How to prepare restaurant bookings for holidays and special opening hours
By Steve Evans, founder of Table Harmony and restaurant owner in Alicante.
Published
Your normal weekly timetable may work well for most of the year. Holidays, seasonal closures and special services need a separate check.
You might open on a day you usually close, offer lunch instead of dinner or reduce capacity because fewer staff are available.
Updating reservations for those dates helps guests book the services you actually intend to offer and gives your team a clearer plan.
Identify exceptions to your normal week
Start with the dates that will operate differently.
These might include:
- Public holidays.
- Christmas and New Year services.
- A seasonal closure.
- An additional lunch or dinner service.
- A private event affecting public availability.
Use exact dates. “Closed over Christmas” is less useful for planning than a defined closure period.
If you operate several restaurants, confirm the arrangements for each venue separately.
Check whether a date-specific change will do the job
Before changing your standard weekly hours, check whether your booking system supports special dates.
A date-specific exception lets you adjust a particular service without changing the normal timetable for other weeks.
For example, opening on one Monday should not accidentally make every Monday available.
Table Harmony supports special-date settings. After making an exception, check both the affected date and a normal week to confirm the intended availability.
Review capacity as well as opening hours
Being open does not always mean offering your usual number of tables.
Your staffing, menu or available seating may differ. A terrace might be unsuitable, or part of the restaurant may be reserved for an event.
Check the tables and combinations you can use. Then consider how many guests can arrive together.
Our guide to staggering restaurant reservations explains why available seats and arrival capacity need separate attention.
Reconsider dining time for a different service
A celebration menu or larger groups may change the time guests spend at the table.
Before offering several sittings, allow enough time for the meal and for staff to prepare the table again.
If a table has a time limit, communicate it before the guest books. Avoid relying on an internal booking duration to explain a condition the guest has never seen.
Our article on restaurant booking durations covers this distinction in more detail.
Check reservations already accepted
Changing availability is not the same as resolving existing bookings.
Before closing a date or reducing a service, review any reservations already confirmed. Identify guests who need to be contacted and agree suitable arrangements.
Record the outcome in the booking system so the whole team can see it.
Do not assume that an availability change automatically cancels reservations or sends guests an explanation.
Make unusual arrangements clear
Guests should understand anything that affects their decision to book.
For example, if a service has a special menu, a different arrival arrangement or restrictions on larger parties, explain those details before confirmation.
Use consistent wording across the booking page, website and any messages your team sends.
A guest note can help staff, but it should not be the only place an important condition is recorded.
Test the guest booking process
After changing the settings, check the dates from the guest’s perspective.
Try to book:
- A date during the closure.
- A date immediately before and after it.
- An additional service you have opened.
- A larger party needing personal review.
Check that unavailable services cannot be selected and that the dates you intend to offer are available within your rules.
For a bilingual website, review the relevant information in both languages.
Update the places guests check
Keep your published opening information consistent.
Review your website, social profiles and business listings, alongside the booking system. If you announce special hours in a post, make the dates explicit.
For an extended closure, explain when you reopen and whether guests can already book future dates.
Brief the team before the service
Make sure everyone knows the special hours, seating arrangements and any confirmed commitments.
Agree who will handle enquiries that do not fit the online options, particularly large groups or requests for closed dates.
A short briefing can prevent staff from giving different answers.
Planning special dates with Table Harmony
Table Harmony combines special-date settings with table management, booking durations and arrival limits.
Use those controls to prepare the exceptions to your normal timetable, then check existing reservations and test the guest experience.
For a personal demonstration, contact **Steve at steve@tableharmony.es**.