What is reservation conversion rate? Definition and benchmarks

The percentage of booking attempts that result in a confirmed reservation.

Reservation conversion rate is the percentage of booking attempts that result in a confirmed reservation. For restaurants, this reveals how many potential guests you lose during the booking process itself. A restaurant whose booking widget gets 200 views per day but only produces 120 reservations has a 60% conversion rate, meaning 80 potential guests dropped off somewhere.

Key facts

Definition: Percentage of booking attempts or views that become confirmed reservations
Formula: Conversion Rate = (Completed Reservations / Booking Attempts) x 100
Good benchmark: Online 60-80%, phone 85-95%
Why it matters: Every percentage point of improvement means more guests without any additional marketing spend

The quick definition

Reservation conversion rate measures the efficiency of your booking process. It compares the number of people who start or attempt a reservation against the number who complete one. A low conversion rate means your booking system is turning away guests who want to dine with you. This is lost revenue that costs nothing to recover except fixing the booking experience.

Conversion Rate = (Completed Reservations / Booking Attempts) x 100

Example: Your online booking widget had 1,000 sessions this month and produced 680 confirmed reservations. Your conversion rate is 68%.

Why reservation conversion rate matters

It measures invisible lost revenue

You see the guests who book. You never see the ones who tried and gave up. A restaurant getting 50 online bookings per day with a 65% conversion rate is losing about 27 potential bookings daily. At $50 average check for a 2.5-person party, that is $3,375 in lost revenue per day.

Conversion Rate	Bookings from 200 Attempts	Lost Bookings
50%	100	100
65%	130	70
80%	160	40

It separates marketing from operations

Marketing drives traffic to your booking page. Conversion rate determines how much of that traffic turns into guests. You can spend more on advertising, or you can fix your booking flow. Improving conversion from 60% to 75% is the equivalent of increasing traffic by 25%, at zero cost.

It highlights friction points

A low conversion rate tells you something is wrong in the booking process. By tracking where drop-offs happen, you can identify and fix specific problems:

Drop-off Point	Likely Issue
Time/date selection	No availability shown for popular times
Party size entry	Limits too restrictive
Contact details	Too many required fields
Payment/deposit	Unexpected charges
Confirmation	Unclear next steps

How to calculate reservation conversion rate

Online booking

Conversion Rate = (Completed Online Reservations / Booking Widget Sessions) x 100

Example:

Booking widget opened: 3,000 times this month
Completed reservations: 2,100

Conversion rate = (2,100 / 3,000) x 100 = 70%

Phone reservations

For phone bookings, track calls received versus reservations made:

Metric	Count
Reservation calls received	150
Reservations completed	135
Offered alternative/waitlist	10
Unable to accommodate	5

Phone conversion = (135 / 150) x 100 = 90%

By channel

Compare conversion across booking sources:

Channel	Attempts	Bookings	Conversion
Website widget	2,000	1,400	70%
Google Reserve	800	480	60%
Phone	400	360	90%
Social media link	300	180	60%

Low-converting channels need attention or may not be worth the effort.

What’s a good reservation conversion rate?

Booking Channel	Typical Range	Target
Direct website	60-80%	75%+
Google/Maps	50-70%	65%+
Phone	85-95%	90%+
Third-party platforms	55-75%	70%+
Social media	40-60%	55%+

Phone consistently converts highest because a real person can offer alternatives, answer questions, and overcome objections in real time.

How to improve your reservation conversion rate

1. Show availability clearly

The number one reason guests abandon bookings is unclear or limited availability:

Display available times prominently
When the requested time is full, show the nearest alternatives automatically
Indicate popular times versus open times
Let guests see a full week view, not just one day

2. Reduce required fields

Every additional form field reduces conversions. Keep it to the minimum:

Name
Phone or email
Party size
Date and time

Skip account creation, address fields, and anything that is not needed to hold the reservation.

3. Optimize for mobile

Over 60% of restaurant bookings happen on mobile devices. Your booking flow must work flawlessly on a phone:

Large, tappable buttons
Minimal scrolling
Auto-fill support for contact fields
Fast page load (under 3 seconds)

4. Make deposits feel safe

If you require deposits, reduce the friction:

Explain why a deposit is needed (one line is enough)
State the refund policy clearly
Use familiar payment methods (Apple Pay, Google Pay)
Apply the deposit to the final bill

5. Confirm instantly and clearly

After booking, guests need reassurance:

Show a clear confirmation screen
Send email and SMS confirmation immediately
Include all details: date, time, party size, any deposit info
Provide an easy way to modify or cancel

Unclear confirmations cause guests to double-book elsewhere or call to verify, adding work for your team.

Booking lead time - How far ahead guests reserve, affecting conversion based on availability windows
No-show - Guests who book but do not arrive, which deposits at booking reduce
Waitlist - An alternative path for guests when their preferred time has no availability
Walk-in - Guests who skip the booking process entirely

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good reservation conversion rate?

Online booking widgets typically convert at 60-80%. Phone reservations convert at 85-95% because a human can offer alternatives. If your online conversion is below 50%, there is likely a friction point in the booking flow.

Why do guests abandon the booking process?

The most common reasons are no availability at the desired time, too many required fields, forced account creation, and unclear confirmation. Reducing friction at each step lifts conversion rates noticeably.

Does requiring a deposit lower conversion rate?

Yes, typically by 10-20%. But the guests who complete deposit bookings are far more committed, resulting in lower no-show and cancellation rates. The net revenue impact is usually positive despite fewer total bookings.

How do I track reservation conversion rate?

Most booking platforms report conversion as completed bookings divided by booking attempts or widget views. If yours does not, compare monthly unique visitors to your booking page against completed reservations for a rough rate.

Should I offer alternative times when the requested slot is full?

Always. Showing nearby available times when the preferred slot is taken recovers 15-30% of guests who would otherwise abandon the booking. This is one of the easiest conversion wins available.

Track Your Restaurant Metrics

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