Zona de Cuba’s Success Story: Streamlining Reservations and Table Management with Libro
Key Highlights
- Restaurant: Zona de Cuba, a Spanish Caribbean rooftop restaurant in NYC
- Switched from: Zona de Cuba switched from OpenTable to Libro
- Why Libro: Zona de Cuba chose Libro over OpenTable to take advantage of its commission-free reservations, lowering monthly expenses
- Favorite Feature: They can send SMS messages directly to their guests, texting back and forth
- Results: Reservations increased for a fraction of the cost, averaging 1,200 bookings/week
After a few months of using OpenTable, management at Zona de Cuba realized spending thousands of dollars for a reservation system each month was not sustainable and needed a more budget-friendly solution. The rooftop restaurant in New York City now averages approximately 1,200 reservations each week using the Libro system for a fraction of the cost.
“The transition to Libro was simple and we didn’t even experience a dip in reservations,” says Alexander Chan, General Manager of Zona de Cuba. “In fact, our reservations actually increased after switching to Libro.”
According to Chan, Libro’s benefits go beyond taking online reservations. The table management features make it simple to arrange different table configurations and maximize seating to accommodate large groups that frequent the restaurant. Chan also uses the Libro system to set parameters on the number of hours guests can occupy a table, allowing him to expedite service and keep wait times short.
Libro also helps Zona de Cuba address no-shows by requiring a deposit whenever a table is reserved. And while the platform’s real-time communication functions allow the hostess team to manage guest arrivals seamlessly, it helps Chan engage with guests and send reminders before arrival.
Chan also noted that training managers to use the Libro platform and onboarding new hosts are extremely simple. Even without training, Libro uses common sense, so it’s self-explanatory and more user-friendly than other reservation systems.
About Zona de Cuba
With the largest rooftop in New York City, Zona de Cuba uses humble, simple ingredients that are authentically Cuban and widely used within the Spanish Caribbean to provide an elevated experience for the senses. For more information or reservations, visit zonadecuba.com.
