Yelp Waitlist vs Eat App Waitlist (A Complete 2024 Guide)

During busy evenings at your restaurant, stress levels can run high. But, the last thing you should do is drop the ball on guests waiting outside. This is where a reliable waitlist system comes in.

To help you choose the best option for your restaurant, we've looked over one of the most popular systems available: Yelp Waitlist.

This system aims to provide a platform for restaurant guests to review a restaurant’s waiting time and add themselves to the waitlist remotely. 

Now, let’s take a look at the specifics. 

Features Yelp Waitlist offers customers

Known as one of the largest restaurant platforms in the US, Yelp takes reservations and manages waiting lists with its Yelp Guest Manager tool. 

Here are a few of the key features the software provides:

• Accurate wait times: Get up to 96% precise wait times when you add your name to the online waiting list. 
• Convenient Booking: Make a booking or add yourself to the waiting list, anytime or anywhere. 
• Two-Way Texting: The software offers two-way texting, making it easier for restaurants to communicate with their customers and ensure they arrive on time. 
• Credit Card Holding: Operators can opt to use the adjustable credit card holding service to help restaurants deal with their no-show rate. 
• Insights: The virtual waitlist also offers insights into guests' arrival time and helps staff understand staff no-show rates and how they can improve going forward. 

The final stage of the waitlist management process is handled by Yelp Kiosk, allowing guests to check themselves in and notifying other guests in the queue of their updated position.

So, now that you have an idea of what Yelp Waitlist offers its customers, let’s take a look at what customers have to say.

Customer reviews of Yelp Waitlist

Customer reviews provide valuable insights into the pros and cons of Yelp Waitlist:

Pros

• Timesaver: The waitlist feature runs in the background, allowing the front-of-house to focus on customer experience.
• Reputation: Yelp is a well-established platform in the restaurant industry.

Yelp can save you time and money by having options available like the waitlist, it saved me at least 1.5 hours.

- Source, Software Advice.

Cons

• Cost: Pricing might be considered high for some businesses, especially smaller ones.
• Complexity: Like other restaurant management software, it could be complex for users unfamiliar with such systems.
• Integration: It might not integrate seamlessly with all other systems or platforms a restaurant uses.
• Customer Support: Some users might find the customer support lacking in responsiveness or effectiveness.
• Reviews and Reputation: Yelp's own review system could be a double-edged sword, potentially exposing businesses to negative reviews.

Yelp does a lot, but it does SO much that sometimes the feature you want/need is difficult to find. Busy interface, plus the fact that the restaurants don't necessarily check or correct the content of their Yelp page means sometimes things don't work out like you expected. But Yelp does a good job of being accurate most of the time!

- John (Capterra Review)

Sometimes I find the platform a bit confusing and I've occasionally seen some miscommunications between restaurant availability and Yelp.

- Source (Capterra Review)

As a host, this software is absolutely terrible.

- Source (Capterra Review)

Review Source: Capterra 

Yelp Waitlist pricing

What is the cost of Yelp Waitlist? 

The cost of Yelp Waitlist begins at $99.00 per month and includes two main plans:

• Yelp Guest Manager Basic at $99.00 per month.
• Yelp Guest Manager Plus at $299.00 per month.

Yelp Waitlist also provides a customized plan tailored to the customer's specific needs.

For further details on Yelp Waitlist pricing, please visit their website.

Better alternative to Yelp Waitlist: Eat App

While Yelp Waitlist offers useful features, Eat App provides a more comprehensive and customizable solution for restaurant waitlist management.

Some key features of Eat App include:

Pros

• Customized Notifications: You can communicate different positions in the queue to your guests based on various factors like room, seating option, ticket type, or package type, providing a more personalized experience.
• Automatic Wait Time Estimates: Eat App provides automatic wait time estimates based on your floor availability, or you can set them manually, helping manage guest expectations.
• Configurable Guest Views: You can configure what your customers see, whether it's only their position in the queue, only the wait time, or both, giving you control over the information displayed.
• Guest Distance Tracking: Eat App allows you to see the distance the waitlisted guest is from your venue, helping you manage arrivals more effectively.
• Notification Pinging: Eat App pings the guest when their seat is ready, ensuring they are alerted promptly.
• Wait Time Tracking: You can see how long each guest has been waiting, allowing you to manage wait times more efficiently.
• Multi-Device Compatibility: Eat App is available on every device, including iPhone, Android, Tablet, iPad, and Desktop, ensuring accessibility for both guests and staff.
• QR Code Configuration: You can configure a QR code to be scannable at the door, streamlining the check-in process.
• Queue Management Features: Eat App allows you to rearrange guests' positions in the queue and seamlessly move them from the waitlist to a table on your floorplan.
• Communication Options: You can send emails, two-way WhatsApp messages, or SMSs to your guests about their waitlist request, keeping them informed throughout the process.
• Advanced Filtering: Eat App offers extensive filtering options, allowing you to filter your waitlist by walk-ins, online reservations, and in-house guests, as well as by tags, shifts, and rooms.
• Quick Waitlist Feature: You can use Eat App's quick waitlist feature to quickly add covers to the waitlist, streamlining the process during busy periods.
• Self-Service Options: Eat App lets customers add themselves to the waitlist online or at the door, improving convenience for both guests and staff.
• Room-Specific Waitlists: Eat App allows you to create different waitlists for different rooms, helping you manage multiple areas of your restaurant more effectively.

Here’s what customers had to say:

A great way to manage your restaurant to whatever degree you want!

- Irish A (Source G2)

It's extremely easy to use and has a lot of advanced features which enable the user to navigate through it without any complications. Great support system also, available 24/7.

- Georgia (Source G2)

Cons

These waitlist features are only available to Eat App customers.

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Pricing

Eat App offers four pricing levels. You can start for free with reservation management and booking channels. The complete restaurant management suite is $209 per month, and there are no hidden costs.

Our findings on the topic

Our comprehensive review involved analyzing multiple resources, including videos and online reviews. We also extensively used the software to provide the most accurate comparison between Eat App and Yelp Waitlist for their waitlist systems.

Key Takeaways

While Yelp Waitlist offers some features, Eat App provides a more comprehensive and customizable solution for restaurant waitlist management. With its advanced features and user-friendly interface, Eat App is a better choice for restaurants looking to improve their guest experience and streamline their operations.