Availability Management

Comprehensive guide to managing your venue's booking availability, capacity control, and special scheduling.

Overview

Availability management allows you to:

• Set when customers can book tables
• Control capacity per time slot
• Block dates for private events or closures
• Manage booking area availability
• Override availability for special occasions

Accessing Availability

Navigate to: Venue Management > All Venues > Manage Availability

Understanding Availability

Base Availability

Your base availability is determined by:

1. Opening Hours: Set in Edit Details > Opening Hours
2. Table Configuration: Total tables and capacity
3. Booking Areas: Different sections of your venue
4. Booking Settings: Slot duration and turnaround times

All availability rules build on top of this foundation.

Availability Calculation

System calculates available slots based on:

Available Slots = (Tables × Capacity) - (Confirmed Bookings) - (Blocked Capacity)

Calendar View

Monthly Calendar

View availability at a glance:

• Green: High availability (80%+ open)
• Yellow: Medium availability (40-79% open)
• Orange: Low availability (10-39% open)
• Red: Fully booked (<10% open)
• Gray: Closed or unavailable

Daily Timeline

Detailed day view:

• Time slots throughout the day
• Booking area breakdown
• Current bookings
• Available capacity
• Block reasons

Managing Capacity

Per-Slot Capacity Limits

Limit bookings per time slot:

1. Click on a time slot
2. Select "Edit Capacity"
3. Set maximum party size accepted
4. Set maximum reservations per slot (optional)
5. Save changes

Use cases:

• Limit bookings during peak service times
• Reserve capacity for walk-ins
• Manage kitchen workload
• Control staff-to-table ratio

Booking Area Capacity

Manage capacity by area:

1. Go to Booking Areas section
2. Select the area to configure
3. Set capacity limits:
   • Maximum simultaneous bookings
   • Maximum party size
   • Available tables
4. Apply time-based rules

Examples:

• Indoor vs. outdoor seating
• Bar area vs. dining room
• Private room availability
• Patio (weather-dependent)

Buffer Capacity

Reserve capacity for:

• Walk-ins: Hold tables for non-bookings
• VIP reservations: Emergency or special guests
• Staff adjustments: Operational flexibility

Set buffer percentage or fixed table count.

Blocking Availability

Block Single Dates

Block specific dates:

1. Click date on calendar
2. Select "Block Date"
3. Choose scope:
   • Entire venue
   • Specific booking area
   • Specific time slots
4. Add reason (optional):
   • Private event
   • Venue closure
   • Maintenance
   • Holiday
   • Staff training
   • Other
5. Save block

Block Date Ranges

Block multiple consecutive dates:

1. Click "Block Dates" button
2. Select start and end dates
3. Choose scope and reason
4. Confirm block

Common use cases:

• Annual holidays (Christmas, New Year)
• Renovation periods
• Staff retreats
• Seasonal closures

Block Time Slots

Block specific times on specific days:

1. Navigate to date
2. Select time slot(s)
3. Click "Block Selected"
4. Choose reason
5. Confirm

Use cases:

• Pre-service prep time
• Staff meetings during service
• Equipment maintenance
• Special deliveries

Recurring Blocks

Set recurring unavailability:

1. Click "Recurring Blocks"
2. Select pattern:
   • Weekly (e.g., closed Mondays)
   • Monthly (e.g., first Monday of each month)
   • Custom pattern
3. Set duration (time slots affected)
4. Add reason
5. Save pattern

Viewing Blocks

See all blocked dates:

1. Go to "Blocked Dates" tab
2. View list of all blocks
3. Filter by:
   • Date range
   • Reason
   • Booking area
   • Status (active/past)
4. Edit or delete blocks

Special Availability Rules

Minimum Party Size

Set minimum party size requirements:

By Time:

• Weekday lunches: 1+ guests (any size welcome)
• Friday dinners: 2+ guests minimum
• Saturday prime time: 4+ guests minimum

By Area:

• Bar area: 1+ (singles welcome)
• Main dining: 2+ minimum
• Private room: 8+ minimum

Maximum Party Size

Override maximum allowable party:

Default: Set in Booking Settings (applies always)

Time-based overrides:

• Peak times: Reduce maximum
• Off-peak: Increase maximum
• Weekend brunches: Limit to smaller groups

Advance Booking Windows

Control how far ahead bookings can be made:

Standard Window: Set in Booking Settings

Special Windows:

• Holiday periods: Allow 90 days ahead
• Regular weeks: Allow 30 days
• Last-minute specials: Same-day only

1. Go to "Booking Windows"
2. Add special period
3. Set custom advance days
4. Save rule

Last-Minute Bookings

Configure same-day booking rules:

• Cutoff time: How close to dining time bookings allowed
• Minimum notice: Hours required in advance
• Capacity limits: Reserve some tables for advance bookings

Examples:

• Accept bookings up to 30 minutes before slot
• Require 2 hours notice for large parties
• Stop taking bookings 1 hour before closing

Override Rules

Manual Overrides

Override automated availability:

Increase Capacity:

1. Select time slot
2. Click "Override"
3. Increase available slots
4. Add reason (extra staffing, special request)
5. Confirm override

Decrease Capacity:

1. Select time slot
2. Reduce available slots
3. State reason (staffing issue, maintenance)
4. Confirm reduction

Use cases:

• Extra staff available unexpectedly
• Equipment malfunction reducing capacity
• Weather affecting outdoor seating
• Last-minute private event

Emergency Closures

Immediately close booking availability:

1. Click "Emergency Closure" button (red)
2. Select affected dates
3. Choose notification method:
   • Email customers with bookings
   • SMS alert (if enabled)
   • Both
4. Add closure message
5. Confirm closure

System automatically:

• Blocks all new bookings
• Displays closure message to customers
• Sends notifications to affected bookings
• Updates venue status

Integration with Other Features

Private Events

Private events automatically:

• Block affected time slots
• Remove booking areas from availability
• Show "Private Event" status
• Prevent conflicting bookings

See Private Events documentation.

Tables & Floor Plan

Availability reflects:

• Tables marked as unavailable
• Out-of-service tables
• Tables under maintenance
• Reconfigured table layouts

Changes in table configuration instantly update availability.

Booking Areas

Booking area changes affect availability:

• Adding new area increases capacity
• Removing area decreases capacity
• Area-specific blocks
• Seasonal area activation (e.g., patio opening)

Weather-Dependent Availability

Outdoor Area Management

For weather-dependent areas (patios, gardens):

Manual Management:

1. Check weather forecast
2. Block outdoor area if needed
3. Notify customers with outdoor bookings
4. Offer indoor alternatives

Automated Options:

• Weather API integration (coming soon)
• Automatic notifications
• Customer preference updates

Alternative Seating

When blocking outdoor areas:

• Offer indoor alternative
• Automatic rebooking option
• Priority for moved guests
• Compensation options (discount, upgrade)

Holiday & Special Occasion Management

Holiday Periods

Manage busy periods:

1. Go to "Special Periods"
2. Add holiday period
3. Configure special rules:
   • Extended opening hours
   • Modified capacity
   • Increased advance booking window
   • Special pricing or minimums
4. Set customer messaging

Common Holidays:

• Christmas season
• New Year's Eve
• Valentine's Day
• Mother's Day
• Easter
• Thanksgiving

Special Event Days

For special venue events:

• Tasting menus
• Wine pairing dinners
• Chef's table events
• Live music nights
• Theme nights

Configure:

• Limited availability
• Special booking requirements
• Custom messaging
• Minimum party size
• Prepayment requirements

Notifications & Customer Communication

Availability Change Notifications

Notify customers when changing availability:

Automatic Notifications For:

• Blocked dates with existing bookings
• Capacity reductions affecting bookings
• Emergency closures
• Opening hours changes

Notification Content:

• Reason for change
• Impact on their booking
• Alternative options
• Contact information
• Apology/explanation

Messaging on Booking Page

Display availability messages:

• Limited capacity warnings
• Special requirements
• Booking conditions
• Waitlist availability

Customize per period or date.

Waitlist Integration

When fully booked:

Automatic Waitlist:

• Offer waitlist option automatically
• Notify from waitlist when availability opens
• Priority booking for waitlist members

See Waitlist documentation.

Reporting & Analysis

Availability Metrics

Track availability performance:

• Utilization rate: Percentage of capacity filled
• Peak availability: Times when fully booked
• Underutilized periods: Low booking times
• Block frequency: How often you block dates

Optimization Insights

System suggests:

• "Thursday evenings often underbooked - consider promotion"
• "Frequently blocking outdoor area - adjust default availability?"
• "Weekend brunches quickly book up - increase capacity or slots"

Multi-Venue Availability

For multiple venues:

Consolidated View

See availability across venues:

• All venues calendar
• Comparative capacity
• Transfer bookings between venues
• Synchronized closures

Cross-Venue Rules

Apply blocks to all venues:

• Company holidays
• System maintenance
• Staff training days

API Integration

For API users:

Real-Time Availability:

• Query available slots
• Check capacity
• Respect blocks and overrides
• Update in real-time

See API Documentation for endpoints.

Mobile Management

Manage on mobile:

• View daily availability
• Quick block/unblock dates
• Emergency closure button
• Capacity adjustments
• Push notifications for issues

Best Practices

Planning Ahead

✓ Do:

• Review and block holidays well in advance
• Communicate closures early
• Keep recurring blocks updated
• Monitor utilization patterns
• Plan capacity strategically

Capacity Management

✓ Do:

• Leave buffer for walk-ins
• Adjust based on actual patterns
• Consider kitchen capacity
• Match staff availability
• Test capacity increases gradually

✗ Don't:

• Frequently cancel confirmed bookings
• Over-promise capacity
• Ignore utilization data
• Block without communicating
• Forget to unblock after events

Customer Communication

✓ Do:

• Explain blocks when possible
• Offer alternatives when blocking
• Give advance notice
• Be transparent about capacity
• Apologize for inconveniences

Regular Review

Schedule regular reviews:

• Weekly: Next 2 weeks capacity
• Monthly: Upcoming month and special dates
• Quarterly: Seasonal planning
• Annually: Holiday period strategy

Troubleshooting

Availability Not Updating

Check:

• Browser cache (clear and refresh)
• Opening hours are set correctly
• Tables are properly configured
• No conflicting blocks
• Time zone settings

Customers Can't Book Available Slots

Possible causes:

• Booking window limits
• Minimum/maximum party size rules
• Hidden/inactive booking areas
• Draft status (venue not published)
• Advance booking days limit

Over/Under Booked

Solutions:

• Review capacity calculations
• Check table configuration
• Verify booking area settings
• Adjust buffer capacity
• Audit override history

Double Bookings Occurring

System prevents double bookings, but check:

• Manual reservations bypassing system
• API integration issues
• Concurrent booking race conditions
• Table assignment conflicts

Contact support if issues persist.

Related Documentation

• Opening Hours - Set base opening hours
• Tables - Configure table capacity
• Booking Areas - Define venue sections
• Booking Settings - Booking rules
• Private Events - Private event blocking
• Waitlist - Manage waitlist when full

Need Help?

Contact support:

• Email: [email protected]
• WhatsApp: https://wa.me/message/GPBDMIVKYIELE1

Our team can help optimize your availability strategy and resolve technical issues.