How Café-restaurant In de Waag in Amsterdam keeps track of all reservations

In de Waag in Amsterdam is what co-owner Priscilla den Ouden calls a classic grand café. Located on the bustling Nieuwmarkt, the cafe is housed in a fairytale 15th-century monument. Inside, too, the atmosphere is special. “For example, we don’t play music; all you hear here is the sound of catering. And the place is lit by 300 candles,” says Den Ouden.

The unique location also means that she likes to work with parties that support this. For example, she uses Guestplan, a customized online reservation system: “Other systems, for example, automatically create a table layout. We prefer to do it ourselves, because only we know where the best light is or which table is most efficient at what time.

AT A GLANCE

In addition to In de Waag, Den Ouden runs two other businesses: Ode aan de Amstel (a fine dining restaurant in Amsterdam) and Tijn Akersloot, a large beach bar in Zandvoort. She uses Guestplan for all three. “With such a busy life, it’s nice to be able to come in and see what’s going on at a glance. Guestplan keeps things simple and clear. At the same time, the system offers many options, such as coloring table numbers and adding tags for important information, such as a group’s chosen menu and beverage package, the agreed payment method and exceptions.

PRIVACY SCREEN

The communication channels with Guestplan are short, according to Den Ouden: “They think along with us enormously. For example, I wanted to improve the security of our data in the reservation system. We receive many groups of tourists here, often international. The tour guides often look at the tablet in the shop with us, but the data is not meant for their eyes.

“At our request, Guestplan developed the privacy screen: a new feature that makes the screen fade out after a few seconds to better protect the privacy of our guests. Very practical”.

What else does Guestplan offer Den Ouden? “Peace of mind when communicating with each other and our guests. For example, during the terrace season, guests at Ode aan de Amstel want to dine outside. In the confirmation email we can indicate that we will keep a table outside for them if the weather is nice. Guests can also make changes and cancellations themselves after making an online reservation. These features make the system extremely user-friendly. And it saves a lot of phone calls and valuable staff time.