Restaurants on WhatsApp: answer every booking during service
The busiest hour for messages is the busiest hour in the kitchen. Guests text "table for four at 8?" or "is the lamb gluten free?" right when nobody can look at a phone. An AI agent can answer from your menu and booking rules on your own WhatsApp number, and leave allergies and special requests to the team.
What customers ask on WhatsApp
- Do you have a table for four at 8 tonight?
- Is there a vegan option on the set menu?
- Can we bring a birthday cake?
- Do you take large groups, and is there a minimum spend?
- Are you open on bank holiday Monday?
An example conversation
This illustration shows a booking request at 7:40 on a Friday. Names and details are examples.
| Who | Message |
|---|---|
| Tom | Hi, any chance of a table for 4 at 8:30 tonight? |
| AI agent | We are full at 8:30, but 9:00 is free inside, or 8:15 on the terrace. Which would you like? |
| Tom | 9 inside. One of us is coeliac, is that ok? |
| AI agent | Booked for 4 at 9:00 under Tom. I have passed the coeliac note to the team, and your server will talk you through the menu when you arrive. |
What the agent answers
- Free tables and taking a booking, using your booking rules.
- Menu questions, from the current menu you give it.
- Opening hours, parking, dress code and whether dogs are welcome.
- Large-group rules, deposits and cake or corkage fees.
What it always hands to you
- Allergies and dietary needs: the agent notes them and passes them on. It never promises a dish is safe.
- Complaints about a meal or a bill.
- Private hire and events, which need a person to price.
The WhatsApp limits that matter here
| Limit | Spaces limit per WhatsApp account |
|---|---|
| Messages | Up to 200 a day |
| Gap between messages | At least 15 seconds |
| New conversations you start | 5 an hour, 10 a day |
Replies to people who message you are not held back by the warm-up, so customers get answers from the first day.
Set it up in an afternoon
- Write notes for the menu, booking rules, hours and group policies.
- Connect your restaurant's WhatsApp number by scanning the QR code.
- Connect your AI agent and give it the notes.
- Tell it to flag every allergy and every booking over a set size to a manager.
- Read the first week's chats and update the notes.
Who you message
Pricing
FAQ
Can it take bookings straight into my booking system?
Yes, if your AI agent already connects to it. Otherwise it can collect the details and a person adds them.
Should it answer allergy questions?
No. Tell it to note the allergy and pass it to staff, and say a server will confirm. That keeps the decision with someone who knows the kitchen.
Can it send booking reminders?
It can message guests who booked with you, within WhatsApp's rules and Spaces' limits. It should not message people who never contacted you.