Why Your Restaurant is Not Getting Bookings and How to Fix It

Great food and a beautiful venue aren’t enough nowadays. If your tables are still empty, it’s time to look at the full picture - from visibility and content, to your booking system and no-shows. Here are 7 of the most common reasons restaurants struggle with reservations and how to fix each one.

1) You are invisible on platforms where people discover new eateries.

If you’re not visible on Instagram, TikTok, Google and AI tools such as ChatGPT, you’re invisible. Most people discover venues online before they ever walk past your door.

Fix:

• Utilise short-form video consistently such as Instagram Reels and TikTok.

• Don’t just follow trends – set your unique brand tone to ensure sustainable growth.

• Get tagged by others. Partner with local creators, foodies or even customers.

• Consider incentivise sharing.

2) Your booking system is outdated and frustrating.

No one wants to call. And no one wants to click five times just to see if you have a table at 7:30pm. If your booking process is unclear, slow or old-school, you’re losing guests every single day.

Fix:

• Use a modern booking system with real-time availability and mobile-friendly UX.

• Embed the booking link on your website and in your Instagram bio (no “link in story” nonsense).

• Allow last-minute bookings and same-day cancellations.

• Send automated reminders 24 hours and 2 hours before to reduce no-shows.

3) Your content is not making anyone crave what you offer.

You can have great food and service but if your content doesn’t capture the energy, flavour and unique experience of your venue, it won’t convert. So stop posting basic iPhone pictures or overused Canva graphics.

Fix:

• Shoot content monthly (at minimum) that reflects your actual brand vibe.

• Focus on moments, not just dishes: movement, people laughing, sizzling, cocktails being made, etc.

• Stop using default ChatGPT for captions – spend extra time creating meaningful captions that drive emotion or urgency.

• Ideally, leave it to specialists like us - we specialise in hospitality marketing and have worked with hundreds of venues across Australia and New Zealand.

4) You are not managing no-show properly.

No-shows cost you more than empty seats - they throw off staffing, prep and revenue. Most can be reduced with systems, not luck.

Fix:

• Take soft deposits for weekends or large bookings.

• Send automated reminders the day before.

• Make cancelling easy (always better than a no-show).

• Slightly overbook during peak times, but only if you have reliable historical no-show data.

5) The mobile version of your website is built poor.

Over 70% of your potential diners will visit your website or booking page from their phone. If your site is slow, cluttered, or not mobile-optimised, they’ll bounce in seconds and book somewhere else - probably your direct competitor.

• Design your website mobile-first, not just mobile-friendly.

• Optimise load speed - no one waits more than 3 seconds.

• Make sure the booking button is immediately visible.

• Ditch pop-ups, sliders or unnecessary clicks.

• Test everything on mobile devices before launching.

6) Your menu is not online or is ugly.

People want to see your food before they commit. If your menu is outdated, in PDF form or missing entirely, they’ll move on to a place that shows them what they’re walking into.

• Add a mobile-optimised menu page to your website.

• Post a carousel of your best dishes monthly on Instagram.

• Avoid PDF menus - they’re annoying to open and rarely updated.

7) You are working with the wrong people.

A lot of agencies know how to make content; very few know how to grow restaurants properly. Most don’t understand timing, promos, margins or the difference between something that looks good and something that converts.

• Work with hospo-first agencies who have done this before.

• Ask for actual campaign results - not just moodboards or ideas.

• Align your content, strategy, and promotions into one system.

• Get in touch with us!

Want a full, detailed analysis on why your venue is not getting bookings?

Get in touch and book a Discovery Workshop with us. We usually charge for this service but if you mention that you found us through this article, you can access our Entry Session (20 minutes) for free.

We will audit your branding, marketing, booking flow, menu, staff and everything else to uncover exactly what’s holding you back.