Are there OpenTable layoffs? OpenTable is an important and the best-known management system for restaurants. You can say it is a starting point to start with online reservations and table management. But it announced layoffs in 2020. OpenTable Layoffs emerged as the first reported layoffs and furloughs at Booking.com. A parent company of OpenTable is Booking Holdings. The job cuts at OpenTable and Kayak came out as the first reported layoffs on its official website.
Now, if more cuts will be coming at other Booking Brands, then it would not be surprising. It is reported that all happened due to an economic slowdown.
Let’s put light on OpenTable Layoffs if you are interested to learn more about this particular topic. Then you must keep reading this blog post! Here we’ve covered almost everything about OpenTable layoffs. So, let’s not wait up and continue reading!!
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Is OpenTable Laying Off?
According to reports, In 2020, OpenTable and Kayak announced layoffs. They had laid off around 400 workers. OpenTable and Kayak are Booking Holdings brands. The CEO of both brands – Steve Hafner, said, “We will inform all of those employees of their job cuts in an email.”
In an email, he wrote, “Our revenue has dropped extremely due to the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. We are hoping to recover quickly. But a majority of experts predicted a prolonged downturn. For us, it is not so easy. Moreover, we did everything to avoid reduction. But there is nothing we can do to avoid these steps. We have decided to adjust our team as other travel and dining industries did.”
Reportedly, of the 400 affected employees, 160 employees were laid off. While 240 employees were not directly laid off. They were subjected to reduced work hours. It is believed that the company laid off around 1.5 percent of the global workforce. It represented 20 to 25 percent of the Kayak-OpenTable roster.
If we look at other layoffs and furloughs, it is noted that, At Booking.com in Amsterdam, other than 48 contractors whose agreements were not renewed. OpenTable and Kayak layoffs emerged as the first reported job cuts at Booking Holdings brands after the COVID-19 outbreak.
When announced layoffs, Hafner confirmed that “OpenTable was considering cost-cutting. Due to this, the company reached out to several approaches. But later, we cut office and personnel expenses by 20 percent.”
The co-founder of the Kayak stated, “His direct reports took a 15 percent salary deduction for the rest of the year. On the other hand, he waived his own already.”
The company sent a thankful note to all of its employees. A note said, “We are thankful to all of our team members who are affected by layoffs. Their ideas and energy that they brought to our company supported us a lot.”
Hafner said, “We know it is a news of dismay for all of you and your families also. We are incredibly sad about it, also. In truth, laying off or reducing their work hours are always demoralizing. But sometimes, factors have gone out of our control. Due to this, making these types of decisions are better to be fit. However, these are not easy for us. But we have to do it. We are committed to doing our best to help you in the future. We hope your future will get brighter.”
He also added, “We will emerge better and stronger. Travel and dining will be reimagined, and our services will do the same. Our mission is to help everyone. We want to experience the world as it is equally important as other things.”
For over the past couple of years and in 2023, No recent layoffs have been announced by OpenTable.
Why Doesn’t OpenTable Work?
Sometimes, OpenTable, an app for restaurants, needs to be fixed. Plenty of reasons can be there, such as:
- First and Foremost, you must ensure you have a good internet connection because the Internet Connection Problem is one of the significant factors.
- Most of the time, what happens, OpenTable does not work due to temporary loading issues. In this case, you need to press the recent applications menu. Then close the app and open it again. The app is usually working.
- You can restart your device by pressing the power button for seconds and then choosing the restart option. This way, you can restart your device. It may work fine once you open the app again.
- Suppose these steps could be more helpful. Then what you all have to do is, wait till you run down your phone’s battery. When it automatically turns off, charge your device and open it by pressing the power button. You may not face the same issue in the app again.
- If nothing works, then the last option is uninstallation. Yes, you have to uninstall the app and install it again. Usually, iOS provides an option to restore settings and content from iCloud backup. It would be a plus point if you have enabled it before, and the app may work fine.
- Sometimes, reinstallation also needs to be fixed in fixing issues. So, try to install the older version of the app if that is the case.
- You can try these fixes to fix the app on your device. We hope you get some help from these fixes.
What Type Of Company Is OpenTable?
OpenTable is a San Francisco-based online restaurant reservation service company. It was established on July 2, 1998, by Eric Moe, Sid Gorham, and Chuck Templeton. Initially, it started with its limited operations in San Francisco, California.
Now, the company has expanded. It covers more than 50,000 restaurant chains in more than 80 countries. Initially, it used the company’s back-end software to make reservations on the website officially. As a result, it also processes a real-time reservation system for diners and restaurants.
OpenTable charges monthly and per-reservation fees from restaurants for their use of the system. Due to this, reservations cost nothing to end users. Moreover, the company offers online reservations for over 50,000 restaurants worldwide, with more than 1 billion diners annually.
Its Acquisitions
On June 13, 2014, The Priceline Group acquired the company in an all-cash deal for 2.6 billion US dollars. When the company was founded, at that time, it was incorporated as easyeats.com, Inc. in California.
The company held its initial public offering (IPO) under the ticker NASDAQ: OPEN in May 2009. The underwriters were Stifel Nicolaus, Merrill Lynch, ThinkEquity, and Allen & Company.
OpenTable acquired a restaurant reservation site, TopTable, in October 2010 in the UK. Later, it also acquired Foodspotting on January 2013.
Both companies said it would operate OpenTable as a separate business under the same management. Debby Soo was appointed as OpenTable’s new CEO in August 2020.
Companies Like OpenTable
Are you looking for a valuable tool to manage and increase reservations? If yes, then OpenTable can be a good option. It is a large diner discovery platform across the country. It helps in discovering restaurants online.
Moreover, it helps organize booking and seating guests quickly through its table management system. Even though, if you are searching for OpenTable alternatives, then it can also be a great idea. It is because if you are unable to pay commissions on reservations. Then OpenTable could be a better option for a simple and inexpensive restaurant management system. There are better options than OpenTable, and you must look for better options.
OpenTable is the best for restaurant operators that have used the most. But the restaurant industry demands more. Below we have compiled a list of a few companies like OpenTable. They are worth trying, and they are the best currently available options.
- Tock
- Yelp Reservations
- TableIn
- The Fork
- Eveve
- Rest
- Eat App
- Table Agent
We hope you like these alternatives and consider one instead of OpenTable. Are you aware of its valuable features? Let’s put light on its features:
- You will be charged if you want to connect to social media channels.
- Guest surveys and customer feedback.
- Guest profiles, shift planning.
- Essential marketing features include SMS reservation messaging and Email.
WhenWhen it comes to increasing reservations and managing tables, restaurant owners can get the job done with the help of OpenTable, as all these features are combined with ease of use.
How much does it cost?
A full-featured, core OpenTable product costs around 249 US dollars per month. It is an expensive but efficient solution for front-of-house restaurant management software.
If you think it is only an option for restaurant systems. Then let us tell you that there are multiple systems for restaurant operators. That helps restaurant operations, guest management, and reservations in the market.
The Bottom Line
In today’s restaurant world, customers are provided with few options from restaurants whenever they book a table and dine. It’s all about simplicity.
Booking Holdings brands OpenTable and Kayak announced that 400 workers had been affected by layoffs in 2020. Of which, some employees were laid off. At the same time, some workers’ working hours were reduced.
Hafner attributed the cuts emerged as the company’s revenue dwindled because of the Coronavirus pandemic. The company slimmed its expenses by 20 percent. At the same time, senior team members’ salaries were reduced by 15 percent.
Do you know? Why are Restaurant management systems like OpenTable important in today’s restaurant industry? Tools for front-of-house restaurant management play a vital role in an efficient restaurant. So, these types of options are a godsend for hospitality businesses.
