Can we hold a table for a group without someone answering the phone at the bar?

Yes — group holds are confirmed in chat, including headcount and arrival time, so the bar doesn't need to stop and answer a call during a rush.

Will this create duplicate reservations if we're also taking them at the bar?

No — Reflys connects to your reservation or POS system via API or webhook, configured directly into your automations, so a hold made in chat and one taken at the bar stay in sync.

Fill Slow Nights Without Another Generic Blast

A Tuesday happy hour only works if the right people hear about it, and a generic email blast gets ignored while a text from the bar someone actually goes to gets read.

Reflys handles table holds, sends tap-list and event-night updates, and reminds regulars about the promotions that actually bring them back.

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Bar & Pub Automation: a customer question answered and confirmed in a Reflys chat

Where slow nights
stay slow

Slow weeknights stay slow because there's no direct way to remind regulars about happy hour
Group reservations get lost in a busy Friday-night phone queue
“What's on tap tonight?” gets asked at the door instead of answered before someone drives over
Reservation and tab data sit in the POS, disconnected from wherever regulars actually message the bar
Trivia nights and live-music promotions rely on a social post that only reaches people already following
Birthday and group-event bookings need back-and-forth on headcount and timing that a busy bartender can't manage mid-shift

From Slow Tuesday to Full House

Bar & Pub Automation workflow: inquiry captured, request handled, and details synced by Reflys

Table & Group Holds
Reservations and group holds are confirmed in chat, no call to the bar required.
Happy-Hour & Event Alerts
Slow-night promotions and event nights go out to regulars automatically.
Tap List & Menu Updates
Tonight's tap list and specials are answered instantly, before someone walks in.
CRM Integration
Connects to your POS or reservation system via API or webhook, configured directly into your automations — reads table and tab data and writes holds back in parallel, no double entry.

Where Bar Conversations Happen

WhatsApp-led — happy-hour and tap-list updates read as a message from a place you actually go to, not a marketing email. Instagram DM matters heavily too, since most bar discovery starts with a story about tonight's crowd or a new tap.

Turn Tonight's Story Into a Table Hold

Instagram DM answers tap-list questions and takes table holds from people who discovered you through a story about tonight's crowd or a new tap.

Best for:

Stories
Tap-list questions

Bring Regulars Back on Slow Nights

WhatsApp sends happy-hour and event-night alerts and confirms table and group holds in chat.

Best for:

Happy-hour alerts
Group holds

Bar Marketing Automation Software That Fills Slow Nights With Regulars

A Tuesday happy hour only works if the right people hear about it. A social post reaches whoever happens to scroll past, and a generic email is ignored. A short message from a bar someone already likes gets read. Bar marketing automation software sends that message to regulars and handles group bookings without a call during service.

How it works

Tell regulars about tonight
Happy hour text alerts and event nights go out automatically to people who asked to hear from you. Slow weeknights get a reason to come in.
Hold tables in chat
Bar table reservations and group bookings are confirmed by message, including headcount and timing, so a birthday request is not lost in a Friday phone queue. The details are in writing for whoever is working that night.
Answer the tap question early
Brewery tap list updates and drink specials are sent or answered instantly. People know what's on tap before they drive over. The answer is the same on WhatsApp and on Instagram.
Connect your POS or reservation system
By API or webhook, Reflys reads availability and writes holds back, so there are no double bookings with the ones taken at the bar.

In practice

Picture a taproom with a new hazy IPA going on at 5 pm on a quiet Wednesday. At 3:30 a message goes to regulars with the beer, the price and a note that trivia night starts at 7. One group of eight replies to hold a table. By 7:15 the room is two-thirds full on a night that normally runs at a third.

Practical tips

Send promotions only to adults who opted in, and make opting out a one-word reply. A smaller willing list outperforms a large annoyed one.
Message two to three hours before the event, not the day before. Bar decisions are made in the afternoon.
For birthday reservations, confirm headcount again on the day. Groups shrink and grow, and the bartender should not find out at the door.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions? We've got answers.

Everything you need to know about Reflys, automations, integrations, and getting started.

A post depends on someone scrolling past it — a WhatsApp message to people who've been in before gets read directly, which is why it tends to move more covers on a slow night.