Text to join
Guests text "JOIN" (or your keyword) to your number. Bot asks party size, instantly returns estimated wait + position in line.
Run your restaurant · SMS-native waitlist
Skip the clipboard. Text to be seated.
Guests text to join the waitlist before they arrive. SMS updates the wait in real time. The table-ready text arrives when the host calls their name. No apps. No clipboards. No Yelp Waitlist fees.
Included at $0/month with Labrador Payments · No per-party fees
Capabilities
The waitlist, without the wait.
Real-time wait estimates
Wait time recalculates automatically based on table turns, party size, and time of day. No more "20 minutes" for 90 minutes.
Table-ready text
When the table is next, the guest gets a text: "Your table is ready. Head to the host stand." Two-way — they can confirm or release.
Host dashboard
Drag-and-drop the queue. Mark parties seated, remove no-shows, prioritize VIPs. Works on any tablet at the host stand.
AI phone adds callers too
Guests who call instead of text? AI phone attendant takes their name and party size, adds them to the same queue automatically.
Recognize regulars
Repeat guests are tagged automatically from your POS history. Host knows their name, preferences, and last-visit date at a glance.
By the numbers
Why text beats the clipboard.
0
Apps for guests to install
98%
SMS open rate
$0
Per-party fees
−40%
Walkaways at peak
Part of the stack
One line. Every guest touchpoint.
Text-ahead seating isn't a separate tool with its own contact list. It runs on the same SMS infrastructure as your marketing, AI phone, and reservation confirmations — so guests text one number and everything just works.
- Same business line as SMS marketing, phone system, and AI phone
- Waitlist data feeds into loyalty — every cover counts
- Phone callers routed by AI into the same queue
- Reservation + walk-in flows on one host dashboard
- POS recognizes the guest when they're seated
18
systems, one login
Everything integrated by default.
Related solutions
Works beautifully with
Questions, answered
Text-ahead seating FAQ
No. Everything runs on plain SMS. Guests text your number — that's it. Works on every phone, no install required, no account signup.
Yes — with better economics (no per-party fees) and tighter integration (same guest list as POS, loyalty, and SMS). Most restaurants see it as a clear upgrade, not a lateral move.
Configurable grace period (default 5–10 min). If no reply, the dashboard flags them, an automatic follow-up text goes out, and the host can release the table to the next party on the list.
Yes. Phone callers during peak hours are handled by AI phone, which gathers party size and contact number and adds them to the same queue the host is watching.
Absolutely. Host taps "Add walk-in" on the dashboard, enters party size and a phone number, and the guest gets the same SMS experience from that point forward.