A cafe booking system that puts walk-ins and online bookings on one screen.
Built for the weekend brunch rush: short sittings per service, tables you can keep back for walk-ins, and one flat price. From $29/month, no commissions.
A cafe booking system takes table bookings online and shows them beside your walk-ins on one screen. TableNest is that software, built for Australian cafes and brunch venues and priced from $29 to $69 AUD per month, flat. Every plan includes 120 / 240 / 400 SMS confirmations by tier, an embeddable booking widget, service types with their own sitting length so weekend brunch turns on time, and a printable run sheet so Saturday staff can run the floor without asking, with Square POS integration, Xero invoicing, and optional 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. Mark a table staff-only and the widget never offers it, so there is room for the walk-ins your cafe runs on. Free-RSVP classes and workshops run on every plan, with paid tickets on Business and above. TableNest is Australian-built, operated by Fyrge Lab Pty Ltd.
No card required. Free for 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Or save 2 months with annual billing →Sound familiar?
A queue at the door while online bookings sit on a separate screen
Long brunch sittings that push back every booking after them
No tables left for walk-ins because the booking site gave them all away
Booking software priced and built for fine dining, not a busy cafe
How TableNest works for cafes
Everything you need to take online bookings — nothing you don't.
Walk-in + online in one view
Log a walk-in from the dashboard and it lands on the same timeline as your online bookings, so nobody double-books a table during the brunch rush. Mark a table staff-only and the booking widget never offers it, so it stays free for walk-ins.
Service types that keep the room straight
Set brunch, lunch and coffee up as separate services, each with its own sitting length, time slots and covers limit. A short weekend brunch sitting turns tables on time, and online bookings follow the rules you set.
Run sheet for front-of-house
A printable list of today's bookings with names, party sizes, times and tables, so Saturday staff can run the floor without asking.
Simple booking widget
Customers pick a date, time, and party size. No account needed, no app to download. Works on any website — even a simple Facebook page link.
SMS confirmations included
Every online booking gets an instant SMS confirmation. No extra cost, no per-message fees. Every message carries a cancel link the customer taps to free up the table.
Ticketed events, classes and workshops
Run a latte-art class or a coffee cupping session as a ticketed event with its own capacity and per-head price. Free-RSVP events work on every plan; paid tickets and deposits run on Business and above.
Simple pricing for cafes
Flat monthly fee. No commissions. No contracts. SMS included.
$29
Starter
$49
Business
$69
Pro
Frequently asked questions about booking systems for cafes
What is a booking system for cafes?
Booking software for cafes lets customers book a table online for brunch, lunch or coffee, confirms the booking for them, and shows walk-ins alongside online bookings on one screen. TableNest provides this from $29 AUD per month with SMS confirmations on every plan, a sitting length per service, and Square POS sync on Business ($49/mo) and above — no commissions, no per-cover fees, no contracts.
How much does a cafe booking system cost in Australia?
Cafe booking platforms in Australia typically cost between $29 and $300 per month, with many platforms designed for fine dining at the higher end. TableNest is a flat $29 (Starter), $49 (Business), or $69 (Pro) per month — no commissions, no per-booking fees. A 150-cover-per-week cafe typically saves $400–2,000 per month switching from a tiered or commission-based platform.
Is there a free cafe booking system?
Yes, some booking systems have a free plan, usually capped on covers or bookings, with texting and payments often sold as extras. TableNest has no free plan. It has a 30-day free trial you can start without entering a card: set up your tables, hours and services and take bookings by hand. A card is needed to go live with the public booking widget and guest confirmations, and to carry on after day 30 from $29 AUD a month.
Can I keep tables free for walk-ins?
Yes. Mark any table staff-only and the online booking widget never offers it or seats an online booking at it, while staff can still put a walk-in there. You can also set a same-day online booking deadline: after that time the widget stops taking bookings for today, and the rest of the day is left for walk-ins and phone bookings. Both settings are on every plan.
Can I set shorter sittings for brunch than for lunch?
Yes. Each service type, whether brunch, lunch, coffee or a custom session, has its own sitting length, time slots and covers limit, so a weekend brunch can turn tables faster than a long lunch. On Pro and above you can also set sitting length by party size, so a table for two books a shorter slot than a table for six. Walk-ins logged from the dashboard appear on the same run sheet as online bookings.
Do small cafes really need an online booking system?
If your cafe takes more than 10 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 front-of-house staff to run the floor 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.
Can I sell tickets for cafe events, classes and workshops?
Yes. Latte-art classes, coffee cupping sessions, supper clubs and private hire run as ticketed events, each with its own capacity, duration and per-head price. Free-RSVP events are included on every plan, Starter ($29/mo) upward. Paid tickets and deposits run on the payment rail included with Business ($49/mo) and above — no per-ticket fee and no events add-on tier from TableNest.
How do I switch to TableNest from another booking platform?
Setting up your venue takes about 10 minutes. Then 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 2 November 2026
Keep reading
More from TableNest on booking software for small venues.
Ready to simplify bookings for your cafe?
Set up in about 10 minutes. Embed it on your website. Online bookings open once a card is on file.
Get started free