In the culinary heart of Bristol, a story of innovation and success unfolds at ABOE - A Bit of Everything. Here, we see how Sebastian Merry, the driving force at ABOE, tapped into the latest tech advancements to reshape the restaurant’s approach to reservations and customer service.

ABOE emerged in Bristol's dining scene as a beacon of modern British Fusion cuisine. Reflecting Chef Merry's French Michelin training, the restaurant quickly became known for its unique and evolving menu. But with growing popularity came the challenge of efficiently managing reservations while enhancing customer experiences.

Merry faced a pivotal challenge: streamlining ABOE's reservation process to enhance customer satisfaction and manage operational costs. This led him on a search for a reservation system that was not only efficient but also cost-effective.

The turning point for Merry was the discovery of ResDiary, a zero-commission, flat-fee reservation system that promised a seamless integration with various hospitality technologies, including POS and CRM. This includes First Table, which means any bookings taken through their platform can automatically be captured and recorded in ResDiary’s system.  

Seb said the positive results were almost instantaneous. 

“The best thing I’ve experienced with ResDiary and First Table being integrated is that the booking goes straight through to ResDiary. It’s automatic and the colour coding in our ResDiary view really makes it easy to see where the bookings are coming from.” 

A large chunk (around 17.5% at the time of writing) of ABOE’s bookings come from First Table, and incredibly, 92% of these are from new customers! 

The good news is that, with ResDiary, every new booking is an opportunity to grow your customer database. As Seb puts it, “I will always want to grow the number of people in our booking system and I can pretty much guarantee I’m going to get even more bookings from those First Table customers.” 

ResDiary fully automates the process of capturing bookings and collecting vital customer information that restaurateurs can use to shape their strategy and share their offering. Ultimately, this empowers them to convert first time diners into valuable regular customers.  

Today, ABOE stands as a shining example of how embracing technology can revolutionise your hospitality business. Seb says, “I would definitely recommend First Table and ResDiary to anyone. I’m certain that even when we’re so busy we don’t necessarily need to stay on it [First Table], I’ll probably keep them both running to keep our customer base fresh and keep new people coming in.” 

For restaurateurs inspired by ABOE's story, exploring ResDiary and First Table could be the first step in their own success story. It's an invitation to redefine dining experiences and embark on a journey of growth and innovation.