As more local restaurants begin to reopen, follow this step-by-step checklist to reopen your waitlist to guests.
- Attend a Training Webinar. If it’s been a while since you’ve used your Yelp Waitlist system, it will be important to re-familiarize yourself and your staff with the basics via personalized training. If you're interested, please contact us at (877) 571-YELP or restaurantsupport@yelp.com to get one scheduled.
- Watch new training videos. We've put together 2 new training videos on how to create or update your restaurant's layout, sections, table status, party, waitlist and icons. Here are links to Part 1 (layout, sections, table status) and Part 2 (add party, waitlist and icons).
- Review the configuration of your Yelp Waitlist system. We’ve also put together a guide on how to manually adjust your waitlist capacity and wait time estimates and how to monitor your cover count to help you configure your system to be compliant with local or state ordinances.
- Use our new QR code feature. Let customers join the waitlist in a contact-less way or view your menu digitally on their phones.
- To create a QR code poster to join the waitlist in a contact-less way:
- Visit your Yelp business page and copy everything after yelp.com/biz/
For example, https://www.yelp.com/biz/a-mano-san-francisco-2, copy "a-mano-san-francisco-2". This is your ID. - Paste your ID into this URL where it says YOUR_ID_HERE: https://www.yelp.com/waitlists/YOUR_ID_HERE/contactless.
For example, https://www.yelp.com/waitlists/a-mano-san-francisco-2/contactless - Use that URL and download the PDF of your customized QR code poster.
- Display the poster at your restaurant entrance so customers can easily see it and scan the QR code with their phone camera to get in line.
- If you have any issues, please contact our support team by phone at (877) 571-YELP or email (restaurantsupport@yelp.com).
- To create a QR code to view your menu digitually:
- Visit your Yelp business page and copy everything after yelp.com/biz/
For example, https://www.yelp.com/biz/dumpling-time-san-francisco, copy "dumpling-time-san-francisco". This is your ID. - Paste your ID into this URL where it says YOUR_ID_HERE: https://www.yelp.com/waitlists/YOUR_ID_HERE/contactless_menu.
For example, https://www.yelp.com/waitlists/dumpling-time-san-francisco/contactless_menu - Use that URL and download the PDF of your customized QR code.
- Display the QR code and put it on the tables so customers can easily see it and scan it to view the menu on their phones.
- If you need to add or change your menu link, go to the Menu page or the Basic Information section of your Yelp for business account.
- If you have any issues, please contact our support team by phone at (877) 571-YELP or email (restaurantsupport@yelp.com).
- Remove Takeout adjustments. You may have adapted your system to allow you to accept takeout orders in lieu of waitlist diners or reservations. Please contact our customer support team by phone (877) 571-YELP or email (restaurantsupport@yelp.com), and we will be happy to help you reverse those changes.
- Add Yelp Reservations to supplement your waitlist platform. Yelp Reservations allows you to accept online reservations through Yelp and your website so you can further control and plan the flow of guests into your restaurant. If you are interested in enabling this feature, please contact us at (877) 571-YELP or (restaurantsupport@yelp.com and we can do so for you).
- Edit your Yelp business page. You may be operating with new hours or open on new days of the week. Follow these instructions to make sure your Yelp page is up to date.
- Communicate with your diners. Use social media, your customer email list, or Yelp Connect to actively communicate with your diners any changes to your menu, policies, hours, etc.
