY

APRIL, 2024
DECLARATION
The contents of this document are a product of my own personal research as guided by the unit
lecturer and following the provided standards of the system proposal document. No content
herein has been plagiarized and all foreign sourced materials have been properly cited and
referenced using the APA 7 standard. This document has not been presented and/or submitted to
Zetech University or to any other body in this version. It is an original version.

Student name: __________________________________ Sign: __________________

Supervisor’s name: ______________________________ Sign: __________________
Unit lecturer’s name: _____________________________ Sign: __________________
DEDICATION
I dedicate this work to my beloved father, Mr. Reagan Omondi, who has been a source of great
courage and inspiration
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
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I would like to thank my unit lecturer, Mr. Francis Mutuku for assisting me in reflecting on
different research problems, identifying a feasible one and coming up with a feasible research
topic. He also provided weekly class and individual guidance on how to conduct research, gather
data and compile the system proposal document to its end. I would also like to thank my
supervisor, Madam Jane Mwongeli, for helping in clarifying objectives, checking my work
progressively and providing helpful insights and change recommendations that have ensured I do
the work correctly and to meet the required standards.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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LIST OF FIGURES
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LIST OF TABLES
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DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS
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Shall contain significant words that came up in your research and are tied to the research topic
cart – a tool used in shopping websites to add or remove products before paying for them. It is
used the same way a physical shopping cart is used.
checkout -
front end -
product -
database –
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
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Shall contain short forms of words that came up in your research and are tied to the research
topic
HTML – Hyper Text Markup Language
API – Application Programming Interface
ABSTRACT
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This section shall contain a summary of the research conducted
- Data
- Tools
- Methodology
- Scope
- Organization of this document
The research has taken up a descriptive and analytical form. Descriptive, to describe different
tenets of online shopping, and analytical to compare, contrast and critique different facts about
online shopping. The data used for the research is both qualitative and quantitative and is
secondary data that has been fetched from online sources, mostly websites that contain keywords
such as “shopping”, “online shopping”, “boutique”, “benefits of online shopping”, etc. These
websites have been sampled to not only meet the keyword criteria but also not older than five
years. Google search engine and Bing search were used to find and sample the websites used in
the research. APA 7 format has been used as the key tool for citation and referencing. The
research has been purposely constrained to online B2C shopping and constrained to the problem
of boutique shopping. The system proposal document has been organized in different sections
and chapters – Preliminary Pages, chapter one containing Research Introduction, Chapter two
containing Literature Review, chapter three containing System methodology, chapter four
containing conclusion and recommendations, and the last section being appendices and
References.
 CHAPTER ONE: RESEARCH INTRODUCTION
FHGHGF
 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction to Literature Review
In this section, the process of restaurant pre-order and seat reservation is explored, an overview
is done to understand how restaurant pre-order and seat reservation systems work and how they
take into account the various stages or aspects of the reservation process. A deep dive has also
been taken into the various examples of general reservation systems and restaurant reservation
systems in particular. With this understanding, this section also covers a detailed narration of the
key aspects or features of such systems, their merits and demerits, key computer technologies
that can be used or have/continue to be used in developing such systems. This section also ends
with a conclusion to tie all the data together

2.2 The Process of Restaurant Seat Reservation

2.2.1 What is Restaurant Seat Reservation
A restaurant reservation is an act of ensuring that a particular seat, seats or room is held under
your name as a client so that the restaurant can hold it for you and/or your group only and not
assign it to different clients. Reservations are made in advance prior to the day or time of seat
occupation (https://www.touchbistro.com/blog/complete-guide-to-restaurant-reservations/ ). The
reservation acts as an agreement between the restaurant and the client that the seat, seats or room
will be available at the specified time, and is also an assurance to the restaurant that that reserved
area will be occupied and therefore has been paid for. This is a definition of restaurant
reservation as discussed by (https://www.revolutionordering.com/blog/restaurant-reservations ).
2.2.2 The Process/Stages in Restaurant Seat Reservation
According to (https://www.revolutionordering.com/blog/restaurant-reservations ), someone
needing to reserve a seat at a restaurant would be required to contact the restaurant beforehand
either by call, Whatsapp, email, the restaurant’s website, through third-party reservation
agencies, sites, apps or through text message (https://www.touchbistro.com/blog/complete-
guide-to-restaurant-reservations/ ) in order to place a reservation. The restaurant will then
confirm what your needs are e.g. are you coming as an individual or as a group, what seat
position you would prefer, what time you will be coming in and other details that are relevant to
creating the reservation. If the restaurant can meet the client’s requirements, they then confirm
availability of the seat/s or room and in case of any changes, these are also made known to the
client to confirm whether they agree to the changes e.g. change of seat, etc. After an agreement,
the client is normally required to place an upfront payment as a commitment that they will
actually use the reservation and so that the restaurant does not incur a loss just in case the client
goes no-show. A research by (https://www.touchbistro.com/blog/complete-guide-to-restaurant-
reservations/ ) indicates that 20% of clients who do hotel reservations end up not showing,
meaning that the restaurant can lose a significant amount of revenue. The payment marks the end
of a successful reservation. In some cases, a client might need to cancel their reservation for
personal reasons and this should also be factored into the reservation process. The client might
need to cancel the reservation by following to the laid out restaurant policies e.g. cancellation
only in 24-hours from time of reservation, and any other fee that the restaurant imputes on
cancellation. (https://www.revolutionordering.com/blog/restaurant-reservations )

2.2.2 Problems of Manual or Ordinary Seat Reservation

(https://www.tablein.com/blog/restaurant-reservation-challenges ) One of the problems
experienced by taking reservations by hand is forgetting the agreements that you as a restaurant
made with the calling client who was trying to make the reservation. Also, without a proper way
of putting reserving clients to account, there could be many cases of no shows and tables lack
customers at the time such clients were expected to occupy, which amounts to financial losses
for the restaurant. Also, manual reservation does not take into account the fact that the restaurant
staff also have other duties such as other customers to attend to, and also pick calls for clients
needing to make reservation. In their busy nature, they could potentially take the wrong
reservation records, e.g. miss out on the correct date and time, preferred seating, etc. or even
missing reservation-related calls. An example is provided of a TripAdvisor reviewer who made a
reservation and even arrived on time, but found inadequate preparations by the host, as seen
below:

Fig 2.2.2.1 TripAdvisor Negative Review on Horrible Reservation. Source:

https://www.tablein.com/blog/restaurant-reservation-challenges

The inconveniences caused by this could very likely lead to customer dissatisfaction and the host
losing the guest, hence missing a chance on revenue collection.
(https://www.tablein.com/blog/restaurant-reservation-challenges ) Another challenge is
overbooking. When different staff pick calls and record reservations separately, chances are
some clients might be booked more than one time, and/or double-booking of seating spaces for
different clients. This leads to dissatisfied customers as seen in the other TripAdvisor review
below:
 Fig 2.2.2.2 Disgruntled Client due to Double Booking. Source:
https://www.tablein.com/blog/restaurant-reservation-challenges
The challenge of overbooking is normally because staff that handle reservations might not know
the exact restaurant capacity and number of seating spaces off-head. In these instances, the
clients who had reserved would come to the restaurant only to find their space is taken and this
can lead to client distrust and losing the client entirely.
Another challenge is poor reservation management where the timing between clients for the
same seating space could be too limiting for one or both clients. For instance, with manual
reservation a staff can book a space for client ‘A’ from 2.30-4.30 and the next client from 4.30-
6pm. Client ‘A’ does not get a chance to comfortably be done with their meals and/or
conversations as Client ‘B’ is waiting to occupy the space. This also does not leave adequate
time for support services such as for the staff to clean and dress the table back again in
preparation for the next reservation and is also uncomfortable for both the client who needs to
leave in a rush and the waiting client.
With a decentralized approach to managing reservations, the restaurant could have too many
separate avenues where reservations were communicated, e.g. some on email, some on phone,
some by walk-in. This decentralized approach presents a big challenge tracking what client
needed what and also sending reminders to the clients of their upcoming reservation. Hiring
some reservation personnel for the restaurant could also be costly for the restaurant and also very
burdensome for the personnel.
Another challenge is the case of no shows where clients book but do not turn up on the booked
date and/or time without any prior notification to the restaurant, hence hurting the restaurant
financially(https://www.tablein.com/blog/restaurant-reservation-challenges).
(https://www.touchbistro.com/blog/reduce-no-shows/ ) defines it as a customer half-heartedly
making a reservation and dropping a raincheck on it for their own personal reasons, which could
be excusable or not No shows can be influenced by many factors including guests not being able
to check availability of seating spaces online and make actual bookings, improper
communication with clients, restaurant not keeping abreast with client preferences as market
dynamics change (https://upkeep.com/learning/10-common-reasons-restaurants-lose-
reservations/#1.%C2%A0guests-aren't-able-to-check-table-availability-online-and-make-
bookings ). The following is a statistic by Carbon Free Dining
(https://blog.carbonfreedining.org/the-ultimate-guide-to-restaurant-no-shows ) on the different
causes of No-shows

Fig 2.2.2.3 Common Reasons for No Shows. Source: https://www.tablein.com/blog/restaurant-

reservation-challenges

2.2.3 Computerized Seat Reservation Systems and their Key Features

An example of a computerized reservation system is Tablein
(https://www.tablein.com/blog/restaurant-reservation-challenges) that allows for all reservations
to be handled on an online space, hence allowing the restaurant staff to focus on more pressing
duties of the present. With Tablein, guests can make their reservations online, choose their
desired date and time any time of the day or night as the system operates 24/7 as shown in the
image below:
Fig 2.2.3.1 TableIn Reservation Dashboard. Source: https://www.tablein.com/blog/restaurant-
reservation-challenges
With a computerized reservation system, factors like spacing out the dining times and allowing
for these transition periods can be factored in. The system can also be guided by a reservation
policy that effectively manages the upfront limits, that is, the time and duration that a customer
can borrow the space. The Dark Horse Mumbles (https://app.tablein.com/booking/dark-horse-
mumbles ) is a reservation system that takes this into account. The reservation policy for the
latter clearly outlines the specific days and times that seating spaces are available for customers
to plan accordingly. Clients can then make informed decisions and get a better, smoother and
more pleasant experience. Some online reservations systems also have a feature for sending
automated replies and reminders to the client’s email upon reserving. These automated messages
will contain the information that they entered while booking such as Name, number of company,
date and time of reservation, the seat area picked, how much they have paid for it, contact, and
maybe instructions on what to do just in case they need to cancel. This information serves a
receipt and therefore a proof that a booking has been made which both the client and the
restaurant can follow up just in case of anything. The following is an example of post-booking
confirmation message sent to a client’s personal email by TableIn. This helps guests to not forget
their reservation hence limits the number of no-show cases. The reservation policy can also
include information to clients about the impact of no shows
(https://restaurant.eatapp.co/blog/restaurant-no-shows )
 Fig 2.2.3.2 TableIn Email Confirmation Post-Booking. Source:
https://www.tablein.com/blog/restaurant-reservation-challenges
With communication added to the reservation concerning the financial implications of no show,
onto the system, the customers can be more cautious and only make a booking when they are
determined on showing up. Such systems could also have prepayments
(https://help.tablein.com/creating-prepayment ) or deposits (https://help.tablein.com/creating-
deposits ) for every reservation made, as shown below:

Fig 2.2.3.3 Reservation Payment. Source: https://www.tablein.com/blog/restaurant-

reservation-challenges
To avoid no shows, computerized reservation systems should provide solutions
(https://www.touchbistro.com/blog/reduce-no-shows/ ) such as make it easy to cancel, provide a
reservation window – a grace period that can hold their reservation for a little longer just in case
they jump in late in cases of traffic or being held up at work, etc. Such systems should also allow
for follow ups on no shows, autogenerated reminder text or email, take credit card information
where we can deduct money in case of no show, take deposits
(https://restaurant.eatapp.co/blog/restaurant-no-shows )during booking, keep track of all no-
shows, offer discounts and deals for all customers who have ever made a reservation and always
turned up, and reduce overbooking through the methodology discussed earlier. A non-refundable
ticketing, restricting reservations to less busy times can also prevent no shows
(https://restaurant.eatapp.co/blog/restaurant-no-shows )
 2.2.4 Merits and Demerits of Restaurant Seat Reservation Systems
Restaurant seat reservation systems allow a restaurant to prepare for customer events such as
parties effectively and have a table ready for them when they finally arrive. This ensures
convenience (https://www.touchbistro.com/blog/complete-guide-to-restaurant-reservations/ )
since the clients do not miss a seat when they really need it for their individual or group events.
Restaurant reservation systems guarantees that the client/s get the exact seating area for their
enjoyment and satisfaction. The reservation also involves an upfront payment by the client and
this allows the restaurant to financially benefit and plan ahead of the arrival time of the client. In
most cases, since the reservation process costs the client more than the regular walk-in client,
most restaurants provide special services for reservation clients such as faster food order
response, complimentary meals and desserts, discounts and other deals.
(https://www.revolutionordering.com/blog/restaurant-reservations ). With seat reservation
systems like TableIn (https://www.tablein.com/blog/restaurant-reservation-challenges), errors,
lost reservations, incorrect details of calendar date, time, preferred seating space, is reduced to a
minimal level, since all the information is verified by the system before the system approves a
reservation. TableIn also allows for setting up floor plans and specifying maximum number of
guests – this reduces the chance for overbooking and also allows clients to visually see where
their desired seat is actually at given the floor plan. The system also shows tables/setting areas
already reserved with color codes to easily identify booked, not-booked and walk-ins. With such
an efficient way of clients knowing what spaces are available, this can significantly reduce
chances of the restaurant’s reputation being marred as clients can know exactly what seating
space is available and what time. Such reservation systems also provide a centralized platform
that both the client and the staff can use in a more organized, efficient and transparent manner.

2.2.5 Technologies for Implementation of Restaurant Seat Reservation Systems