Furthering its seeming aim to reach across the whole of the restaurant business, OpenTable announced this week a partnership with Berlin, Germany-based restaurant reservations platform Quandoo.
The integration of the two systems will allow users to see more choices when it comes to picking a restaurant. Quandoo users can now reserve tables at restaurants on the OpenTable platform, and the reverse will be true in the near future.
The deal also gives OpenTable more visibility in overseas markets, as Quandoo is available in 12 different countries across Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
According to the press release, the initial integration will include over 10,000 restaurants across OpenTable and Quandoo, increasing OpenTable’s available restaurants to 56,000 and Quandoo’s to 23,000. More restaurants will be added to the integrated platform in the UK, Germany, Australia, Italy, and Singapore in the coming months.
“This partnership will make each site more comprehensive for diners and restaurant partners will benefit from increased discoverability by being available on both platforms,” OpenTable’s Chief Operating Officer, Andrea Johnston, said in a statement.
And while OpenTable may be focused on restaurant reservations with this deal, the company has of late made many moves suggesting it wants to be much, much more than just a platform for booking a table. Last month, OpenTable announced a partnership with some third-party delivery companies, including Grubhub and Uber Eats, which gives users the option to pick (but not pay for) delivery from within the OpenTable app. The company also recently partnered with restaurant-management platform Upserve to share data on customers’ dining preferences (e.g., food allergies) with servers in real time.
OpenTable faces competition most directly from Resy, a restaurant reservation system that was just officially acquired by American Express. Resy also unveiled a table inventory management system and a new loyalty program in 2018.
Increasing both restaurant choices and exposure to worldwide markets through the Quandoo partnership is no doubt a move to help OpenTable boost its visibility with more potential customers. In doing so, it’s another way to stay relevant while the company furthers its aim of becoming a one-stop-shop for an increasingly competitive restaurant biz.
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