As soon as the first warm evenings arrive, your restaurant changes. The terrace opens, tourists drop by, regulars want to sit outside and your team plans holidays. More demand, a different service rhythm and less room for mistakes.
Without preparation that leads to overbooking, empty tables from no-shows or reservations on days you are closed. With a tight plan you stay in control and make the most of summer. In this article you walk through step by step what to set up in Restotailor before terrace season begins.
Set up your terrace and table plan
Your terrace is not an extension of your dining room, it is a separate space with its own capacity and dynamics. In Restotailor you create a separate table plan per room: indoor dining room, outdoor terrace, perhaps a courtyard or upper floor. Draw your terrace tables, set seats per table and use recognisable labels such as "Terrace 3" or "Sunset corner". Your team immediately sees who sits where and the system links online reservations to the right spot. Read more in our article on the table plan for your restaurant.
Activate terrace tables only when your terrace is actually open. On rainy Mondays or early spring you turn the room off with one click, without changing your entire setup. Check per zone how many covers you can seat indoors and outdoors. Those figures are your basis for realistic online availability and for conversations with your team about occupancy per shift.
Adjust reservation rules for summer
What works in winter does not always fit summer. Guests stay longer in good weather, groups arrive later and your kitchen sometimes runs two services in one evening. Think about a longer reservation duration on the terrace, different party sizes or extra time between two services so your kitchen can switch. Set this now in your reservation settings, so online bookings arrive correctly from day one and your team does not have to reshuffle tables afterwards.
Want the terrace reservable only in good weather? Keep part of your tables offline for online booking and schedule them manually when the weather cooperates. That way you keep control without disappointing guests when rain suddenly arrives. Combine that with clear communication in your confirmation email: "In bad weather we move your reservation indoors."
Check summer opening hours
Many restaurants adjust their hours in summer: extra service on Sunday, later opening on Thursday, early closing on Monday or a separate terrace shift. Check whether your opening hours in Restotailor match what guests expect. Your reservation widget only shows available slots based on those settings. Outdated hours lead to phone calls, frustration and reservations at times you are not ready.
Update your Google profile and website as soon as your summer hours are fixed. Inconsistency between what Google shows and what your widget offers is a common source of misunderstandings. One source of truth in Restotailor, and the same information everywhere guests find you.
Plan closing days and team holidays
Summer also means holidays for your team and exceptional closing days. Record those before guests book online, not afterwards when bookings are already in. In Restotailor you register absences and closing days so no reservations come in when you are closed. That avoids awkward phone calls and cancellations that damage your reputation.
Planning a terrace renovation or a short break after a busy period? Block those days well in advance. Guests who book a month ahead expect that reservation to stand. Clear planning in the system protects both your team and the guest experience.
Reduce no-shows on busy summer evenings
Summer evenings are popular and every empty table hurts extra when demand is high. Check that your confirmation emails and reminders are active. They are included automatically in your Restotailor subscription. A reminder 24 hours before the reservation makes a noticeable difference, especially at weekends.
Consider a deposit for busy summer slots: Friday and Saturday evenings, holidays or groups from six people. You do not penalise every guest, but protect your most vulnerable moments. More background and legal context in our articles on deposits when booking and reducing no-shows. Combine that with a waitlist so an empty table is filled quickly.
Check your reservation widget
Your widget is the first thing online guests see. Walk through it before the season starts. Is your intro text correct? Do you mention that the terrace is open and under what conditions? Are your party sizes and maximum number of guests correct? A clear widget means fewer phone calls and more direct bookings via your own website.
Use the offer function to show a summer promotion or new terrace menu when booking. Guests arriving via Instagram or a newsletter immediately see the same message as in your campaign. That connects marketing to your booking flow. No widget on your site yet? Follow our step-by-step guide for online reservations on your own website.
Promote your terrace and summer menu
Being technically ready is step one. Step two is getting guests excited about your terrace. Share atmosphere photos on social media, send a targeted mailing via your guest profiles and always link to the same reservation page. More on timing and content in our article on email marketing for restaurants.
Then measure what works. In Restotailor Analytics you see where your summer reservations come from: website, socials or other sources. That way you know whether that terrace post on Instagram actually fills tables, or whether Google delivers the most. Invest in what pays off, not what only gets likes.
Conclusion
Summer season does not need a new system, but a focused check of what you already have. Add your terrace to the table plan, adjust reservation rules and opening hours, block holidays on time and protect busy evenings against no-shows. Update your widget and promotion so guests know your terrace is open. Everything is in Restotailor, included in €65 per month, with no commission on reservations. Take an hour before the first warm Friday evening: your team and revenue will notice the difference.