Restaurant waitlist software

Walk-ins deserve a warm welcome too.

A busy door shouldn't mean a paper list, forgotten names and uncertainty about who's next. SitDownHQ gives host teams a way to record waiting parties, track their progress and move them into the same service workflow as reservations.

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Restaurant service

One workspace

One place to keep the queue moving.

Bookings and availability
Tables and live floor
Guest profiles and notes
Access and operating controls

Illustrative feature overview, not a live restaurant dashboard.

Made for hospitality teams

Less admin. More attention to every guest.

Record walk-ins clearly

Add a waiting party with a guest name, group size, optional contact information and an estimated waiting time, with room for useful notes.

Know who is ready

Keep track of guests who are waiting or ready, with status updates that help hosts coordinate a busy arrival period.

Seat from the waitlist

When tables become available, move a waiting party into the seating flow, rather than treating walk-ins and bookings as disconnected queues.

What it helps you manage

Designed around real restaurant workflows.

A live host-team waitlist

See currently waiting and ready parties at the location, along with join times, quoted waits and relevant information supplied by the guest.

Status transitions

Move entries through waiting, ready, seated, left or cancelled outcomes according to the actual service decision.

Table-ready messages

Where guest contact details and the relevant messaging service are configured, the platform can send a table-ready SMS. Delivery depends on the venue's communication settings.

Access and accountability

Waitlist actions use the restaurant's location access and feature entitlements. Operational status changes are recorded in the platform.

Frequently asked questions

Can staff add guests without a reservation?

Yes. The waitlist flow is designed for walk-ins, with the party's name, size and optional contact details.

Can a waitlisted party be seated into the floor plan?

The service flow supports seating waiting guests onto selected tables, helping staff keep their floor information aligned.

Will guests automatically get text updates?

A table-ready text can be attempted when messaging is configured and the guest has a contact number. Restaurants should check their own messaging setup and consent obligations.

Is the waitlist included in every plan?

Waitlist features are controlled by the restaurant's subscription and configuration. Check the current plans and features before subscribing.

Ready to bring everything together?

Explore SitDownHQ and see how your team could manage reservations, tables and guest relationships in one place.

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