Table bookings with a confirmation and a reminder
A family books for Sunday 8pm on your page. They get a WhatsApp confirmation and a reminder that afternoon. Uses WhatsApp Inbox, Automations.
For restaurants & cafes
Get regulars back on slow weekdays without paying aggregator commission.
A cafe in Bandra has 2,000 customer numbers from table bookings and takeaway orders. They sit in a notebook. Weekday lunch is quiet and the only marketing is a paid listing.
Where it usually goes wrong
Customer numbers sit unused in a notebook
Weekday lunch is quiet
Table enquiries on WhatsApp get missed during the rush
What we'd set up first
In this order. Each step is useful even if you stop there.
Weekday and festival broadcasts to past diners
Schedule a Wednesday lunch offer or a Navratri thali menu from the festival calendar to people who opted in. Uses WhatsApp Inbox.
AI agent replies to menu and timing questions
Questions like 'Do you have Jain food?' get answered from your menu notes while staff are busy. Uses AI Assistant, WhatsApp Inbox.
The apps behind it
WhatsApp Inbox
Put your business number on Meta's official Cloud API. Your whole team replies from one inbox, and the AI covers nights.
- Meta's price, no markup
- One inbox, many people
- Broadcasts that don't get you banned
Automations
Wait, branch, send a message, add a tag, create a task. Workflows that run across every app here.
- One canvas, readable by anyone
- Start from a recipe
- A log of every run
AI Assistant
An assistant that answers customers on WhatsApp and your website chat using your prices and timings, books appointments and hands over to your team when it isn't sure.
- Books the slot, sends the payment link
- Replies in the customer's language
- Only says what you've told it
2,000 numbers in a notebook, and a quiet Wednesday
Table bookings
- What comes in
- A family of five books Sunday 8pm on your page
- What runs on its own
- WhatsApp confirmation, reminder that afternoon
- What you get
- Fewer empty reserved tables
Slow weekday
- What comes in
- Diners who opted in
- What runs on its own
- Wednesday lunch offer on WhatsApp
- What you get
- Regulars back without a paid listing
During the rush
- What comes in
- "Do you have Jain food?"
- What runs on its own
- Answered from your menu notes
- What you get
- Staff stay on the floor
The restaurant kit
Table bookings
A time slot, a note for the party size and a WhatsApp confirmation.
Opt-in at the table
A QR code on the bill or table tent to join your list.
Offers to your list
Weekday lunch, festival thalis, new menu launches.
Menu questions answered
Jain, vegan, parking, timings, at any hour.
Review requests
A thank-you with your Google review link.
Advance for big bookings
Deposits for parties and events.
Who owns the customer
| Feature | Your own list | Aggregator listing |
|---|---|---|
| Commission per order | None | A percentage of every order |
| Customer's number | Yours, with consent | Usually hidden from you |
| Bringing them back | A WhatsApp message | Pay to be shown again |
| Best for | Regulars and dine-in | Discovery and delivery reach |
Questions people ask
How do restaurants bring regulars back without paying aggregator commission?
Turn the customer numbers you already have into an opted-in WhatsApp list, confirm and remind table bookings, and send occasional weekday or festival offers to past diners. Direct visits from your own list carry no commission. Marketiism runs the bookings, broadcasts and replies from ₹999 a month.
- 0% Commission on direct visits. Your list, your customers.
- Afternoon Booking reminder. For dinner reservations.
- Opt-in Before any offer. Collected at booking.
- Festivals Planned ahead. Navratri, Diwali, New Year.
How do restaurants build a WhatsApp customer list?
Ask for consent where customers already give their numbers: table bookings, takeaway orders and a QR code on the bill or table tent. Each person lands in your contact list with a tag, ready for occasional offers. Never add old numbers from a notebook without asking first.
Can guests book a table on WhatsApp?
Yes. Share a booking link in WhatsApp replies, Instagram and your Google profile. Guests choose the date and time and note the party size, then get a WhatsApp confirmation and a reminder that afternoon. Bookings show up in one list, so the host knows exactly who is coming tonight.
How do I fill slow weekdays?
Send a specific offer to people already on your list, such as a Wednesday lunch thali or a weekday family combo, a day or two before. Past diners trust you already, and a direct message carries no commission. Keep offers occasional so people stay subscribed.
Do I have to pay commission on these bookings?
No. Bookings and visits from your own WhatsApp list and booking page carry no commission from us. You pay only your Marketiism plan, and Meta's message charges for broadcasts, which Meta bills to you directly. Aggregators remain useful for discovery and delivery. Regulars cost you nothing extra.
Can the AI answer menu questions?
Yes, on the Growth plan. It answers questions such as Jain options, vegan dishes, timings, parking and reservations from your menu notes, at any hour. Complaints and large event enquiries go to a person. Your staff can stay on the floor during the dinner rush instead of on the phone.
Can I take advances for large parties?
Yes. Send a payment link for a deposit on birthday parties, corporate lunches or festival bookings, through your own Razorpay or Cashfree account. The guest gets an invoice by email and the deposit shows on their booking, which cuts last-minute cancellations sharply. Deposits can be refunded too.
What should a restaurant send at festival time?
Plan with the festival calendar: a Navratri thali, a Diwali sweets box, an Eid feast menu or a New Year's Eve booking reminder. Send one clear message a week or so before, with the price and how to book. Avoid daily messages, which get numbers blocked quickly.
How do I get more Google reviews?
Send a short thank-you with your Google review link after a booking or a takeaway order, while the meal is fresh in their mind. Recent, specific reviews that mention dishes and your area help you appear when people nearby search for somewhere to eat tonight.
Do customers need to opt in to offers?
Yes. WhatsApp broadcasts must only go to people who agreed to hear from you. Collect opt-in at booking, on the bill QR code or in the first chat, and honour stop requests immediately. Marketiism removes anyone who replies STOP from future broadcasts automatically. Trust keeps lists healthy.
Does it replace my POS?
It can for many small restaurants: the billing area includes fast invoice entry and an offline-capable POS counter with GST bills. Larger restaurants with kitchen display systems usually keep their POS and use Marketiism for bookings, WhatsApp and their customer list. Both can run side by side.
Can I share my menu as a PDF on WhatsApp?
Yes. Send the menu PDF or photos from the shared inbox, and keep a saved reply with it for the questions you get every day. For a better experience on phones, you can also build a simple menu page and share its link in your replies.
How much does it cost for a restaurant?
Most single restaurants and cafes start on Starter at ₹999 a month before GST, with bookings, broadcasts and up to 1,000 contacts. Busy restaurants with larger lists or wanting AI replies choose Growth at ₹2,999. Every plan has a 14-day free trial without a card.
Can several outlets share one system?
Yes. Outlets can share one contact list with bookings tagged by location, or run as separate workspaces if they operate independently. Head office sees which outlet each booking and review belongs to, and offers can be sent to diners of one outlet only. Each outlet can have its own staff logins.
What about delivery orders?
You can take direct takeaway or delivery orders through an order page or the online store with online payment or cash on delivery, and confirm them on WhatsApp. Delivery logistics stay with you or your partner. Many restaurants use direct orders for regulars and aggregators for new customers.
Can your team set this up for us?
Yes. Our agency team can set up bookings, opt-in QR codes, festival campaigns and Google profile improvements, and run local ads judged by bookings. Or set it up yourself during the trial; most restaurants get bookings and reminders running in an afternoon. Work is month to month.