Turn the after-meal moment into a regulars list you own.
Make every guest feel like they just got into the inner circle. Every check goes out with a wax-sealed card. Front: a wax seal pressed in your house color, with a curled arrow that says flip. Back: a QR code with one short line.
"There's something for you. Scan to claim it."
Guests scan, claim a reward you chose for them, and join a regulars list you own. ~90 new opt-ins per month. The list is yours forever.
↑ Our model projects $4–6K/mo in net revenue lift for a typical indie restaurant.
No case studies yet. We're recruiting the first cohort now — the math, the cards, and a $35 way to be one of the first indie restaurants in.
1,000 free wax-sealed cards to start. $35 shipping. No contract. Cancel anytime, keep your data.
Three steps. One ritual.
Acquire the customer at the table. Keep them coming back from your phone.
The drop
Your server places a wax-sealed thank-you card on top of every check. One scripted line: "A little something from the chef — flip it over." That's the whole change to your floor operation.
See the cardThe seal
The custom wax seal is the hook on the front. Guests can't help but flip the card to see what's on the back. Underneath: a personal note from you, a QR code, and a reason to scan — a chef video, the recipe of a dish they just ate, a member-only welcome offer, or whatever you choose this month.
The list
They scan. They opt in. They're on a list you own — not Google's, not Yelp's, not OpenTable's. Text them when tonight's special hits. Fill blocked reservation windows. Reward them on their birthday month. Reviews come too, but the list is the prize.
Six ways to fill seats with a text.
Once a customer opts in, they're yours. Send the right message at the right moment. Every plan includes all six.
A customer list you actually own
Yelp owns your reviews. Google owns your search traffic. DoorDash owns your delivery customers. Tableside hands you the list — phones, emails, zip codes — exportable anytime. We don't rent it. We don't sell it. We don't share it across restaurants.
Welcome offers + birthday rewards
Pick the hook that fits your concept. Free drink. Free app. Spin-the-wheel prize. Member-rate unlock. Hidden menu reveal on visit two. You set the welcome reward, the cap, and the conditions — we handle the redemption, tracking, and birthday-month rewards that fire automatically. The right hook for your concept is the one that makes them feel lucky, not marketed to.
Flash promos for slow shifts
Empty dining room at 6 PM? Send a geo-targeted text to regulars within a 2-mile radius with a redemption code good for the next two hours. Our model targets 30–50 seats filled from a single Tuesday-night blast at industry-standard SMS response rates.
Dish drops that fill seats
Just plated tonight's special? Snap a photo, send it to your regulars within a two-mile radius, 90 minutes before service. They show up because they can almost smell it through the phone. The most direct line you've ever had between your kitchen and your dinner rush.
Happy hour extensions
Push happy hour past closing for the regulars who can still get there in time. Pick a 60, 90, or 120-minute window — the bar fills up while it's already warm.
Referrals that pay only when they show
Customers share a personal link with friends. The reward triggers only when the friend redeems their welcome offer in person — so every payout is funded by a paying butt-in-seat. Rolling out for pilot cohort.
Reviews are the byproduct. Regulars are the prize.
The math indie restaurants run on.
New customer opt-ins per month per restaurant
Average scan rate at the table
Contract. 30 days, walk away anytime, keep your data.
Projections based on indie restaurant industry data: 25–35% QR opt-in rates when paired with a physical artifact, 25% return-visit rate for opted-in regulars, $45 average ticket. The first cohort will publish their real numbers.
Built compliant. Google-safe by design — no review-for-discount, no rating-gating. Read the full compliance one-pager
"I can't afford to give stuff away."
Every operator says this. Then they think about it for ten seconds.
"Subway gives the sixth sandwich free because the first five paid for it. Tableside gives a drink because the meal pays for it."
You set the offer. You set the cap. You set who gets it and when. We track every redemption, every visit, every dollar attributed back to the regulars list. The math is yours.
What will Tableside earn you?
Tell us about your restaurant. We'll estimate your monthly opt-ins, redemption cost, and projected return-visit revenue.
Based on industry averages. Your actual results will vary.
That's $2.13 per table touched in net revenue.
For every $1 you spend acquiring a regular through Tableside, you earn $83 back over their lifetime.
LTV based on industry-average indie restaurant repeat-visit data: 3.5 visits/year, 2.3-year customer lifespan. Your numbers may vary.
Two ways to start.
The pilot ships 1,000 cards. What you build in those 30 days — the list of regulars, the scan data, the relationships — is yours forever, whether you stay or not.
30 days. We ship 1,000 branded cards with your artwork. Full platform access. No contract. The list you build in 30 days is yours forever — exportable, portable, no matter what you decide next.
- 1,000 branded cards (custom artwork)
- Custom scan page with your video + welcome offer
- Full analytics dashboard from day one
- Server scripts and printed POS cards
Hit 50 new opt-ins in 30 days — or get another month free. We're not afraid of the comparison.
Starter
- 1 location, 1 vessel type
- 250 SMS/mo + unlimited email
- Welcome offer + birthday rewards
- Basic analytics
Growth
- Everything in Starter
- 1,000 SMS/mo, geo-targeted up to 2 miles
- All campaign templates (flash promo, dish drop, win-back, referral)
- Advanced analytics
Multi-Location
- Everything in Growth
- 2,000 SMS/mo per location
- Cross-location geo-targeting
- Centralized dashboard
- Volume discount on cards
Full pricing, cards, and add-ons at /pricing →
Wax seals not right for your concept? See alternative vessels →
The drink is the invitation. The meal pays for it. The relationship is what you keep.
What operators actually worry about.
Three honest answers to the three questions every operator asks before signing up.
More questions? Read the full FAQ →