Event booking is a great way to boost revenue for your restaurant. Restaurant traffic may go through ups and downs during times of economic uncertainty. But one thing is certain. People are always throwing birthday parties and bridal showers. People are always hosting fundraisers and anniversary celebrations. Events are a big part of life.
If you market your restaurant the right way, events can also be a big part of your business strategy. Of course, event planning is not exactly the same thing as running a restaurant. There’s a lot that goes into it, especially if you’re new to event booking.
We wanted to find out what goes into booking events for restaurants and whether it’s worth all the effort. So we caught up with Tripleseat Vice President of Sales Chad Wozniak. Chad describes Tripleseat as “a one-stop-shop for everything when it comes to managing your events, whether you're a restaurant or a venue.” He shared some excellent advice for restaurants looking to dive headlong into event booking in 2026.
Why Event Booking is a Great Way to Boost Revenue
Chad explains that Tripleseat was founded almost 20 years ago to help restaurants capitalize on a huge but often untapped market. Plenty of restaurants have the capacity to host events, but for many, it simply isn’t a priority. That’s understandable. It takes more than enough work just to run a restaurant.
“If you think about the restaurant space,” says Chad, “the dining room is the first priority. Events are secondary.”
But events come with a lot of benefits. Booking private events lets you:
- Fill your restaurant during slower shifts
- Capitalize on holidays, sporting events, and other special occasions
- Add a revenue stream that comes with predictable seating, inventory, and staffing needs
5 Ways to Boost Event Booking in 2026
There may be a lot of money in event booking for restaurants. But there is also a lot of planning and preparation that goes into event booking. From marketing your space to handling incoming leads; from preparing special event menus to laying out floor plans – it can be a lot of work.
“So the question is,” says Chad, “How do we help make this great revenue stream easier for restaurants to access and operate?”
Chad helps us answer this question with a few helpful tips.
1. Tell People You Do Events
This may sound obvious, but you have to put yourself out there. This is the first step for most restaurants. Chad advises “getting in front of people and just making the public aware of the options that you have. A lot of people wouldn't necessarily think of every single brick and mortar restaurant as a place where you would host a private event.”
Actively market your availability for special events by listing your restaurant on event planning forums. For example, says Chad, Tripleseat powers a website called EventUp, “which allows you to be an actual destination that people can search for.”
EventUp draws a massive amount of traffic from both event planners and regular people looking to plan private events. You can filter your searches on EventUp based on your location, guest count, event type, and more.
EventUp gives restaurants a way to be visible to people and planners looking for venues in their area. And it gives those online searchers a wealth of information about each venue and makes it easy to request a quote or even book right there on the site.
2. Stay on Top of Your Leads
It’s easy to let event leads slip through the cracks when you’re busy with the day-to-day demands of running your restaurant. But in the 24 hours it takes you to respond to a message, that big event could already be booked somewhere else.
“That’s a huge portion of revenue that you might be leaving on the table,” says Chad.
That’s why the Tripleseat platform offers a whole suite of lead management tools including:
- Automated, personalized lead responses, ensuring that you never leave potential customers waiting
- User-friendly dashboard that collects incoming leads from every source in a single location
- Lead analytics that help you see how many leads you’re converting into bookings
- An option for 24/7 booking so you never miss leads during after hours
As Chad explains, “It’s about taking those great leads and inquiries that are coming into a restaurant and making sure you capitalize on them.”
3. Incentivize Off-Peak Event Booking
Event booking can be a particularly strong source of revenue during times when restaurants are usually slow. But, Chad suggests, you have to be strategic about incentivizing customers to book during these off-peak hours.
“Maybe you offer customers some sort of a discount for coming in on a Tuesday night instead of a Saturday night,” suggests Chad. “You can help to steer your revenue with events instead of just allowing nature to take its course based on when people are choosing to enter your business.”
Research supports this approach. According to TouchBistro’s 2025 Diner Trends Report, 62 percent of diners say they are more likely to plan a special trip out to your restaurant if you include a limited time offer (LTO). Give customers good reasons to book your space during the hours when you could most use the influx of business.
4. Lean Into Your Loyalty Program
Outreach is absolutely critical to event booking for restaurants. The key, says Chad, is to be proactive about positioning your restaurant as a venue. You already use your loyalty program to attract repeat business. And the research says it’s working. According to TouchBistro’s Diner Trends Report, “Fifty-three percent of loyalty program members are going out to eat weekly or more often.”
.png?width=382&height=282&name=Marketing%20(2).png)
Subscribe to The Growth Center Newsletter
Learn how to turn your marketing into measurable growth with proven strategies from experts, delivered monthly.
Loyalty program members are more likely to be repeat customers. If you promote your space the right way, these loyalty program members are also more likely to think of your restaurant when it comes to booking private parties. Make sure you use your loyalty program contact list to tell your best customers about your event hosting services.
You also have access to a huge amount of data through your loyalty program, including your repeat customers’ favorite dishes, their favorite times to visit, and how often they come in. Use this information to personalize your outreach. Market promotions that reward your best customers for booking events in 2026.
5. Provide a Great Experience
Ultimately, whether you're handling a dining room full of hungry regulars or you're hosting a big private event, it all comes down to the same thing. “You really need to put the time and energy and effort into creating that wow experience,” says Chad.
That’s actually why a platform like Tripleseat can be so valuable. Tripleseat provides tools for everything from booking events for restaurants and communicating with guests to menu planning and payment processing.
In other words, the platform streamlines all the administrative stuff, it keeps the planning process organized, and it frees up your team to focus on creating an amazing experience for your guests.
After all, says Chad, “You're still in the business of experience. You're not in the business of technology. Use our platform to take some of the smaller tasks off the table. Put your attention toward those big parties, and make sure you execute at the highest level.”
Getting Creative With Your Business in 2026
“The benefit of booking events for restaurants is that no matter how large or small your business is, every restaurant has an opportunity to increase its throughput, even during off-peak times. You just have to be creative,” Chad advises.
We couldn’t agree more. Fortunately, there are all kinds of amazing tools that can help your restaurant operate more efficiently and effectively so that you can focus on being creative. Schedule your free restaurant tech consultation today!
