OpenTable

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An international restaurant reservation and hospitality technology platform connecting diners with restaurants.

Last updated August 21, 2026

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Overview

OpenTable is a restaurant reservation and hospitality technology company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It operates a digital marketplace through which diners can search for restaurants, compare availability, make reservations, and discover dining options by location, date, time, cuisine, and price range. Its consumer-facing service is available through the OpenTable website and mobile applications, while its restaurant-facing technology supports reservation management and other front-of-house and customer-engagement activities. The business was established on July 2, 1998, by Sid Gorham, Eric Moe, and Chuck Templeton. It initially operated under the name easyeats.com, Inc. and began with a limited group of restaurants in San Francisco. Its central technical proposition was to replace fragmented paper reservation books with a shared, real-time electronic system. Restaurants supplied availability through OpenTable's back-end software, allowing diners to see and book tables online while enabling restaurants to manage reservations from a computerized host-stand system. OpenTable's consumer service is generally free to diners. Its restaurant business model has historically relied on fees paid by participating restaurants, including recurring software charges and fees associated with reservations generated through the platform. The service also developed consumer loyalty features, including points that eligible diners could redeem for discounts at participating restaurants. In addition to reservations, the platform has offered restaurant profiles, user reviews, dining information, confirmation messages, and mobile booking tools. The company expanded beyond its original San Francisco base through international growth and acquisitions. In 2010 it acquired Toptable, a United Kingdom restaurant-reservation website. In 2013 it announced an agreement to acquire Foodspotting, a service focused on food discovery and restaurant imagery. OpenTable became a public company through a 2009 initial public offering on the NASDAQ under the symbol OPEN. In 2014, Priceline Group, now Booking Holdings, agreed to acquire the company for approximately $2.6 billion. OpenTable continued to operate as a separate business within the acquirer's portfolio. OpenTable's restaurant tools have included an Electronic Reservation Book and related systems for reservation handling, table management, guest recognition, and email marketing. These products position the company not only as a consumer booking site but also as a software provider for restaurants seeking to coordinate inventory, understand guests, and manage demand. By 2024, the company stated that its network covered more than 50,000 restaurants worldwide, while reference material described coverage of more than 55,000 restaurants in over 80 countries and more than one billion diners seated annually. In 2020, Debby Soo was appointed chief executive officer. OpenTable has continued to develop partnerships and platform policies under Booking Holdings' ownership. In 2024 it announced a Visa partnership intended to provide certain Visa cardholders with access to reservation inventory at selected popular restaurants. The same year, it announced a change to its review policy that would require new reviews to show at least a reviewer's first name and profile photo. After user criticism, the company said existing reviews would not be retroactively made public under the new standard and delayed implementation of the revised policy. OpenTable remains an active international brand focused on restaurant discovery, reservations, and hospitality software.

History

OpenTable was founded on July 2, 1998, by Sid Gorham, Eric Moe, and Chuck Templeton. The company was initially incorporated in California as easyeats.com, Inc. Its first operating market was San Francisco, where it worked with a limited selection of restaurants. The early business addressed a practical problem in restaurant operations: reservations were commonly recorded in paper books, making it difficult to expose up-to-date availability to diners or coordinate bookings efficiently across channels. OpenTable developed a back-end electronic reservation system that restaurants could use to manage table inventory and process bookings received through the company's website. This created a real-time connection between restaurant staff and diners. Customers could search for a restaurant by date, time, cuisine, and price range, while participating restaurants received a computerized system for reservation and table management. The company later added confirmation communications, mobile booking, reviews, loyalty points, and other discovery features. A major stage in OpenTable's development was its 2009 initial public offering. On May 21 of that year, the company listed on NASDAQ under the ticker OPEN. Public-market status supported its expansion as an online marketplace and restaurant software provider. In October 2010, OpenTable acquired Toptable, a United Kingdom-based restaurant reservation website, strengthening its international presence. In January 2013, it announced a definitive agreement to acquire Foodspotting, extending its reach into food discovery and visual restaurant content. In June 2014, Priceline Group agreed to acquire OpenTable for $103 per share. The offer represented a reported 46 percent premium to the previous day's closing price and valued the transaction at approximately $2.6 billion. Following the transaction, OpenTable became part of the corporate group now known as Booking Holdings. The companies stated that OpenTable would continue as a separate business under the same management, allowing it to retain its restaurant-focused identity while benefiting from the resources and international reach of its parent group. OpenTable's business has continued to combine two related activities. For diners, it provides a searchable restaurant marketplace and reservation channel accessible through web and mobile products. For restaurants, it provides an Electronic Reservation Book and related software for reservations, table allocation, guest recognition, and email marketing. The platform's restaurant monetization has included monthly software fees and charges connected with reservations, while diners generally do not pay to make a reservation. The company has also operated a points-based loyalty feature through which qualifying diners can receive points after dining and redeem them for discounts at participating restaurants. By 2024, OpenTable described its network as covering more than 50,000 restaurants worldwide; reference material also reported more than 55,000 restaurants in over 80 countries and more than one billion diners seated annually. In August 2020, Debby Soo was named chief executive officer. More recently, the company pursued partnerships intended to improve access to high-demand restaurant inventory, including a 2024 arrangement with Visa for certain cardholders. It also faced user criticism over a planned review-identity policy. OpenTable subsequently limited the change so that previously anonymous reviews would not be retroactively exposed and postponed the start of the new policy. OpenTable remains an active Booking Holdings subsidiary and an international provider of restaurant reservations and hospitality technology.

2024
Visa partnership announced
[1]OpenTableen.wikipedia.org
OpenTable announced a partnership intended to provide certain Visa cardholders access to selected high-demand reservation inventory.
2020
Debby Soo becomes chief executive
[1]OpenTableen.wikipedia.org
OpenTable named Debby Soo as its chief executive officer.
2014
Acquired by Priceline Group
[1]OpenTableen.wikipedia.org
Priceline Group agreed to acquire OpenTable in a transaction valued at approximately $2.6 billion.
2013
Foodspotting acquisition announced
[1]OpenTableen.wikipedia.org
The company announced a definitive agreement to acquire Foodspotting, a food-discovery service.
2010
Acquisition of Toptable
[1]OpenTableen.wikipedia.org
OpenTable acquired the United Kingdom restaurant-reservation website Toptable.
2009
Initial public offering
[1]OpenTableen.wikipedia.org
OpenTable completed its initial public offering on NASDAQ under the ticker OPEN.
1998
OpenTable is founded
[1]OpenTableen.wikipedia.org
Sid Gorham, Eric Moe, and Chuck Templeton founded the company on July 2, 1998. Operations began with a small group of San Francisco restaurants.

Products and positioning

A global digital restaurant marketplace and hospitality software provider that combines diner discovery and booking with restaurant reservation and guest-management technology.

Online restaurant reservations · 1998
OpenTable reservation marketplace
The core consumer service allows diners to search participating restaurants by location, date, time, cuisine, and price range, then reserve available tables online. Reservations are generally free to diners, and confirmation messages provide booking details. The marketplace is supported by restaurant-supplied availability and connects directly to the company's restaurant-management systems.
Mobile dining application
OpenTable mobile application
The mobile application gives users access to restaurant discovery and reservation functions on smartphones. It extends the website's search and booking experience with a mobile interface for finding restaurants and making reservations while away from a desktop computer.
Restaurant management software
Electronic Reservation Book
The Electronic Reservation Book is a restaurant-facing system that digitizes host-stand operations traditionally handled with paper reservation books. It supports reservation processing and helps restaurants coordinate available tables, booking information, and front-of-house activity in a centralized system.
Hospitality software
Restaurant guest and marketing tools
OpenTable's restaurant technology has included table management, guest recognition, and email-marketing capabilities. These tools extend the platform beyond simple booking by helping restaurants organize service, recognize returning guests, and communicate with their customer base.
Loyalty program
OpenTable dining rewards
Eligible diners can receive points after completing qualifying meals at participating restaurants. The points may be redeemed for discounts under the program's applicable terms, creating a loyalty layer around reservations made through the platform.

Marketing campaigns

2024Visa reservation-access partnership
United States · Other OpenTable markets
OpenTable partnered with Visa to provide certain cardholders with access to reservation slots at selected popular restaurants. The initiative was positioned as a benefit for eligible payment-card users and as a way to connect OpenTable's reservation inventory with a major financial-services partner.
Outcome. Partnership announced; broader commercial results were not specified in the reference material.
Source

Brand decisions

2024
Modify and delay anonymous-review policyOther
Background
OpenTable announced that new reviews would display a reviewer's first name and profile photo, and initially indicated that existing reviews would also be retroactively deanonymized.
Action taken
After significant user criticism, OpenTable said it would not apply the change retroactively to older reviews and postponed the start of the revised policy.
Aftermath
Earlier reviews remained anonymous under the revised approach, while the later implementation date was left unspecified in the reference material.
Source
2014
Accept Priceline Group acquisition offerM&A
Background
OpenTable entered an agreement to be acquired by Priceline Group as the reservation company expanded internationally and the online travel group broadened its dining-related portfolio.
Action taken
The companies agreed to a cash offer of $103 per share, valuing OpenTable at approximately $2.6 billion. OpenTable was to continue operating as a separate business.
Aftermath
OpenTable became a subsidiary of the corporate group now known as Booking Holdings.
Transaction value. $2.6 billion (2014)
Source

Recent events

2024
OpenTable announces Visa reservation-access partnership[1]OpenTableen.wikipedia.org
Campaign · Other
OpenTable announced a partnership with Visa intended to give certain cardholders access to reservation slots at selected popular restaurants.
2024
OpenTable revises planned anonymous-review policy after user criticism[1]OpenTableen.wikipedia.org
Regulation · Other
OpenTable announced that new reviews would display at least a reviewer's first name and profile photo. Following significant pushback, it said existing reviews would not be retroactively deanonymized and delayed the policy's implementation.
2020
OpenTable appoints Debby Soo as chief executive[1]OpenTableen.wikipedia.org
Leadership change
OpenTable named Debby Soo its new chief executive officer.
2014
Priceline Group agrees to acquire OpenTable[1]OpenTableen.wikipedia.org
M&A
Priceline Group agreed to buy OpenTable for approximately $2.6 billion, with OpenTable continuing to operate as a separate business under the same management.
2013
OpenTable announces Foodspotting acquisition[1]OpenTableen.wikipedia.org
M&A
OpenTable announced a definitive agreement to acquire Foodspotting, a food-discovery service.
2010
OpenTable acquires UK reservation service Toptable[1]OpenTableen.wikipedia.org
M&A
The company acquired Toptable, expanding its restaurant-reservation activities in the United Kingdom.
2009
OpenTable completes initial public offering on NASDAQ[1]OpenTableen.wikipedia.org
Other
OpenTable became a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ under the ticker OPEN.

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