With multiple venues comes the expectation of consistency, but building a consistent brand identity can be challenging. Restaurant groups want each venue to have its own energy and community, but also ensure that the brand identity, service, and customer experience remain the same throughout.
The look of your booking platform is arguably the most important part of building a brand identity. Diners should know what to expect from the moment they make a booking to the second they sit down.
TheFork’s latest booking widget updates help streamline how restaurant groups can go about bringing consistency to the booking experience, helping venues express their brand through visual design, curated experiences, and a smoother journey. Here’s how.
1. Bringing the brand to life
Inside your restaurant, every detail reflects your brand identity: the lighting, the tone of the service, even the typography on your menu. It's all about creating an atmosphere that draws diners in. Your digital front door needs to be just as appealing.
With TheFork’s background image feature, restaurant groups can customise their booking widget with even greater control. Upload a custom image that evokes the aesthetic and ambience of your restaurant; whether that's the cool lighting of your open kitchen, the signature marble bar, or the warm tones of the terrace at sunset – the background image of your booking form sets expectations before guests even walk through the door.
It’s a simple, but often overlooked way for restaurant groups to create a cohesive and recognisable experience, while allowing each venue to express its individuality.
2. Streamlined booking flow
Booking flow is a long standing friction point. Diners have to navigate through the number of guests, date of the reservation, and the hour that they will need their table. Only at this point do they discover any special offers. This increases drop-offs and makes it harder for restaurants to highlight their offerings.
TheFork’s new booking flow enhancements allow guests to start their reservation journey directly from experiences and offerings, eliminating the need to search through date and time options first.
Now, restaurant groups can spotlight their signature experiences within the booking flow (wine pairings, tasting menus, chef’s tables, and more), and diners get an immediate sense of what makes each venue special.
3. Visuals with real impact
While your restaurant’s atmosphere is important to lure diners in, your food is the real reason they visit. But more often than not, menus are devoid of any pictures and are displayed as simple text listings. This severely limits your restaurant's ability to showcase your offerings visually, which in turn, makes it harder to entice diners in with the quality and presentation of your dishes.
TheFork recognises that restaurants need to show off their value proposition at a glance. Whether it’s a signature dish or a seasonal menu; our new preset menu cover image puts your food at the front of the customer journey. Guests can book their table after seeing your specials, arrive with anticipation, and share their excitement – even before taking a seat.
With imagery leading the way, your restaurant immediately stands out. Diners can see exactly what makes your food special, rather than imagining it from a line of text. This encourages more bookings, increases upsell opportunities, and ensures guests arrive already invested in their choice. For restaurant groups, this means you can showcase dishes from each of your venues while maintaining a single, consistent visual style throughout.
Empty tables and ever-increasing costs?
Custom booking tools for multi-venue restaurants
Your online booking experience is usually the first interaction a diner has with your brand. A customisable booking widget ensures your restaurants are well presented along the entire customer journey. By tailoring visuals, preset menus, imagery, and language to each venue, you create a seamless extension of your brand while making it easier for diners to book with confidence.
From menu visuals to branding and group-wide settings, TheFork empowers you to personalise the booking journey at every step. That means higher conversions, more engaged diners, and a booking experience that feels uniquely yours, no matter how many venues you manage.
Hook diners during the first step of their booking journey with TheFork.
