Do Pubs & Bars Really Need a Booking System?

If you run a pub or bar, you've probably had this thought at some point: "Do I really need a booking system? We get plenty of walk-ins, and our regulars keep us going; it feels like an unnecessary cost."

It's a fair point. Nobody wants to add software costs to an already tight margin. The pressure on pubs is real. According to BBPA figures reported by The Morning Advertiser, the UK had 44,650 pubs at the end of 2025, down from 60,800 in 2000. When margins are that tight, every empty table on a busy night hurts, and so does every table given away twice.

Instead of thinking of a booking system as an additional expense for managing bookings, it should be considered a valuable tool which tackles problems every pub and bar faces, whether you notice them or not. The question isn't whether you should be taking bookings, but how you manage the ones you already get.  

Can you take bookings without losing walk-ins and regulars?

Yes. The trick is to balance bookable tables and keep the rest free for people who wander in.

For most pubs, regulars and walk-ins are the bread and butter of the business. Nobody wants a regular to find a "reserved" sign on their favourite table on a quiet Tuesday. Take no bookings at all, and risk missing out on a group who'd happily have reserved, or who checked online, saw nothing, and went elsewhere.

Ways to keep the balance right:

• Make certain tables or areas bookable, such as the dining room or bistro, and keep the bar and beer gardens walk-in only.
• Limit how many covers can be booked per timeslot.
• Take online bookings for larger parties or special events that suit you.

A booking system built for a pub should give you this control and flexibility, not take it away.

How do you stop no-shows on big group bookings?

The most common practice now is to take a deposit or card details for larger groups upfront, and send automatic booking reminders. Together, these give people a reason to turn up, or to tell you in good time if they can't.

A table of two not showing is frustrating. A party of 6-10 not showing on a Saturday night can wipe out a big chunk of the evening's takings, especially if you turned walk-ins away to keep the space free.

It's a sector-wide problem. CGA by NIQ research from November 2024, found that 14% of customers failed to show or cancelled a booking, costing UK hospitality an estimated £17.59 billion a year. Groups are a big part of it: 14% of people said they hadn't turned up because someone else in their group cancelled. A quarter said reservation reminders would help cut no-shows, and 21% said losing a deposit would make them more likely to honour a booking.

A few practical steps:

• Set a group size (for example, eight or more) where a deposit or card details are needed.
• Send auto reminders 24 - 48 hours before, with an easy way to cancel or modify the booking.
• Keep a note of repeat no-shows so staff know who to follow up with directly.

How do you avoid double bookings?

Record every booking and walk-in into a real-time booking diary, wherever it comes from.

When phone calls, emails, and social DMs are all on the go and rely on a paper diary, double bookings or missed bookings happen because nobody can see the full picture.

It’s a common problem. One person takes a booking over the phone and writes it in the paper diary behind the bar. Someone else replies to a Facebook message in the office and forgets to add it. The table gets given out twice, and one group leaves unhappy.

A single digital diary fixes most of this.

• Online bookings drop straight in, with complete customer details
• If you get a lot of social DM’s, look at a system that has channel integrations
• Mark out your regulars' favourite table so it’s ready and waiting.

Everything in one place, no more double bookings or squinting at someone else's handwriting at 7pm on a Friday.

Does every booking need a deposit?

No. Deposits make sense for large groups, the festive season and special events, but you don't need them on every booking.

Many pubs keep everyday table bookings free and only ask for a deposit when a no-show would really hit them the most. Asking for a deposit upfront for a Wednesday table for two can put people off. For Christmas parties, special set menus or a group of 20 celebrating a birthday, customers now expect it.

Even without a deposit, any booking itself is valuable. Thursday Quiz night, Sunday lunch or match days. Knowing why people are coming helps to plan staff, stock and prep, giving your team a clear view of the week ahead.

Safeguard your regulars' favourite spot, give newcomers a low-friction way in, while building booking data you can review for trends over time. The need is a system flexible enough to run deposit and standard bookings side by side.

Does being bookable online bring in new customers?

It certainly can. 54% of UK consumers choose to make their restaurant reservations online (NowBookIt data 2026).

People check a venue online before they visit, even if they end up walking in. Someone searching "pubs with availability near me" on a Friday afternoon isn't going to stumble across you; they're going to book somewhere that shows up in that search, with live availability they can see and book. Being bookable on your website, Google, and social media puts you in front of them and makes it easy to choose you.

This matters most when you want to reach people outside your usual crowd: new residents, tourists, younger customers who plan everything on their phones, and office teams hunting for a spot for Friday drinks.

Some people don't want to gamble on getting a table. If they can't see a way to book, they may pick somewhere that offers one. Online bookings tell them you're open, you serve food, and you're organised. Seeing tables available tonight can be enough to bring them in as a walk-in.

The quick answers -  

Do small pubs need a booking system?
If you take any type of bookings at all, even a handful a week, a simple electronic system saves time and stops double bookings. You can still keep most of your space walk-in only.

Will a booking system put off my regulars?
Not if it's set up well. Leave the bar and favourite spots free for walk-ins and only open part of the venue for bookings.

Should I charge a deposit on every booking?
Most pubs save deposits for big groups, special events and peak dates like Christmas.

To sum it up, a couple of no-shows, a quiet quiz night, a missed booking email on their own, feel like a normal cost of running a pub or bar. Add them up over a year, and that's significant revenue and missed growth. These are solvable by choosing the right booking system

If "we get by fine on walk-ins and regulars" is your reasoning, ask instead: how much is not having a system costing us?

The right system doesn't replace your walk-ins or regulars. It protects revenue on the bookings that matter, cuts the chaos, and puts you in control and in front of customers you'd otherwise miss.

simpleERB is a booking system built with the flexibility a pub and bar needs. Venues that want control over online bookings without losing walk-ins and regular trade. Start a free trial with 250 covers, no card required.