Rethink the Late-Night Daypart: Reservation Strategies to Capture After-8pm Covers
Across Europe, customer routines are shifting: more people are comfortable dining later, and the old assumption that evenings after 8 p.m. are a winding-down period no longer holds universally. That makes the late-night daypart an underused opportunity for operators who are willing to pilot later service, control turnover deliberately, and use data-driven tools to protect guest experience while capturing incremental revenue. Why late-night covers matter now Recent platform data shows measurable growth in dining activity around traditional late slots — the 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. windows have seen month-on-month increases in several markets, indicating demand that many operators previously treated as marginal. (opentable.com) ...