In this article, you'll find out how to block (or unblock) a table for a given service or for an extended period of time, to make it non-bookable.
Summary
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Block a table for one specific service
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Block a table for a long period of time
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Frequent case & FAQs
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Support & related articles
What you need to know
Table blocking allows you to make a table temporarily or permanently non-bookable, without having to change your seating plan. This can be useful in the event of breakage, reorganisation or temporary unavailability. It allows you to adjust the availability in your restaurant.
Tables can be blocked for a specific service or for a longer period.
A blocked table cannot be booked online but you can add manually a reservation on it.
Blocking a table will only have an impact on your restaurant availability if you have activated the Table inventory feature.
1. Block a table for one specific service
How to block a table for a specific service:
- Go to your Zenchef backend.
- Click on ‘reservations’ in the top left corner
- First, select the right service for which you would like to block the table -> LUNCH or DINER on the top bar.
- Select/ click the table you want to block.
- The pop up will show and you will see the ‘block a table’ button
- Provide a reason to block the table.
- The table is now blocked and cannot be reserved online.
How to unblock a table for a specific service:
- To unblock the table, select the right service again and click on the table again and choose “de-block the table”
2. Block a table for a long period of time
How to block a table long-term:
- To block a table for a longer period of time, go to settings at the left bottom corner
- Select Service and Experiences > Areas and tables > layout.
- Select for which area in your restaurant you want to adjust the tableplan and click on ‘Edit room’.
- Now, click on the table you want to block for a longer period of time and de-select the blue button ‘Bookable’ on the left side of the table plan.
- The table is now blocked and cannot be booked online, for all services to come.
How to unblock a table long-term:
- Go back to the settings > Areas & tables > Edit Room
- Click on the table you want to unblock
- tick the field "bookable" on the left.
3. Common Cases & FAQs
Common Cases
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I want to always keep two tables reserved for my regular customers.
To do this, use the “block a table for a longer period of time” feature described above. -
One of my tables is broken and I want to block it for tonight’s service.
To do this, use the “block a table for a specific service” feature described above.
FAQs
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How do I know if a table is blocked?
The table will appear greyed out on the floor plan, and a tooltip will display the reason if one has been added. -
Can I block multiple tables at once?
You can block multiple tables, but you need to click each table one by one to do so. -
Can I manually add a reservation on a blocked table?
Yes, manual reservations are still possible.
4. Support & Related Articles
Contact our support team
For any further assistance, feel free to contact the Zenchef support team via the Chatbot available in your account, or by visiting our Help Center.