Booking system for bars and pubs — keep it simple, keep it full.
Taverns, gastropubs, sports bars and taprooms take group bookings, function room hire and walk-ins on one run sheet. SMS reminders mean they actually show up. No commissions, no contracts, no drama.
A pub or bar booking system lets groups reserve tables and function rooms online, with confirmations and reminders sent automatically. TableNest is that software, built for Australian bars, pubs, taverns, gastropubs, sports bars and taprooms, priced from $29 to $69 AUD per month, flat. Every plan includes 120 / 240 / 400 SMS confirmations by tier, an embeddable booking widget, areas for the main bar, beer garden and function room, and a run sheet that keeps walk-ins and group bookings on one page, with Square POS, Xero invoicing, and deposits on Business ($49/mo) and above. There are no per-cover commissions, no contracts, and a 30-day free trial you can start without entering a card. Commission-based platforms typically charge $99 to $499 per month plus per-cover fees — for a pub running weekly events and big Friday-night groups, that runs into the thousands every month. TableNest is Australian-built, operated by Fyrge Lab Pty Ltd. Take a deposit on a twenty-person function room booking without another payment platform.
No card required. Free for 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Or save 2 months with annual billing →Sound familiar?
A group books the function room for Friday night, then half of them don't show
No system for pub table reservations — just a notebook behind the bar
Expensive platforms that want a cut of every booking
Walk-ins tracked on paper and online bookings tracked somewhere else
How TableNest works for bars
Everything you need to take online bookings — nothing you don't.
Big groups and function rooms
Customers book for 2-20+ people. Split the venue into areas — main bar, beer garden, rooftop, taproom, private function room — and give every table a capacity and a smallest party size, so the intimate booths stay for small groups.
No-show killer
SMS reminders 24 hours before mean groups actually turn up. One-tap cancel link frees the table instantly if plans change.
Walk-ins on the same run sheet
Log a walk-in from the dashboard in one tap and it lands on the same printable run sheet as the online bookings. One page for the whole night, not two systems.
Zero commissions
Flat monthly fee. Whether you take 10 bookings or 500, your cost stays the same. No per-cover charges eating into your margins.
Simple pricing for bars
Flat monthly fee. No commissions. No contracts. SMS included.
$29
Starter
$49
Business
$69
Pro
Frequently asked questions about booking systems for bars
What is a bar or pub booking system?
A bar or pub booking system lets groups reserve tables, booths or function rooms online, sends SMS reminders so they actually show up on Friday night, and gives staff one dashboard covering online bookings and walk-ins together. TableNest provides this from $29 AUD per month, with SMS confirmations and area management on every tier and no per-cover commission.
How do you handle big groups and function rooms?
Set each part of the venue up as its own area — main bar, beer garden, rooftop, taproom, private function room — then add the tables in each with a capacity and a smallest workable party size. Auto-assign picks the smallest table that fits the group and skips any table whose minimum sits above it, so the intimate booths stay for small groups. An area can be blocked out for a private function.
Should a bar take deposits on large bookings?
On the bookings that cost most to hold, yes — a deposit turns a free reservation into a committed one. TableNest triggers deposits by party size, area, service, event or day of week, so a Friday function room booking can require one while a two-person table does not. Deposits are on the Business ($49/mo) plan and above, with no per-transaction surcharge from TableNest. Free-RSVP events run on every plan.
How do bookings work alongside walk-ins on a busy night?
Walk-ins are logged from the dashboard and appear on the same run sheet as online bookings, so the floor never works from two lists. The run sheet prints, and can be emailed to the venue automatically each morning at a time you choose — 7am by default — so bar staff see the night's group bookings and function room hire before doors open.
How much should a pub or bar pay for booking software in Australia?
Bar and pub booking systems in Australia typically cost between $29 and $200 per month, with many platforms adding per-cover or per-network fees on top of the subscription. TableNest is a flat $29 (Starter), $49 (Business), or $69 (Pro) per month — no commissions whether you take 10 bookings or 500. Group bookings are included on every tier.
Do small bars and pubs really need an online booking system?
If your bar takes more than 10 group bookings a week, yes. Every missed call during service is a booking that went to a competitor. Online bookings let customers reserve 24/7, cut no-shows by roughly a quarter to a third when paired with SMS reminders — the largest randomised trial of reminder messaging, across 161,587 healthcare appointments, measured a 26–33% drop — and free staff to pour drinks instead of answering the phone.
Does TableNest work with Square POS?
Yes. TableNest's Square integration is built in on the Business ($49/mo) plan and above, with no extra fee or third-party connector required. Bookings sync to Square's customer database, and you can pull each customer's order history into TableNest's CRM for marketing emails, birthday offers, and lapsed-guest re-engagement.
How do I switch to TableNest from another booking platform?
Switching takes about 30 minutes for most bars and pubs. Import your existing customer list via CSV (TableNest supports notes, visit counts, and last-visit dates), embed the new booking widget on your website, and update your Google or Square listing to point to the new link. There is no contract or lock-in to leave behind on the TableNest side.
Is TableNest built specifically for Australian venues?
Yes. TableNest is built and supported in Australia (Fyrge Lab Pty Ltd, ACN 696 775 096), prices in AUD, sends SMS through an Australian carrier, and ships with venue-type templates for Australian restaurants, cafes, bars, wineries, breweries, and salons. Customer support is delivered from Australia during business hours.
Last updated 8 August 2026
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