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Why enter meal times, and how do you configure it?

In this article, you’ll discover the importance of setting meal durations for services, and how to configure them.


Summary

  1. Why the Meal Duration feature matters
  2. Set up meal durations from the web application
  3. Set up meal durations from the iOS and Android apps
  4. Common cases & FAQs
  5. Support & Related articles


What you need to know

Meal duration is the amount of table time allocated to each reservation, meaning how long your customer can enjoy their table before the next booking. This information is used to calculate real-time availability both in your digital notebook and on the online booking module. Whether or not you do table turnover, it’s best to check the meal durations set for your services.


1. Why the Meal Duration feature matters

  • The time spent at the table varies depending on the occasion, your clientele, your internal process, etc. Personalize your durations to fit your venue.
  • They help you optimize your occupancy by planning table turnover or not.
  • They let you organize double services, if you want. Or, conversely, make sure your customers can stay as long as they like.
  • When set correctly, they help you avoid overbooking situations, such as a guest arriving before their table is free.


2. Set up meal durations from the web application

  • Go to Settings > Service & Reservations > Services.
  • Click on your service to edit it.
  • Go to the "Meal duration" section (in the second tab, "Capacity limits").
  • Some durations are pre-set. Adjust them to your needs by clicking on the duration field.
  • Save and close at the bottom of the page.
  • Repeat this for all your services and special services.


3. Set up meal durations from the iOS and Android apps

This can only be done on the iOS app. If you use Android, access your account from the web app to configure this.
  • Go to Settings > Reservations > Service types
  • Click on your service to edit it.
  • Go to the "Reservation duration list" section.
  • Some durations are pre-set. Adjust them as needed by clicking on the duration field.
  • Save at the top right of the page.
  • Repeat this for all your services and special services.


3. Common cases & FAQs

Common cases

  • My reservations turn over too quickly. Check the meal durations set in your services. Also check exceptional services and the list of custom slots.
  • My regulars or groups stay at the table longer. You can manually adjust the meal duration for a specific booking. Just click to edit it and adjust the "Reservation duration" field.

FAQ

  • Can I have different durations for different services? Yes, you can set specific durations for each service.
  • Is the meal duration visible to the customer? No, this information is for the restaurant only—unless you enable "Show end time of reservation" on your booking module.


4. Support & Related articles

Contact our support team

For further assistance, feel free to contact Zenchef support via the Chatbot in your client area or by visiting our help center.