The WhatsTable blog
Every table counts. Here's how to fill more of them.
Plain-English playbooks for independent restaurant owners: AI that works for you, more direct orders, a fuller book and fewer fees. Real numbers, real sources, no fluff.
29 playbooks Updated Nov 12, 2026 RSS feed
- Marketing A restaurant marketing plan for 2027, month by month Build a 2027 restaurant marketing plan: three goals, a tracked budget, a 12-month calendar of checked dates, a weekly routine, the numbers to watch and a template. Nov 12, 2026 · 10 min read
- Fill tables Restaurant holiday marketing: a playbook for parties, catering and the busiest weeks A dated holiday playbook for restaurants: Thanksgiving pre-orders, office parties, December catering, New Year's Eve, deposits, staffing and a message calendar. Nov 12, 2026 · 10 min read
- AI How small restaurants can compete with the big chains (and win) What the big chains have, what independents have that money can't buy, and how affordable AI and tools now close the gap item by item. With real industry data. Nov 12, 2026 · 9 min read
- Marketing Why your restaurant isn't showing up on Google (and how to fix it) Why your restaurant isn't showing on Google Search or Maps, based on Google's own guidance: verification, suspensions, duplicates, hours, reviews and your website. Nov 12, 2026 · 9 min read
- Get more orders Why your restaurant website gets visits but not orders Visits but no orders? Find where guests drop off: order button, menu, phone speed, checkout steps, surprise fees, pickup times and trust. With funnel math. Nov 12, 2026 · 9 min read
- Get more orders GloriaFood is shutting down: what to do before your ordering stops GloriaFood ends service in 2027. What Oracle announced, what to save before it goes, a step-by-step move checklist and the options to compare. Nov 12, 2026 · 8 min read
- Clover The best online ordering for Clover restaurants, by who each one suits Online ordering options that work with Clover POS: Clover's own, DoorDash, Grubhub, ChowNow, Owner, Menufy, BentoBox and WhatsTable. Prices as of Nov 2026. Nov 12, 2026 · 8 min read
- Tech The best restaurant website builders, compared honestly Squarespace, Wix, BentoBox, Popmenu, Owner.com, Square Online and WhatsTable compared: pricing from each vendor's page as of Nov 2026, and who each suits. Nov 12, 2026 · 7 min read
- Marketing Restaurant SMS and email marketing: a practical guide How restaurants build a text and email list with consent, what to send each week, real benchmarks, and the TCPA and CAN-SPAM basics, with official sources. Nov 11, 2026 · 10 min read
- Marketing How to get more Google reviews for your restaurant Get more Google reviews the right way: when to ask, what to say, links and QR codes, replying, and what Google and the FTC ban, including review gating. Nov 11, 2026 · 9 min read
- Get more orders How to increase restaurant sales (without buying more ads) A practical plan for independent restaurants: stop losing orders, fill slow hours, raise the average check and bring regulars back. With real numbers. Nov 11, 2026 · 9 min read
- Catering & groups How to price catering for your restaurant (per person and per tray) A simple way for restaurants to price catering: cost each portion, pick a food cost target, add labor, packaging and delivery, then check the margin. Nov 11, 2026 · 9 min read
- Marketing Restaurant marketing ideas that bring in real guests 25 restaurant marketing ideas sorted by cost and effort, with what each needs, how to measure it, and the rules to follow. Built for busy owners. Nov 11, 2026 · 9 min read
- Money Restaurant profit and loss statement: a plain-English guide How to read a restaurant P&L: each line explained, prime cost, real benchmarks from the National Restaurant Association and a worked monthly example. Nov 11, 2026 · 9 min read
- Clover The best Clover apps for restaurants, sorted by the job they do Clover apps for restaurants by job: ordering, reservations, loyalty, scheduling, inventory, QuickBooks, marketing and AI phones. Prices as of Nov 2026. Nov 11, 2026 · 9 min read
- Money What changes for restaurants on January 1, 2027 Minimum and tipped wage increases in 16 states, Illinois' junk fee law, Connecticut sick leave and new W-2 tip reporting. What owners should do in December. Nov 11, 2026 · 9 min read
- Fill tables How to reduce restaurant no-shows (without scaring off guests) Real no-show rates, what they cost you, and the steps that work: easy cancelling, reminders, deposits for big tables and a fair, clear policy. Nov 11, 2026 · 8 min read
- Money Menu pricing and food cost percentage: the formula owners actually use How to price a menu item from food cost: the formula, typical food cost ranges, a worked plate costing and how to check your real food cost each month. Nov 11, 2026 · 8 min read
- Catering & groups Office lunch group orders: how restaurants win corporate catering How independent restaurants win office lunch and corporate catering: an office menu, one group order link, on-time delivery and easy invoicing. Nov 11, 2026 · 8 min read
- Marketing Restaurant loyalty program ideas that bring guests back How to build a restaurant loyalty program guests actually use: 8 program types, what rewards cost you, a setup checklist and the numbers to track. Nov 11, 2026 · 8 min read
- Get more orders Restaurant phone answering: how to stop losing calls during the rush What missed calls cost a restaurant, and an honest look at your options: staff, answering services and AI phone hosts, including what AI can't do. Nov 11, 2026 · 8 min read
- Marketing Restaurant promotions for slow days (that don't lose money) How to fill slow weeknights and dead afternoons without giving away your margin. 15 promotion ideas, a break-even example and a 4-week test plan. Nov 11, 2026 · 8 min read
- Catering & groups Uber is buying ezCater: what it means for your office catering Uber agreed to buy ezCater for about $2.3 billion. What ezCater charges restaurants today, what may change, and how to keep office clients ordering direct. Nov 11, 2026 · 8 min read
- Delivery apps DoorDash alternatives for restaurants: how to keep more of each order Ways restaurants sell without paying 15–30% per order: your own ordering, pickup, flat-fee couriers and phone orders. Costs as of Nov 2026. Nov 11, 2026 · 7 min read
- Delivery apps How much DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub charge restaurants How much DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub charge restaurants as of Nov 2026: plan rates, pickup fees, city caps and a worked monthly example. Nov 11, 2026 · 7 min read
- Get more orders How to get more online orders for a restaurant Practical steps to get more online orders: make ordering easy to find, fast on a phone, simple to pay, and worth coming back to. With a weekly checklist. Nov 11, 2026 · 7 min read
- Clover Clover online ordering: a plain guide for restaurant owners What Clover's own online ordering does, what it costs per Clover's pages as of Nov 2026, how to set it up step by step, and what owners add on top. Nov 11, 2026 · 6 min read
- Tech Restaurant website must-haves: the checklist owners actually need What every restaurant website needs: a text menu, hours, order and book buttons, fast mobile pages, real photos and accessibility. Free checklist inside. Nov 11, 2026 · 6 min read
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