New Software Caters To Asheville Restaurants

January marks a new era in the digital world of dining reservations.

Over a dozen Asheville-based restaurants, and more to follow, have joined Reserve, the latest in hospitality technology.

“We are super excited about the ambitious, award-winning food scene in Asheville, and are thrilled to help support it,” said Lisa Ganz, Reserve Marketing Manager.

Launched in 2014, Reserve is aimed at better connecting restaurants with their guests through its table management software. The company also helps guests discover restaurants and book reservations through its app and website, Reserve.com.

The software is gaining steam across the nation serving over 500 top restaurants in high-profile culinary cities. Many restaurants in Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, and San Francisco have already made the switch.

Beginning January 2017, Asheville will become the next city on Reserve’s radar, much thanks to the efforts of the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association (AIR).

As the country’s largest organization of independent restaurants, AIR brings restaurant owners together to discuss and implement solutions to better serve the flourishing food scene of Asheville.

AIR Asheville restaurants Ambrozia Bar & Bistro, The Blackbird, Blue Dream Curry, Chestnut, The Corner Kitchen, Curate, Limones, Nightbell, Plant, Posana, Rezaz, Rhubarb, Smoky Park Supper Club, and Zambra have all made the switch to Reserve.

By early Spring, the second wave of Asheville restaurants will switch over including Bhramari Brewing Company, Bouchon, Buffalo Nickel, Calypso, Chiesa, The Chop House, Copper Crown, JARGON and Pomodoros.

“Now that our initial footprint is in Asheville, we’re looking forward to building even deeper relationships with our current restaurant partners and fostering new partnerships with so many other amazing restaurants in the city,” Ganz said.

So, what’s the draw?

“Reserve is appealing because of its range of options and fee structure for restaurants,” said AIR board member Liz Button, of Heirloom Hospitality Group (HHG). “Reserve is only operating in select cities around the country, and we wanted to give them a reason to expand to Asheville. By teaming up with other independent restaurant owners, we could give them incentive beyond our world-class food scene.”

HHG curates and cultivates the nationally-acclaimed tapas restaurant Cúrate and its small plate sister restaurant Nightbell.

“Reserve’s flat fees for restaurants makes much more financial sense for small business owners,” Button said.

Button, who helped spearhead the Asheville movement, said the affordability for restaurants is just the appetizer of what makes this software appealing to the culinary community.

“Reserve allows us to get to know our guests better with a highly searchable database,” Button said.

The software features guest data across a restaurant or hospitality group that includes notes, guest profiles, contact info and dining preferences.

“We can share the information if we own more than one restaurant,” Button said. “For example, if you dine at Cúrate and tell them you’re gluten-free, we’ll know that when you make a reservation at Nightbell as well. Reserve also suggests dining options based on previous reservations a guest has made – similar to Netflix offering suggestions based on movies you liked.”

The partnership between Reserve and the Asheville culinary community is expected to increase as more restaurateurs begin to make the switch.

Visit Reserve.com for more information, and reserve your table today.

ABOUT AIR

The Asheville Independent Restaurant Association is a group of over 120 locally owned, independent restaurants that serve the flourishing food scene of the Asheville, NC. As the largest organization of independent restaurants in the country, AIR is dedicated to keeping Asheville’s food scene eclectic, authentic and flavorful. This diverse community of restaurants and restaurateurs range from large to small and fine to casual dining, each bringing their own personality and talents to our vibrant mountain city. For more information on AIR visit airasheville.org.