Guest Preference Data: The Most Underused Asset in Restaurant Operations

There’s a hotel in Tokyo famous for greeting every returning guest by name and presenting them with the pillow firmness they requested 18 months ago. The technology available to restaurants today makes this achievable at scale.

What Guest Preference Data to Collect

• Dietary restrictions and allergies — non-negotiable for both experience and safety
• Seating preferences — booth vs. table, near the window, quiet corner
• Occasion tracking — birthdays, anniversaries, milestone events
• Service preferences — pacing preferences, preferred server

When and How to Collect It

The booking process is your best data collection opportunity. Dealsby Reservations includes structured preference fields in the reservation wizard.

People will forget what you said and forget what you did. They won’t forget how you made them feel known.