When guests turn up without a booking, add them as a walk-in so their table shows as taken and nobody books it out from under them. It’s quicker than a normal booking: the date is always today and the time is always now.
Seat a walk-in in NomNom Web
1. Click Walk-in. It’s just under New reservation at the top of the left-hand bar. The New walk-in form opens, showing Seating now and the time.
2. Set the party size. Use Adults and Children, and High chairs if you’ve set them up.
3. Check the meal. Date is today and Time says Now — neither can be changed. Meal starts on the meal you’re viewing, or on the first meal of the day if you’re viewing them all, so make sure it’s the one you’re serving. Pick the Room too if you have more than one. Leave Turn length on Auto unless you know they’ll be quicker or slower than usual.
4. Pick a table. Under Tables you’ll see every table free right now for that party. Click one, or several for a bigger group.
5. Add a name if you like. The surname is already filled in as Walk-in. Add a first name so the team can tell two walk-ins apart, and a phone number or email if they offer one. There’s no returning-guest search for walk-ins.
6. Click Seat walk-in. There’s no confirmation window. A message at the bottom says something like Seated Sam (walk-in) at 7:32 PM, and they appear on today’s bookings.
In NomNom Web: left-hand bar → Walk-in → Seat walk-in. In the phone app: the + button → Walk-in.
In the phone app
Tap the + button at the bottom right, then Walk-in. Set the guests and tap Next. On Availability the date and time are fixed to today and now; check the meal, tap a table under AVAILABLE TABLES and tap Next. The surname is already Walk-in, and the app doesn’t ask for a phone number or email. Tap Save Reservation and you’re straight back to your bookings — there’s no confirmation window.
If no table is free right now
In NomNom Web you’ll see No free tables at this time under Tables; the phone app says No tables available. You have three options:
- Shorten the turn length. A table that’s free now but booked later only shows up if the walk-in would be finished in time. If they’re happy with an hour, pick 1 h under Turn length (DURATION in the phone app) and see what appears.
- Free up a table whose party has left. If a party has gone but their booking hasn’t finished, change their status to one set to Counts as departed, and their table is free from that moment (see Creating your own booking statuses). Do that first, then start the walk-in.
- Seat them without a table. Leave the table empty and save. The walk-in is recorded as unallocated, and you can give them a table later by opening it. This isn’t possible if Table allocation required is switched on — you’ll see Please allocate a table.
Walk-in settings
Their own status. Walk-ins can open on a different status from other new bookings — Seated, say, if you have one. An admin can choose it under Default walk-in status. Leave it on None (use the new-booking default) and walk-ins open on the same status as any new booking. You can still change the status on any walk-in.
In NomNom Web: Settings → Reservation Statuses → Default statuses. In the phone app: Settings → Reservation Statuses → Default statuses.
Required fields. Walk-ins are exempt from Mobile number required, as people at the door rarely give one. They do still need a table if Table allocation required is on. Both are under Settings → Reservation Editing.
Good to know
- Walk-ins are for right now. If someone pops in to book a table for later, use New reservation instead (see Taking a booking over the phone).
- PINs still apply. If your venue asks for a PIN before a booking is saved, you’ll be asked for one for walk-ins too.
- Trying the new design? If you’ve switched to the new design of the booking form in NomNom Web, the walk-in form uses it too, with the same fields and the same Seat walk-in button.