The short answer: keep what works about your paper diary (one place for every booking, quick to read during service) and fix the two things it can't do: let you see bookings when you're not at the venue, and let guests book when nobody is there to answer the phone. An online diary does both, and you can switch in an afternoon without upsetting regulars who like to call.
Why a paper diary works so well
Plenty of good independent venues run on a paper diary, and for good reasons. It's on the counter where everyone can see it. Nobody needs a password. It never crashes on a Friday night. Writing a booking takes five seconds.
So the question isn't whether paper is "old-fashioned". It's whether it still covers everything your venue needs.
The two things paper can't do
When owners tell us why they moved away from paper, the same two reasons come up again and again.
1. You can't see it from home
The diary lives at the venue. If you're at home planning tomorrow's staffing, or a co-owner wants to check whether Saturday is filling up, someone has to go in, call in, or send a photo of the page. Two people running a venue together can't both see the bookings unless they're standing at the same counter.
2. Nobody can book after you close
A paper diary only takes bookings while someone is there to answer the phone. But lots of people decide where to eat in the evening, at the weekend, or late at night on their phone. If they can't book then, many won't remember to call tomorrow. They'll book somewhere that lets them do it now.
In Cheeky Table, the Insights page shows how many of your online bookings arrived while you were closed, so you can see exactly what that gap was costing you.
What to look for in an online diary
You don't need a big system to replace a paper diary. You need something that does what the paper did, plus those two things:
- One diary for everything. Online bookings, phone bookings and walk-ins in the same place, so nothing gets double-booked.
- Quick to add a booking by hand. Phone bookings should take seconds, not a form with twenty fields.
- Works on a phone. So you and your co-owner can check bookings from anywhere.
- A booking page guests can use any time. Linked from your website, Instagram and Google profile.
- Email when a booking comes in. So you know about tomorrow's party of eight tonight, not when they walk in.
- A flat, low price. Not a fee for every guest who books.
How to switch in an afternoon
- Set up your hours and tables. Add your opening times for each day and the tables you have. This is what decides which times guests can book.
- Copy the bookings already in your diary. Add everything from today onwards, so the online diary is complete from day one.
- Share your booking link. Add it to your website, your Instagram bio and your Google Business Profile. Print a QR code for the counter and the menus, so guests can book their next visit before they leave.
- Keep answering the phone. Regulars who like to call still can. Add phone bookings to the online diary as you take them.
- Run both for a week if it helps. Some teams keep the paper diary alongside for the first week, then stop once everyone trusts the screen.
Keep the bits of paper you like
Moving online doesn't mean losing paper altogether. Many venues still like a sheet on the pass during service. With Cheeky Table you can print the day's bookings, or the floor plan with each table's bookings, before service starts, and get the day's bookings by email each morning.
Questions owners ask
Will my regulars still be able to phone? Yes. Keep taking phone bookings exactly as you do now, and add them to the same diary.
What if I need to accept or decline bookings myself? Turn off automatic confirmation. New bookings then wait for you to confirm, and you can confirm straight from the notification email.
Do guests need to download an app? No. Guests book on your booking page in any browser and get a confirmation email, with a reminder the morning before.
How much does it cost? Cheeky Table is one flat price a month with every feature included and no fee per guest. The first 100 venues get six months free, with no card needed to start.
Cheeky Table is a flat-price booking system for independent restaurants, cafés, pubs and wine bars: online bookings around the clock, one diary for phone bookings and walk-ins, and a diary you can check from anywhere. See pricing →