Buddy for hospitality
Empty on a Tuesday? One message to your regulars and it's full.
Promo emails sit unopened and your posts reach a fraction of your followers. On WhatsApp, the new menu, live music or a quiet-night offer reaches guests who asked for it, and they reply to book.
For restaurants, cafes, bars and hotels: owners, managers and the front-of-house team
The owner, the floor and the kitchen, talking to guests on one channel.
Owner: quiet nights that fill up
A slow Tuesday gets one message to the regulars who love a Tuesday. They book by replying, and the room fills before service starts.
Read within the hourKitchen: a new menu people turn up for
The new dish goes to the guests who asked for it, gets read within the hour, and the first bookings come back before the first plate leaves the pass.
"Can we make it 7:30?"Follow up"Table for six on Friday?"Interested
"Any gluten-free mains?"QuestionFront of house: every reply in one inbox
Replies arrive sorted by what guests mean, a time change, a question, a yes, and get answered between tables. Nobody scrolls the shared phone hunting for a booking.
He had the tasting menu in March and loved it.Your "we miss you" email is still unread. Your WhatsApp message got "Table for two on Friday?" back in six minutes.
Your regulars don't ignore you. They ignore the inbox.
The new-menu email lands between a bank statement and a delivery receipt. The event post gets a few likes and fewer bookings. The same guest checks WhatsApp between courses and replies in seconds.
From the table to their WhatsApp in three steps.
A QR on the table and on the receipt. After that, the follow-up runs itself.
Opt in at the table
A guest scans the QR on the table or the receipt, taps once, and joins your list with a tag.
Elena R. joined · table 6Sat 21:40 · tag: dinnerConsent recordedSort by how they come
Tags turn into audiences: regulars, asked about the new menu, quiet for two months.
Regulars, 3+ visitsTuesday offerAsked about the new menuFirst to hearQuiet for 60 daysWin-backOpted outNever messagedSend, automate, reply
The thank-you sends itself. The new menu goes out as a WhatsApp message. Every reply comes back to one inbox.
Daniel replied "Friday for two" → stopFour messages your restaurant sends in its first week.
Each is an approved template with the guest's name in it, and every reply comes straight back to you.
Copper & OakBusiness accountCopper & OakBusiness account
Copper & OakBusiness accountCopper & OakBusiness accountSet them up once. Quiet nights fill.
First visit to regular, without the clipboard.
A thank-you the evening they scan, a nudge when the new menu lands, a reminder the night before they're booked. Each flow stops the moment they reply.
Elena R.BookedLaunch the new menu to the guests who asked.
Tag the guests who asked what's next, send to them first, and see who read and replied before service.
Guests opt in from the table and leave with one word. Buddy keeps a record of both.
"Any gluten-free mains?"QuestionOne inbox, every reply sorted for you.
A time change, a question, a thank-you, a complaint. Your team answers between tables.
Consent you can show anyone who asks.
Every opt-in is saved with where and when it happened: table 6, the receipt, your website. One word from a guest stops everything, and that is saved too.
Elena R.Opted inThe owner, the floor and the kitchen, each with a role.
Invite the team. Everyone sees exactly what they need.
Your number's health, in view.
WhatsApp's quality rating and messaging limits, right inside Buddy.
What every owner asks before the QR goes on the table.
Anything else, ask Sarah.She reads and replies to every message.
Will guests find it pushy?
Only guests who scanned and said yes hear from you, and any of them can stop with one word. Send what's useful to them: the new menu, an event, a quiet-night offer, a reminder for their booking. Useful messages get read.
How do guests opt in?
A QR on the table or the receipt opens your opt-in page; one tap and they join your list with a tag. Guests can also join through the widget on your website, and a list you already hold can be imported with their consent.
Can I send a reminder the evening before a booking?
Yes. Schedule a WhatsApp message for the evening before, personalised with the guest's name and time. If their plans change, they reply, and the reply lands in your inbox in the same thread.
Can the front-of-house team share one inbox?
Yes. Replies land in one inbox, sorted by what guests mean, and you can invite the owner, managers and the floor with their own roles.
Does it work with my booking system or till?
Yes, alongside it. Guests join from the QR on the table and the receipt, your opt-in page or your website widget, whatever system prints the receipt or takes the booking. Guest lists you already hold can be imported with their consent.
What does WhatsApp charge for these messages?
Meta charges for business messages by type and country. Buddy's own plan is separate from that.
Let's fill Tuesday night.
Join the waitlist and tell us about your place. We'll send back the plays that fit it.
