News

Strike Action Sees Spike In Online Booking Levels For Savvy Restaurant Chains

01 December 2011

Bookatable.com, Europe’s largest free restaurant reservations website, saw a massive 25% week on week increase in online reservations being made at restaurant chains in the UK. Parents forced home by Wednesday’s strike action turned to restaurants to keep their kids entertained. Mobile bookings also saw a week on week spike of 23% as families searched out last minute offers using the internet on their phones and the Bookatable App while on the move.

Wednesday’s strike action from the public service sector saw almost three quarters of the schools in the UK affected. The knock on effect was a large number of parents forced home to take care of the kids. Restaurant chains in the UK were quick to pick up on the trend and take advantage of this unique opportunity.

Savvy restaurant chain Las Iguanas set up a ‘Kids Eat Free’ offer to help parents with a cost effective way of entertaining the kids. Lucy Harwood, Marketing & Brand Manager of Las Iguanas comments; “It is hard for any parent to take time off work during this busy festive period to stay at home and entertain the kids, that’s why we brought back the ‘Kids Eat Free’ offer on Wednesday to help families affected by the strike action. We were happy to see a great response to the offer as families flocked to our restaurants around the UK.”

Robert Swerling, CCO, Bookatable comments; “We were impressed by the restaurant chains quick reaction to the opportunity that the national day of striking created. The steep rise in booking levels at chain restaurants reflects the need for cash strapped families to find cheaper alternatives to entertain the kids. Bookatable continues to respond to a rising consumer demand for discount dining in the UK and displays numerous offers ranging from casual dining chains through to fine dining establishments.”