Messages land during the rush
Between 7 and 9 in the evening nobody on the floor can stop to check the book and reply.
WhatsApp Automation · Restaurants & cafés
WhatsApp Table Reservations for Restaurants and Cafés
“Table for six on Friday at 8, one vegetarian, it’s my dad’s birthday.” That message arrives at the busiest moment of service. We build the WhatsApp assistant that takes it, checks the book, confirms the table and notes the cake, so the floor team can keep serving.
For restaurants, cafés, bistros and takeaways in Mauritius, on the official WhatsApp Business Platform.
From $9 a month plus usage. See pricing →- Tables booked while you’re in service
- Reminders that cut down no-shows
- Group and event requests go to the manager
Demo conversation (fictional business and customer)
- Customer: Hi! Table for 6 this Friday around 8pm? One of us is vegetarian, and it’s my dad’s birthday 🎂
- Restaurant reservations: Happy birthday to your dad! For 6 on Friday we can seat you at: • 19:30 on the terrace • 20:15 inside There are several vegetarian mains on the menu.
- Customer: 20:15 inside is perfect
- Reservation added, birthday and vegetarian noted
- Restaurant reservations: All set ✅ Friday 20:15, table for 6, inside. We’ve noted the birthday. You’ll get a reminder on Friday morning.
Demo conversation (fictional business and customer)
Test our WhatsApp AI assistant yourself.
Try it on WhatsAppThe problem
Why WhatsApp bookings slip through during service
Guests write when they are making plans, which is often exactly when your team is busiest.
Empty tables from no-shows
A party of eight that never turns up on a Saturday is a table you turned other people away for.
Event enquiries left half-answered
A birthday dinner for 30 needs a date, a budget and a menu choice. In a busy chat, those details get scattered or lost.
The same five questions
“Are you open on Monday?”, “Do you have parking?”, “Is there a kids’ menu?” Every day, from different people.
Workflows
Restaurant workflows on WhatsApp
A table booking, a private event and a takeaway question each need a different ending: one is confirmed by the assistant, the other two reach a person with the details ready.
Can we get a table for 4 tomorrow at 7.30?
- Reads the party size, date and time
- Checks the reservation book for a free table
- Offers the nearest times if 19:30 is full
- Notes dietary needs or a special occasion on the booking
- Table confirmed
We’re looking to book the restaurant for 35 people in December
- Asks for the date, number of guests and type of event
- Collects menu preferences and any budget the guest wants to share
- Sends the summary to the manager
- Tells the guest when to expect a reply
- Enquiry with the manager
Can I order the lamb curry for pick-up at 12.30?
- Answers from your menu and takeaway hours
- Passes the order request to the kitchen or counter
- The team confirms in the same chat
- Order questions later go to whoever is on shift
- Request passed to the kitchen
Example flows. Table sizes, booking limits and what gets handed over are set to match your restaurant.
AI, automation, people
Who handles what between the chat and the floor
AI
Reads messages the way guests write them
Nobody books with a form in WhatsApp. They write “2 adults 2 kids sat lunch, high chair pls”.
- Picks out party size, date, time and requests
- Answers menu, opening hours and location questions from your information
- Replies in English, French or Kreol Morisien
Automation
Keeps the reservation book straight
Bookings, changes and reminders follow your rules, including how many covers you take per slot.
- Adds, moves and cancels reservations
- Sends the confirmation and the reminder on the day
- Frees the table as soon as a guest cancels
Human
The manager makes the calls that matter
Some requests need someone who knows the room, the kitchen and the regulars.
- Private events, set menus and large groups
- Serious allergy questions the kitchen must confirm
- Complaints after a visit
- Anyone who asks to speak to the manager
Instant answers
Questions answered without anyone picking up the phone
The assistant answers from the information you give it and keep up to date. When it does not know, it says so and passes the question on.
Menu and dishes
“Is the sea bass available tonight?” “Do you have a vegan option?” Answered from your current menu and daily specials.
Opening hours
Including public holidays and any days you close for a private event.
Getting there
Address, a map link, parking and the easiest way in from the main road.
House rules
Kids’ menu, high chairs, whether guests can bring their own wine, how long a table is held.
Custom orders
Cakes, catering and orders made to measure
Birthday cakes, platters for an office lunch, a christening buffet: custom orders arrive on WhatsApp as a string of half-answers and photos. The assistant asks for everything in one go (date, number of guests, flavours or menu, dietary needs, pick-up or delivery) and keeps the inspiration photos with the order.
Your team confirms the price, the deposit and whether the date is possible. The assistant never promises a design or a delivery slot on its own, and it sends a reminder before pick-up once the order is confirmed.
- Order details collected step by step, not over ten messages
- Inspiration photos kept with the order for the kitchen
- Deposit request or payment link once your team confirms
- Reminder the day before pick-up or delivery
One reservation
A reservation, from first message to review
- 01
The booking
The guest writes in, picks a time and the table is booked with any notes on diet or occasion.
- 02
The confirmation
Date, time, party size and address arrive in the same chat straight away.
- 03
The reminder
On the day, an approved template reminds the guest and asks them to reply if plans have changed.
- 04
The change or cancellation
One reply moves the booking or releases the table, so it can go to someone on the waiting list.
- 05
After the meal
Guests who agreed receive a thank-you with a link to your Google review page. The same link goes to everyone who opted in.
Integrations
Works with your reservation book
If your reservation or ordering system has an API or webhooks, WhatsApp bookings can go straight into it. If you still use a paper book or a shared spreadsheet, we can put a simple online reservation calendar behind the WhatsApp flow.
- Google Calendar or Google Sheets
- Reservation software with an API
- Your website’s booking or menu page
- Online ordering or POS with an API
- Deposit payments (MCB, Stripe, PayPal)
- Instagram and Messenger in the same inbox
What changes
What changes in the restaurant
Fewer interruptions on the floor
Staff stop leaving tables to answer booking messages.
Guests who remember their booking
A reminder on the day, and an easy way to cancel, means fewer tables left empty.
Event enquiries that arrive complete
The manager gets date, numbers and preferences in one summary.
A steady flow of review requests
Sent after the visit, only to guests who agreed to hear from you.
Pricing
Simple pricing: one monthly plan plus a wallet
Connect your WhatsApp number to Artover Chat yourself, in a few minutes. You pay a fixed monthly subscription, and you add credit to a Usage Wallet that pays for AI replies and WhatsApp messages as you use them. Messenger and Instagram can be connected too, at no extra subscription.
Artover Chat
$9/ month
No setup fee, no contract. Cancel any time.
- AI assistant that answers from your own business information
- Your WhatsApp Business number on the official platform
- Facebook Messenger and Instagram messages in the same inbox, included
- Shared inbox: your team takes over any conversation
- Leads, bookings and reminders
- Replies in English, French and Kreol Morisien
- Web app and mobile app
Usage Wallet
Top up from $5 ($10, $25, $50, $100, $200). Each AI reply and each message you send is deducted as it happens, and you see every charge. Set a low-balance alert or automatic top-up so your assistant never stops.
Pay in US dollars with PayPal or a card, or in Mauritian rupees by bank transfer.
Create your account and connect WhatsApp. Try your assistant free with 25 test messages before you subscribe.
Estimate your monthly cost
Move the sliders to match your business.
Customers who message you
Customers who write to you on WhatsApp
Meta doesn’t charge for these messages: you pay only for AI replies
Messages you send first (WhatsApp)
Booking reminders, order and payment updates
Only to customers who agreed to receive them
- Subscription
- $9.00
- WhatsApp usage
- $3.51
- Messenger and Instagram usage
- $0.00
- Estimated total per month
- $12.51
A $10 top-up covers about a month.
Need custom integrations (booking system, WooCommerce, CRM)? Those are quoted separately after a free discovery call. Request a consultation →
Restaurant WhatsApp reservations: FAQ
Can guests reserve a table on WhatsApp without calling the restaurant?
Yes. They write the party size and time, the assistant checks your reservation book, offers what is free and confirms the table in the chat. Notes such as a birthday or a high chair are saved with the booking.
Does a WhatsApp reminder really help with no-shows?
A reminder on the day gives guests an easy way to say their plans have changed, which turns a silent no-show into a cancelled booking you can give to someone else. It is sent as a Meta-approved template to guests who agreed to receive it.
How are large groups and private events handled?
The assistant collects the date, number of guests, type of event and preferences, then sends the summary to your manager. It does not confirm events or set menus by itself unless you tell it to.
What about allergies and dietary requests?
Simple preferences such as vegetarian are noted on the booking. For serious allergies, the assistant passes the question to the team so the kitchen can answer it, rather than guessing what is in a dish.
Can it take takeaway or delivery orders?
It can answer questions about the menu and takeaway hours and pass order requests to the kitchen or counter for confirmation. If you use an ordering system with an API, orders can be connected to it as a custom build.
Can we ask guests for a Google review on WhatsApp?
Yes, for guests who opted in. After the visit they receive a thank-you message with a link to your Google review page. The same message goes to every guest who agreed, without filtering.
Does it work with our reservation system?
If the system offers an API or webhooks, we can connect WhatsApp bookings to it. If it does not, or you use a paper book, we can set up a simple online calendar that the team checks during service.
How much does it cost for a restaurant?
Artover Chat is billed as a monthly plan plus a usage wallet that covers AI replies and WhatsApp messages. Current prices and a cost simulator are in the pricing section of this page. Connecting a reservation or POS system is quoted separately after a free discovery call.
Let the floor team focus on the guests in front of them
Tell us how reservations and questions reach your restaurant today. We’ll show you what WhatsApp can take care of before the next busy weekend.