A family wants to try your restaurant for Sunday lunch. Before booking, they wonder: are children welcome, is there a high chair, is there a kids' menu? A couple with a dog wants to know whether they can bring him. A guest invited to a birthday dinner wonders whether jeans are acceptable. These small questions decide whether they come.
Restaurant policy questions seem minor, but they are often the last thing standing between a guest and a booking.
Children
Guest: Are children welcome? Answer: Yes, children are very welcome. We have high chairs, a children's menu for under-12s and baby-changing facilities. Evenings after 8pm tend to be quieter and more adult, but families are welcome at any time.
Dogs
Guest: Can we bring our dog? Answer: Dogs are welcome in the bar and on the terrace, but not in the main dining room. We have water bowls, and the team always has treats.
Dress code
Guest: Is there a dress code? Answer: There's no dress code. Most guests dress smart casual in the evening, but come as you are.
Buggies and accessibility
Guest: Is there room for a pushchair? Answer: Yes, there's step-free access and space for pushchairs. Let us know when booking and we'll give you a table with room.
Celebrations and cakes
Guest: Can we bring a birthday cake? Answer: Yes, you're welcome to bring a cake. There's a small cake-cutting charge, and the team will bring it out with candles.
Noise and atmosphere
Guest: Is it quiet enough for a business lunch? Answer: Lunchtimes are usually calm, and the booth tables by the window are the quietest. Friday and Saturday evenings are livelier, with background music.
Guests planning a business meeting, a first date or a family catch-up want to know what the atmosphere is like. A few honest words help them pick the right time.
Large groups and prams together
Families with babies, grandparents with walking aids and groups mixing all ages ask practical questions about space and access. Answering them kindly and specifically shows the restaurant has thought about every kind of guest, and those guests tell their friends. Word of mouth from families and dog owners travels fast in a local area.
Why these small answers matter
Guests who are unsure often choose somewhere else rather than ask. A family with young children will not risk a restaurant that might not welcome them. A dog owner will not leave the dog at home to try somewhere new. Clear answers make these guests feel wanted.
Publishing policies
A short "good to know" section on your website covering children, dogs, dress code, accessibility and cakes answers most of these questions. Hotels publish similar policies for pets and accessibility, and cancellation terms matter just as much for bookings, as described in cancellation policy questions that decide a booking.
Turning the "good to know" page into chat answers
These questions tend to come at the moment of booking, often late in the evening, from someone who would never ring just to ask whether jeans are fine. A chat assistant on your restaurant's website can answer them straight away, but it can only repeat what your pages say. So write the policies out: dogs in the bar and on the terrace only, high chairs and a children's menu, no dress code, a step-free entrance, the cake-cutting charge. One clear sentence each is enough for an assistant trained on your site.
What it should pass on is anything that needs a promise from the team: a table with room for a wheelchair and a pram, a party of twelve with two dogs, a birthday surprise. The assistant can take the guest's name, phone number, date and party size as a request so the manager can reply, and it should say the table is not held until the team gets back to them. It cannot see your reservations, so it never tells a guest a table is theirs.
Answering instantly
SpideyChat for restaurants answers from your published policies at any hour. Voucher questions follow the same pattern, covered in voucher and gift card questions from restaurant guests, as do catering enquiries, covered in catering and takeaway enquiries from your website. Guests also ask about promotions and discounts, which follow the principles in how to handle discount and coupon questions.
Check your website answers these small questions clearly. Then try an assistant on your restaurant website, or see the features.