Look out Boston; it may be that the way we reserve tables is being revolutionized right across the Charles River.
Textaurant is a new area startup that makes restaurant wait times a thing of the past. The SMS based notification system has already been installed in two restaurants in the Boston area, so you can check it out for yourself. (Who would have thought being an early-adopter could taste so good?)
If you’ve ever waited at a chain restaurant for a table to be ready, you’ve probably handled one of those clear plastic coasters with the red LEDs in it. It looks like something from Toys "R" Us, and is meant to buzz and light up when your table is ready. If you’re anything like me, you’ve sat in the restaurant waiting area or bar staring down your space-coaster and trying to will it to life with day-dream superpowers. At this point the coaster starts to look a lot like an iron ball chained to your ankle.
What’s the range on this thing? Can I grab my cell out of the car without missing my alert? Why can’t I poke around the neighborhood shops if I have to wait a half-hour anyway?
Josh Bob, CEO of Textaurant wondered the same things but, unlike the rest us, he did something about it. By developing a table notification system that automatically sends an SMS message to your phone, Textaurant breaks the chain connecting you to that wretched, outdated coaster, and leaves you free to roam the surrounding area.
Textaurant notifies you five to ten minutes before your table is ready, depending on how it’s been set up by the restaurant, so feel free to deposit that check, or try on some pants (depending on your wait). Just keep an eye on your phone. It will tell you to head back for some waiti-free grub. No need to stress about it, though. If you miss your table notice, the Textaurant system just pushes your seating time back to the next available table, and the process begins again.
I had a chat with Josh Bob, and he sees endless possibilities with Textaurant. For example, an iPhone app could be forthcoming. You may soon be able to check local restaurant wait times, put yourself down for a table, and be shown nearby time-killers all with a few prods on your touch-screen. Bob also mentioned customization options so that Textaurant can “help customers find other restaurants they would like,” and he indicated that users with long wait-times may be offered sweet deals from local retailers to help make their waits more tolerable.
For many restaurants, the risk of decreased bar revenues can easily be made up with fewer walkouts during the dinner rush. As a result, Textaurant is having little trouble finding restaurants to try the system out, and with two installations complete, “we’re blowing up,” exclaims Bob.
The system has already débuted at Asgard Irish Pub in Central Square, Cambridge, but Bob reports the wait times haven’t burgeoned enough to really put Textaurant to the test. Tupelo in Inman Square, the second restaurant Josh has recruited, will be testing in the next couple of weeks, and unlike Asgard, it has a reputation for long waits. Keep an eye on Textaurant’s Twitter page for a launch date, and look for other restaurants to join in as well.
Textaurant sounds like a dream come true, but it is yet to be seen how it will perform in a busy restaurant setting. If you happen to check it out, let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
