Pre-order and advance booking automation

Purpose

1. Automate capturing, confirming, and managing all pre-orders and advance bookings for Afghan restaurant customers across multiple channels.

2. Instantly sync reservations and order details to kitchen, front-of-house, and business analytics systems.

3. Reduce manual data entry, minimize double-bookings, offer real-time slot availability, and send confirmations via preferred customer channels.

4. Enable advance menu customization, upfront payments/deposits, and set up waitlisting automatically.

5. Collect customer preferences for special events, dietary accommodations, and group orders.

6. Integrate with loyalty, marketing, and POS systems for a seamless guest journey.

Trigger Conditions

1. Customer submits pre-order or booking form online or via mobile app.

2. Incoming call or text requesting reservation.

3. Third-party reservation platform (e.g., OpenTable) forwards booking data.

4. Email with structured order details received.

5. Social media direct message parsed for order/booking intent.

6. Walk-in guest submits booking at digital kiosk or tablet.

Platform Variants

1. Twilio SMS

• Feature: Programmable Messaging/Incoming SMS webhooks.
  
• Setting: Route SMS requests to endpoint, capture date/time/guest count and parse for menu items.
  

2. SendGrid

• Feature: Inbound Parse.
  
• Setting: Extract structured booking/order details from incoming emails and forward to reservation handler.
  

3. Calendly

• Feature: Event Scheduling API.
  
• Setting: Trigger automation on confirmed slots, fetch guest preferences, and auto-close full time slots.
  

4. Square Appointments

• Feature: Booking API, Webhooks.
  
• Setting: Trigger workflow on booking creation, auto-confirm and send reminders.
  

5. OpenTable

• Feature: Partner API Reservation Webhook.
  
• Setting: Pull new reservation details in real-time, forward to kitchen display.
  

6. Zapier

• Feature: Webhook, Multi-Step Automations.
  
• Setting: Connect form submissions to any CRM, POS, or kitchen system.
  

7. Google Forms

• Feature: Form Submission Trigger.
  
• Setting: On response submit, post data via webhook to reservation queue.
  

8. Slack

• Feature: Incoming Webhooks, Message Actions.
  
• Setting: Staff notified on new bookings, accept/reject inline.
  

9. Microsoft Outlook

• Feature: Mail Rules, Graph API Calendar endpoint.
  
• Setting: Move reservation emails to tracked folder or auto-block calendar slot.
  

10. Salesforce

• Feature: REST API, Web-to-Lead.
  
• Setting: Create customer pre-order leads and automate confirmation.
  

11. Shopify (for meal kits/pre-orders)

• Feature: Orders API, Fulfillment Webhooks.
  
• Setting: When advance order placed, trigger reservation slot block.
  

12. Stripe

• Feature: Payment Intents API, Webhooks.
  
• Setting: On payment confirmed for pre-orders, allocate booking slot.
  

13. HubSpot

• Feature: Forms API, Workflows.
  
• Setting: Booking captured as contact property, trigger custom confirmation mail.
  

14. Wix Restaurants

• Feature: Online Ordering API, Bookings API.
  
• Setting: Auto-confirm reservation and send SMS/email reminders.
  

15. Google Calendar

• Feature: Events API.
  
• Setting: Create/Block availability for advance bookings.
  

16. Facebook Messenger

• Feature: Webhooks, Message Receive.
  
• Setting: Parse booking requests and confirm/collect menu selections.
  

17. WhatsApp Business

• Feature: Cloud API, Message Templates.
  
• Setting: Accept/confirm bookings, send reminders, update if slot changes.
  

18. Typeform

• Feature: Webhook Integration.
  
• Setting: Send form data on completion to order-management endpoint.
  

19. Resy

• Feature: Reservations API.
  
• Setting: Auto-capture and update reservation status in central system.
  

20. Toast POS

• Feature: REST API, Order Webhooks.
  
• Setting: Update kitchen queue when pre-order received or booking confirmed.
  

21. AirTable

• Feature: Webhook, Automations.
  
• Setting: Log advanced orders, auto-update staff assignments.
  

22. Google Sheets

• Feature: Apps Script Trigger, Webhook endpoint.
  
• Setting: Append incoming booking, auto-sync to team dashboards.
  

23. DinePlan

• Feature: API, Webhooks.
  
• Setting: Auto-assign tables, gate booking capacity in real time.
  

Benefits

1. Eliminate manual reservation handling, reducing errors.

2. Combine all channels—SMS, web, social—into single queue.

3. Accelerate customer confirmation and reduce no-shows.

4. Free up staff for higher-value hospitality tasks.

5. Gain real-time insight into demand, popular menus, and resource needs.

6. Enhance customer experience via personalization and zero-friction booking.