DABL Restaurant Reservations — WordPress Booking Plugin for Restaurants
Let your guests book tables online 24/7. DABL Restaurant Reservations gives your restaurant a professional booking form, automated email confirmations, and a staff dashboard — all built into WordPress.
Why Restaurants Choose DABL for Online Reservations
Managing reservations by phone is slow and error-prone. DABL Restaurant Reservations replaces your pen-and-paper system with a modern booking form that works around the clock — no third-party platforms, no commissions, no monthly fees from services like OpenTable or Resy.
- Accept reservations 24/7 — Guests book directly on your website, even outside business hours
- Automated guest emails — Confirmation, reminder, and cancellation emails are sent automatically
- Fully customizable booking form — Match your restaurant's branding with custom colors, fonts, and fields
- Staff confirmation workflow — Auto-approve bookings or manually review each request
- Works with any WordPress theme — Tested with Divi, Astra, GeneratePress, Kadence, and more
- No per-booking fees — Unlike OpenTable or Resy, you pay nothing per guest
How It Works — 3 Simple Steps
- Install and activate — Download DABL Restaurant Reservations from WordPress.org or upload the Pro version. Set your opening hours under Reservations > Settings > Availability.
- Add the booking form — Place the
[dabl_rr_form]shortcode on any page or use the Gutenberg block. Customize the form design to match your site. - Manage bookings from your dashboard — View reservations on the admin calendar, confirm or cancel from the staff portal, and let automated emails handle guest communication.
Everything You Need to Manage Restaurant Reservations
Booking & Scheduling
- Mobile-friendly reservation form that works on any device
- Live calendar view for staff and administrators
- Configurable time slots (5, 10, 15, 20, 30, or 60 minute intervals)
- Set minimum notice and maximum advance booking windows
- Large party thresholds with custom duration settings
Table & Availability Management
- Define tables with labels and seating capacities
- Upload a floorplan image for visual table reference
- Block reservations for holidays, private events, or specific time ranges
- Set weekly hours of operation with per-day open and close times
Communication & Workflow
- Automated email notifications to guests and staff
- Customizable email templates with placeholder tags
- Auto-approve or manual staff confirmation workflow
- Dedicated "Restaurant Staff" user role for delegation
Design & Customization (Pro)
- Full color control — background, text, borders, buttons, and calendar
- Gradient backgrounds (linear or radial)
- Border thickness, corner radius, font size controls
- Gutenberg block editor support
DABL Restaurant Reservations vs. Other Booking Solutions
| Feature | DABL Restaurant Reservations | OpenTable | Resy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per-booking fee | None | $1–$7.50/cover | $249–$899/mo |
| Lives on your website | ✅ | ❌ (external widget) | ❌ (external widget) |
| You own your data | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Full design customization | ✅ | Limited | Limited |
| One-time annual price | Free / $98/yr Pro | $39–$449/mo + fees | $249–$899/mo |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is DABL Restaurant Reservations free?
Yes. The free version on WordPress.org includes the booking form, staff portal, admin calendar, email notifications, and table management. The Pro version adds advanced design customization, gradient backgrounds, and priority support.
Does it work with my WordPress theme?
DABL Restaurant Reservations is compatible with all standard WordPress themes including Divi, Astra, GeneratePress, Kadence, OceanWP, and more. It uses a simple shortcode or Gutenberg block to embed the form on any page.
Can guests receive automatic confirmation emails?
Yes. You can enable auto-approve in the settings to send guests an instant confirmation email when they submit a reservation. Alternatively, use the staff confirmation workflow to manually review each booking before confirming.
How is this different from OpenTable or Resy?
DABL Restaurant Reservations lives directly on your WordPress site — you own your data, pay no per-booking fees, and have full control over the design. OpenTable and Resy charge monthly fees plus per-cover charges and host your data on their platforms.
Can I block reservations for holidays or private events?
Yes. Under Reservations > Settings > Availability, you can block full days or specific time ranges within a date range. Blocked dates appear greyed out on the calendar and in the guest-facing date picker.
