Saturday, full service, the phone rings – nobody can answer. And of the tables you turned other guests away for, one in five stays empty. We digitalise restaurants: table booking, AI phone, guest communication and reviews – connected to your POS.
No POS switch No per-cover portal fee Live in 4–6 weeks
… Saturday at half past seven for four, ideally by the window – my wife can't eat gluten, and it's her birthday …
AI actions during the call
Table 4 · window · Sat 19:30 reserved
Gluten noted in the guest profile – kitchen sees it
Gluten-free cake noted as pre-order
Confirmation with cancellation link via WhatsApp
1 in 5reservations doesn't show up (DEHOGA study 2022)
up to 10%of annual revenue is lost to no-shows (DEHOGA NRW)
69%of Austrian hospitality businesses feel the skills shortage (WKO)
< 5%no-show rate with confirmation, reminders and waiting list – at best below 1%
Sources: DEHOGA federal association and DEHOGA NRW (Germany), WKO, project data from hospitality.
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In short
InnovationLAB GmbH from Wörgl in Tyrol digitalises restaurants, inns, cafés, bars and event catering in Austria: table booking with table combinations and guest profiles, an AI phone assistant for reservations during service in 52+ languages, WhatsApp confirmation and reminders against no-shows, waiting lists, intolerances passed to the kitchen, review management and reporting on occupancy and average bill. Integrated with POS systems such as Gastronovi, Lightspeed or Orderman and channels such as TheFork – without switching POS. Our clients include the Ritterkuchl in Hall in Tirol.
What really happens
A full house.Empty tables.
Restaurants don't lose out in the kitchen, but on the phone, on paper and by chance – before, during and after the visit.
01
The phone rings – nobody can answer
During evening service nobody is free. The guest ends up on hold or hangs up, the reservation is gone. At peak times up to a third of calls go unanswered.
02
One table in five stays empty
Especially on popular Saturdays: other guests were turned away, and in the end the table is empty. Without confirmation and reminders it stays that way.
03
Allergy on a note. Never in the kitchen.
The gluten intolerance is on the front-desk notepad, gets lost in service and the kitchen knows nothing. The restaurant carries the risk – and the review follows.
04
Regulars come – but only by chance
Eight visits, always table 7, always Riesling – and no system knows. No personal welcome, no invitation when the favourite table is free.
Calculator
What do empty tablesreally cost you?
Five figures from your restaurant – and you see how much revenue is lost at empty tables every year. And how much of it comes back.
Simplified estimate: reservations × 52 weeks × avg. guests × no-show rate × avg. spend per guest. A target of 3% is realistic, 5% cautious, 1% best case. We measure your real rate in the operations analysis.
Solutions at a glance
From the first callto the five-star review.
Every module runs on its own. For most restaurants, phone and reminders are the biggest lever.
More and more guests let AI assistants find a restaurant and reserve a table. If the assistant can read your website, it books with you. If it can't, the booking goes to a portal.
Simplified example · request to an AI assistant“Restaurant in Innsbruck for Saturday, 4 people at 19:30, gluten-free options. Book the best one direct.”
Without agent-ready
Website opened – menu only as a PDF, no free tables readable
Phone only during opening hours, allergens unclear
On to the booking portal
Booked via a portalFee per guest · guest data with the portal
With agent-ready
Free tables, menu & allergens read – live from the booking system
Table 4 · window · Sat 19:30 · gluten-free dishes available
Booked via the restaurant's AI concierge
Booked directNo portal fee · intolerance already in the kitchen
Free tables, opening hours, menu and allergens machine-readable
Reservations direct – whether the guest calls, writes or their assistant asks
All tables, combinations, terrace, capacity per time slot and specifics – exactly for your restaurant, not a template.
03Development & integrationPOS & booking channels
Connection to Gastronovi, TheFork, Lightspeed, Orderman or your system – no switch, no interruption.
04Development & integrationLive in 4–6 weeks
Table booking and AI phone run; you see the first no-show reduction immediately because the reminder works from day one.
05Handover & operationsTeam training
Service, kitchen and management together: how does the waiter read the note on the tablet, how does the kitchen confirm a pre-order?
06Handover & operationsLegal compliance
GDPR for guest profiles and intolerances, allergen labelling of dishes, no-show fees under consumer protection law – checked before go-live.
07Handover & operationsOngoing optimisation
Monthly: no-show rate, reviews, occupancy by weekday – and what we improve next.
Compliance
Compliance is not an add-on.It is built in.
Data protection, industry regulation and accessibility are part of the build from day one – whichever modules you use.
Guest data & intolerances
Guest profiles GDPR-compliant on EU servers. Information on intolerances is health data (Art. 9 GDPR) – voluntary, with consent, visible only to service and kitchen.
Allergen information (EU 1169/2011)
You maintain the labelling of the 14 major allergens once per dish in the system – menu, website and AI answers then show it consistently everywhere.
Cash register rules (RKSV)
We read revenue from your POS; receipts and signatures stay in your certified cash register system.
Accessibility (BaFG/EAA)
Since June 2025 the accessibility requirements apply to online booking forms – we implement them from the start.
FAQ
Common questions.Clear answers.
Do I have to switch my POS?
No. We connect to Gastronovi, TheFork, Lightspeed, Orderman or your own system – no switch, no data migration, no interruption.
Can an AI really take table reservations?
Yes. On the phone and in chat it enters reservations straight into the table plan – with number of guests, occasion and wishes. For genuine exceptions it hands over to your team.
How do intolerances reliably reach the kitchen?
We ask with every reservation, voluntarily and with consent. The information sits in the guest profile and on the ticket or tablet in kitchen and service – not on a note. You maintain the allergen labelling of dishes once in the system.
How can I reduce no-shows?
WhatsApp confirmation with cancellation link, reminders 24 h and 2 h before, a waiting list for freed-up tables – and for groups a no-show fee agreed transparently in advance.
How do AI assistants like ChatGPT find my restaurant?
Only if they can read your website. We make free tables, opening hours, menu and allergens readable for those assistants – so they book direct with you instead of via a portal.
How long does the switch take?
Table booking and AI phone run in 4–6 weeks. You see the first no-show reduction immediately because the reminder works from the first day.
What does a digital booking system cost?
That depends on where you start – every module runs on its own, with no per-cover fee. In the free initial consultation we work out your potential; afterwards you receive a concrete quote.
In 30 minutes we show you how many calls and tables slip through today – and what confirmation, reminders and AI phone would bring you. Your POS stays where it is.
