1.1 Automatic Table Assignment: What Is It?
In this article, you’ll learn what automatic table assignment is, what it’s used for, and how it supports you in daily operations.
Quick overview
What is automatic table assignment?
Automatic table assignment helps you assign reservations to suitable tables automatically – based on clear rules that you define yourself.
Instead of placing each reservation manually, the system takes care of this task for you by suggesting suitable tables or table combinations, or by assigning them automatically.
The goal is simple:
less manual work, better overview, and the best possible occupancy of your restaurant.
Why is this useful in everyday operations?
In daily operations, table assignment involves many small but critical decisions:
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Which tables fit which group size?
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Which tables should be preferred or deliberately kept free?
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How can bottlenecks or unused capacity be avoided?
Automatic table assignment helps you to:
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plan reservations faster
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avoid errors and duplicate work
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keep control even during peak times
Especially with many online reservations or changing teams, it brings calm and structure into your workflow.
How does it work in principle?
Automatic table assignment acts intelligently and learns from your daily work.
If you regularly place or move reservations manually to certain tables, the system recognises these patterns and takes them into account for future assignments.
For restaurants that have been working with aleno for some time, a lot of real operational data is already available. This allows suggestions and automatic assignments to become increasingly aligned with your way of working over time.
In addition, automatic table assignment works rule-based and hierarchically:
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Restaurant level
This is where you define the basic logic: table capacities, combinations, priorities, and exclusions. -
Shift level
Shifts build on these settings and can refine them where needed. -
Day level (operational)
For individual days, you can react situationally, for example in case of weather changes or special events.
Classification & boundaries
Automatic table assignment takes over routine work and places reservations intelligently at suitable tables.
At the same time, you always remain fully in control of your floor plan.
Important to know:
Manually assigned reservations are never changed by the system.
As soon as you deliberately place a reservation on a specific table, automatic table assignment fully respects that decision. Already assigned tables are not moved automatically.
This means the automation supports you in the background without interfering with ongoing decisions.
What’s next?
If you want to learn how to activate and set up automatic table assignment for the first time, continue with:
“Automatic Table Assignment: Quick Start – Initial Configuration”
In the following articles, we also explain all individual configuration options in detail – from table capacities and priorities to shift- and day-specific adjustments.
This allows you to adapt automatic table assignment step by step to perfectly match your operation.