Amid a slew of other announcements yesterday, restaurant tech company Resy announced two new products, ResyFly, a table inventory management system, and a new loyalty program, ResySelect.
Resy is already known for its reservations and waitlist system, which streamlines the process of booking a table for both customers and restauranteurs. Right now, the company works with over 10,000 restaurants in 160 cities worldwide, and is definitely giving the likes of Yelp Reservations and Open Table a run for their money.
But these new products also suggest Resy doesn’t want to be pinned into the “restaurant reservations” category, and plans to offer a considerably more robust solution for businesses.
ResyFly solves an issue that’s been plaguing restaurants for years: how to book reservations. As of today, restaurants have two options: “slots-based” reservations, where diners can pick pre-determined times (8 p.m., 10 p.m.) and “inputs-based” reservations, where restaurants build the night’s reservations out on a first-call, first-serve basis.
Neither is optimal. “Restaurants have historically been shackled to imperfect inventory management systems like ‘slots,’ where restaurateurs have complete control over tables, and ‘flex mode,’ taking control out of the equation,” Mike Montero, one of Resy’s business partners, said in a press statement. “But there’s no reason these should be the only options.”
ResyFly, then, is a cloud-based product combining slots and inputs to allow for greater flexibility in scheduling reservations, which could ultimately lead to less confusion, fewer cancellations, and more revenue for restaurants. The product is set for release on May 15.
Another notable announcement was for ResySelect, a new loyalty program Resy will launch in late April. Program perks include exclusive booking windows for tables at popular and/or hard-to-get restaurants, waitlist priority, early access to event tickets, and special events like getting to meet a favorite chef or touring the kitchen. The program will launch as an invite-only beta-version at the end of April, with a broader expansion planned for later on—though the company didn’t indicate exactly when.
Along with those products, Resy also announced ResySurveys, a dynamic survey product that lets restaurants customize private post-meal customer surveys. In doing so, businesses get insights into all aspects of their operation, from quality of service to customer preference for seating and meals.
Meanwhile, Resy’s global expansion efforts are now gathered under Resy Global Service (RGS). With this network, Resy partners with technology companies worldwide to grow the number of restaurants in its portfolio. Partnerships come in different forms. For example, Resy is integrated into the Airbnb app, so users can book a table and even talk to a restaurant without ever having to leave the Airbnb app. (Airbnb led Resy’s $13 million funding round last year). In some cases, Resy has acquired companies with technology that would benefit the overall business, as was the case with Club Kviar, who will be rebranded as Revy Spain in the near future.
And if all that weren’t enough, Resy’s recent integration with Upserve will provide restauranteurs the chance to get more granular insights about their customers.
It will be interesting to see where these offerings land Resy in terms of its place in the overall restaurant industry. It clearly wants to be more than just another reservation system. Which could be a very smart move, considering the telephone is still the preferred choice for customers when it comes to booking reservations. Resy broadening the ways it can help restaurants better personalize their diners’ experiences seems like a much sturdier path to tread over the long term.
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