Locale Dining Co. is a room you step into and slowly settle into.
Nothing here is rushed. The light stays low, the pace stays easy, and the evening finds its own rhythm. It’s a place built around small things - a table set quietly, a glass poured, a conversation that lingers longer than expected.
Locale Dining Co. is a room you step into and slowly settle into.
Nothing here is rushed. The light stays low, the pace stays easy, and the evening finds its own rhythm. It’s a place built around small things - a table set quietly, a glass poured, a conversation that lingers longer than expected.
Locale Dining Co.
Locale Dining Co.
Client
Restaurant
Client
Restaurant
Location
Sydney, Australia
Location
Sydney, Australia
Timeline
3 weeks to live
Timeline
3 weeks to live
Industry
Independent Resturant
Industry
Independent Resturant
Ownership
Client owned system
Ownership
Client owned system
Pricing
Flat-fee, no lock-in
Pricing
Flat-fee, no lock-in
Preventing no-shows losses in Sydney restaurant.
Preventing no-shows losses in Sydney restaurant.
18% no-shows
of weekend bookings didn’t show: with zero notice, no cancellation, no way to resell 4–5 empty tables every Friday and Saturday night. Tables confirmed in the system, food prepped, staff rostered No waitlist. No recovery. Just lost revenue.
18% no-shows
of weekend bookings didn’t show: with zero notice, no cancellation, no way to resell 4–5 empty tables every Friday and Saturday night. Tables confirmed in the system, food prepped, staff rostered No waitlist. No recovery. Just lost revenue.
18% no-shows
of weekend bookings didn’t show: with zero notice, no cancellation, no way to resell 4–5 empty tables every Friday and Saturday night. Tables confirmed in the system, food prepped, staff rostered No waitlist. No recovery. Just lost revenue.
40 minutes wasted every night
spent every evening on manual reminder calls before service even started. Floor manager calling each reservation one by one Voicemails to half the list. Callbacks missed mid-service No record kept. Same thing again next week.
40 minutes wasted every night
spent every evening on manual reminder calls before service even started. Floor manager calling each reservation one by one Voicemails to half the list. Callbacks missed mid-service No record kept. Same thing again next week.
40 minutes wasted every night
spent every evening on manual reminder calls before service even started. Floor manager calling each reservation one by one Voicemails to half the list. Callbacks missed mid-service No record kept. Same thing again next week.
The Problem
The Problem
Confirmation and re-engagement system that connects directly to booking tool. Not a SaaS platform with monthly fees. The sequence fires across email, WhatsApp, SMS, and voice in order, stopping the moment a guest responds.
Trigger:
Sent automatically 48 hours after booking is confirmed in Square. Guest name, party size, date, time, and occasion note pulled directly from the booking record with zero manual input.
The Solution
Ruvo built a confirmation and re-engagement system that connects directly to Square bookings. Not a SaaS platform with monthly fees — a client-owned workflow Locale controls entirely. The sequence fires across email, WhatsApp, SMS, and voice in order, stopping the moment a guest responds.
Trigger: Sent automatically 48 hours after booking confirmed in Square. Guest name, party size, date, time, and occasion note pulled directly from the booking record — zero manual input.
Confirmation and re-engagement system that connects directly to booking tool. Not a SaaS platform with monthly fees. The sequence fires across email, WhatsApp, SMS, and voice in order, stopping the moment a guest responds.
Trigger:
Sent automatically 48 hours after booking is confirmed in Square. Guest name, party size, date, time, and occasion note pulled directly from the booking record with zero manual input.
The Solution
WhatsApp first:
Sent 24 hours before the reservation. If the guest has WhatsApp, it goes here - 74% of confirmations happen before anything else fires.
SMS if unread:
If the WhatsApp message goes unread after 2 hours, an SMS fallback sends automatically. Same message, same YES/NO reply mechanic.
One-tap confirm:
YES confirms. NO releases the table to the waitlist instantly. The guest doesn’t need an app, an account, or a link, just a reply.
Sequence stops on confirm
Once confirmed, no further messages are sent. No over-messaging. The voice fallback only fires if neither WhatsApp nor SMS gets a response by 3 hours before service.
WhatsApp first:
Sent 24 hours before the reservation. If the guest has WhatsApp, it goes here - 74% of confirmations happen before anything else fires.
SMS if unread:
If the WhatsApp message goes unread after 2 hours, an SMS fallback sends automatically. Same message, same YES/NO reply mechanic.
One-tap confirm:
YES confirms. NO releases the table to the waitlist instantly. The guest doesn’t need an app, an account, or a link — just a reply.
Sequence stops on confirm
Once confirmed, no further messages are sent. No over-messaging. The voice fallback only fires if neither WhatsApp nor SMS gets a response by 3 hours before service.
3hr before
Voice call fires
If email, WhatsApp, and SMS all go unanswered, the system places a short automated voice call as a last attempt.
5:12 PM
No response detected
Original guest crosses the final response window. The system flags the slot, no staff input required.
5:13 PM
Waitlist messaged via WhatsApp
3 waitlisted guests notified simultaneously. First reply wins. Others get a polite “table is taken” response.
5:16 PM
James confirmed in 3 minutes
A no-show became a full-revenue cover. No phone calls. No staff involvement.
3hr before
Voice call fires
If email, WhatsApp, and SMS all go unanswered, the system places a short automated voice call as a last attempt.
5:12 PM
No response detected
Original guest crosses the final response window. The system flags the slot — no staff input required.
5:13 PM
Waitlist messaged via WhatsApp
3 waitlisted guests notified simultaneously. First reply wins. Others get a polite “table is taken” response.
5:16 PM
James confirmed in 3 minutes
A no-show became a full-revenue cover. No phone calls. No staff involvement.
Designed to automate confirmation management and reduce no-show risk without increasing operational complexity.
Guest details are captured, logged, and monitored through a structured communication sequence. Timed reminders are delivered across WhatsApp and SMS, while automatedresponse tracking identifies confirmed bookings and potential cancellations.
The workflow operates continuously in the background, helping teams recover revenue, optimize table utilization, and reduce manual follow-ups—creating a more reliable reservation experience for both staff and guests.
Reservation Intelligence
Reservation Intelligence
Designed to automate confirmation management and reduce no-show risk without increasing operational complexity.
Guest details are captured, logged, and monitored through a structured communication sequence. Timed reminders are delivered across WhatsApp and SMS, while automated response tracking identifies confirmed bookings and potential cancellations.
The workflow operates continuously in the background, helping teams recover revenue, optimize table utilization, and reduce manual follow-ups—creating a more reliable reservation experience for both staff and guests.
Every tool chosen for reliability, cost at SME scale, and ease of handover. No proprietary black boxes - Locale can see, edit, and own every part of this system. If they ever want to move it, they take it with them.
Built to last
N8N
Central workflow engine - connects all channels, logic branches, and timing into one self-running system
Google Sheets
Client control panel - floor manager monitors and adjusts sequences without touching code
WhatsApp Business API
Primary channel - 74% of confirmations happen here before email or SMS needs to fire
Square Bookings API
Data source - guest name, party size, occasion, and time pulled from each booking automatically
Twilio
SMS and voice fallback - activates only when WhatsApp goes unread past the response window
Gmail / SMTP
48-hour email confirmation: personalized, occasion-aware, first touchpoint in the sequence.
Every tool chosen for reliability, cost at SME scale, and ease of handover. No proprietary black boxes - Locale can see, edit, and own every part of this system. If they ever want to move it, they take it with them.
Built to last
N8N
Central workflow engine - connects all channels, logic branches, and timing into one self-running system
Google Sheets
Client control panel - floor manager monitors and adjusts sequences without touching code
WhatsApp Business API
Primary channel - 74% of confirmations happen here before email or SMS needs to fire
Square Bookings API
Data source - guest name, party size, occasion, and time pulled from each booking automatically
Twilio
SMS and voice fallback - activates only when WhatsApp goes unread past the response window
Gmail / SMTP
48-hour email confirmation: personalized, occasion-aware, first touchpoint in the sequence.
Week 01
Discovery & system audit
Reviewed Square bookings and manual spreadsheet backup, mapped captured fields and identified exactly where the confirmation gap was occurring.
Week 02
Sequence design & message writing
Designed the timing logic and wrote personalised copy for each channel. Two tone variants tested from the very first night live.
Week 03
N8N build & channel integration
Connected Square to the automation workflow, integrated WhatsApp Business API, configured SMS and voice fallback, built response-handling for confirms, cancellations, and silence.
Week 04
Testing, handover & control panel
Two full test cycles. Floor manager trained on the Google Sheets panel. Complete ownership handed over with written documentation.
Week 01
Discovery & system audit
Week 02
Sequence design & message writing
Week 03
N8N build & channel integration
Week 04
Testing, handover & control panel
Week 01
Discovery & system audit
Reviewed Square bookings and manual spreadsheet backup, mapped captured fields and identified exactly where the confirmation gap was occurring.
Week 02
Sequence design & message writing
Designed the timing logic and wrote personalised copy for each channel. Two tone variants tested from the very first night live.
Week 03
N8N build & channel integration
Connected Square to the automation workflow, integrated WhatsApp Business API, configured SMS and voice fallback, built response-handling for confirms, cancellations, and silence.
Week 04
Testing, handover & control panel
Two full test cycles. Floor manager trained on the Google Sheets panel. Complete ownership handed over with written documentation.
Automation
Automation
Measured against the same Friday and Saturday service windows from the prior quarter. No extra spend. No new hires. The system runs every night, quietly, in the background.
Measured against the same Friday and Saturday service windows from the prior quarter. No extra spend. No new hires. The system runs every night, quietly, in the background.
Results: 12 weeks
Results: 12 weeks
18% → 4%
No-show rates
Weekend no-shows dropped from 18% to under 4% across both service nights
18% → 4%
No-show rates
Weekend no-shows dropped from 18% to under 4% across both service nights
40m → 0
Staff time saved
Manual call time eliminated entirely - floor staff redirected to service
40m → 0
Staff time saved
Manual call time eliminated entirely - floor staff redirected to service
$28k
Revenue recovered
Annualized revenue from covers that would otherwise have been lost
$28k
Revenue recovered
Annualized revenue from covers that would otherwise have been lost
Square Bookings API
Whatsapp open rates
Confirmation messages opened within 30 minutes of delivery
Square Bookings API
Whatsapp open rates
Confirmation messages opened within 30 minutes of delivery
3x
ROI in month 1
System cost recovered within the first four weekends of operation
3x
ROI in month 1
System cost recovered within the first four weekends of operation
91%
Waitlist conversion
Released tables filled via re-engagement within the same service window
91%
Waitlist conversion
Released tables filled via re-engagement within the same service window
Your business could run like this.
Your business could run like this.
Most independent restaurants are losing revenue they feel is unavoidable. Build custom solutions that are owned by you and allow you to control your inventory.
Most independent restaurants are losing revenue they feel is unavoidable. Build custom solutions that are owned by you and allow you to control your inventory.
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Explore more works
