Which booking software do US restaurants use for table reservations?

US restaurants use a reservation module tied to the floor plan, not a plain calendar. The practical difference: a calendar tells you 25 guests are coming at 8 p.m., while the floor plan tells you there is no free six-top at that hour.

Short answer

US restaurants use a reservation module built on the floor plan, which ties each booking to a specific table rather than to a headcount.
The software keeps every booking in one list that the host and the managers see from the same application.
It shows which tables are free and which are booked for each time slot, room by room.
Booking details are personal data, so keep guest contact information only for as long as you need it.
Confirmations stay in your own process, by phone or in person, alongside the booking record.

What the software must do

Show the floor plan, with free and reserved tables for each time slot.
Let you choose a table of the right size, so you do not block a six-top for two guests.
Show bookings by day and by time slot, so you can plan the service.
Keep a clear booking record for the host, with the party's name, phone number and special requests.
Let the host see your cancellation policy before confirming, if you have one.
Live in the same application as the menu and the table orders, so the host does not work in two places.

What US rules mean for bookings

Names, phone numbers and emails in bookings are personal data. Keep them only as long as you need them, and check the state privacy rules that may apply.
Promotional text messages generally require prior consent under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. Check before you send any marketing to guests.
State your cancellation policy before a booking is confirmed, and make sure guests can see it.

Practical example

Hypothetical example: on a Friday night, a 60-seat restaurant takes 25 bookings, and some guests do not show. Every empty table is seats you cannot sell that evening. Work out the loss with your own figures: empty tables, multiplied by your average check.

Common mistakes

Using a generic calendar that knows nothing about tables and their size.
Keeping phone bookings in a notebook and walk-in lists somewhere else, so the two never match.
Not stating the cancellation policy before confirming, which can become a legal risk.
Not writing down bookings that were not kept, so you repeat the same mistake with the same guests.

How 4restaurants.net helps

The floor plan and the bookings sit in the same application as the evening's table orders.
The day's booking list and the floor plan sit side by side, so the host plans seatings in one view.
Each booking is placed on a specific table, by room and by time.