Before the escalation of the Russian-Ukranian war in 2022, the Moscow and St.Petersburg restaurant scene was quite vibrant. Some places were challenging to book, etc. These were their ideas for making reservations still accessible:
+ Accept reservations by phone or in person only and ask for the patron's phone number. Then call back 1 hour before to confirm the reservation.
+ Make the most popular times non-bookable. You have to come in person and check how many guests are in a queue and how long you should wait for the table. Some people are okay to wait at the bar, others will head to less busy places.
+++ Open a spin-off of a popular place, and redirect the clients' stream there.
+ Accept reservations by phone or in person only and ask for the patron's phone number. Then call back 1 hour before to confirm the reservation.
+ Make the most popular times non-bookable. You have to come in person and check how many guests are in a queue and how long you should wait for the table. Some people are okay to wait at the bar, others will head to less busy places.
+++ Open a spin-off of a popular place, and redirect the clients' stream there.