How to replace GloriaFood table reservations before 30 April 2027

GloriaFood facts on this page come from GloriaFood's own pages and Oracle's end-of-life FAQ (version 1.0, March 2026), checked on 22 October 2026 and listed in the sources table. For the wider timeline, read our GloriaFood shutdown guide.

What GloriaFood's reservations did

It helps to know exactly what you're replacing. GloriaFood's pages describe:

• A Table Reservations widget: a button on your website that opens a booking form. It was free on all accounts.
• Booking rules: set under Setup, then Services & opening hours, then Table reservation. You could set the minimum and maximum party size, how far in advance guests could book (both minimum and maximum), and how long you'd hold a table for late guests.
• Order ahead for reservations: an option to let guests pre-order food when they booked.
• Reservation deposits: a paid service, listed at US$0.50 per guest for accepted bookings only.
• Confirming in the app: bookings arrived in the GloriaFood order-taking app, where staff confirmed them alongside orders.
• A Table Reservation report: under Reports, showing the number of accepted and rejected bookings for a chosen period.

Some restaurants used all of this, others only the button. Before you choose a replacement, tick off which parts you actually use.

What ends, and when

Oracle's FAQ sets out the dates:

• 30 April 2027: all GloriaFood products and services end.
• Paid services, such as deposits: these end when your final renewal expires. That will be some time between 1 and 30 April 2027, unless you cancel earlier. Renewals are only accepted up to one month before the end date.
• After your service ends: Oracle says you can retrieve your data for 30 days.

The practical deadline is earlier than April. Bookings for Easter and spring parties are often made weeks ahead. If the widget is still live then, guests will be booking tables in a system that's about to close.

Step 1: write down your current settings

Open the Table reservation settings in your GloriaFood admin and copy every value into a table like this. Then decide how each one will work after the switch.

Step 2: list every future booking

GloriaFood's pages describe exports for client lists and orders, and a reservation report that counts accepted and rejected bookings. We didn't find a documented export of upcoming bookings with guest names and times. So:

1. In the GloriaFood app or admin, go through every accepted booking from the switch date onwards.
2. Copy the date, time, party size, guest name, phone number and any notes into a spreadsheet, or screenshot each one.
3. Do it again the evening before you switch, because people will keep booking until the button changes.
4. While you're there, export your clients and orders. That guide also covers how to use customer data lawfully.

Step 3: set up the new booking page and test it

With Chefzi table reservations you choose your opening times, slot length, maximum party size and how many covers each slot can take. Each booking request appears in the Chefzi app, the same app that rings for delivery and collection orders, on a phone or tablet you already own. You confirm it, and the guest sees the date, time and party size.

Before going live, make three test bookings from a phone: a normal one, one larger than your maximum party size, and one at your busiest slot. Check how each one is handled, that it appears in the app, and that the guest's confirmation shows the right details. Add a line such as "For groups larger than 8, please call us" to the booking page.

Step 4: swap the button on one quiet day

Pick a weekday afternoon, not a Friday.

1. Website: replace the GloriaFood reservation code with your new booking link or button. GloriaFood's reservation button uses the same script as its ordering button, with a reservation flag (data-glf-reservation="true"). Search your site's pages, header and footer for it. Our guide to replace the GloriaFood buttons shows where each website builder keeps that code.
2. Everywhere else: update the booking link on your Google Business Profile, Instagram bio, Facebook page and any QR codes on printed menus.
3. Turn the old system off for new bookings: switch Table reservation off in GloriaFood's settings, so nobody can book through a link you missed.
4. Watch both apps for a few days, in case a stray link still brings a booking into GloriaFood. The device that receives both orders and bookings is covered in replacing the GloriaFood order-taking app. If some of those bookings come from TheFork, read the TheFork alternative before you turn the network off.

Step 5: re-enter future bookings and tell the guests

Add each booking from your list into the new system. Then send each guest a short message from the restaurant, by text or phone, confirming their date, time and party size. That way, the confirmation they rely on comes from the new system. This is a service message about a booking they already made, not marketing.

If you want to invite past guests back later, only contact people who agreed to hear from you. With their consent, email campaigns to past guests are a good way to fill quiet nights.

If you rely on deposits

Deposits are the one GloriaFood reservation feature Chefzi doesn't replace. A guest requests a table, you confirm it, and no card is taken. Ways to cut no-shows without a deposit:

• Confirm large parties by message the day before.
• Spell out how to cancel in the confirmation, because many no-shows simply forgot or couldn't find a way to cancel.
• Keep a few tables back for walk-ins on busy nights, rather than taking every booking.
• Set a sensible maximum party size and take bigger groups by phone, so you can agree terms directly.

If deposits matter more to you than having bookings and orders in one place, use a dedicated booking system that takes them. Our comparison of the best restaurant booking systems in the UK lists who charges what. You can still use Chefzi just for ordering.

A timeline that leaves room

Moving your online ordering at the same time? The full migration checklist covers the menu, payments and links in order, and there's a separate guide to move GloriaFood card payments to Stripe.

Where Chefzi fits

Chefzi is online ordering for UK restaurants and takeaways, with table reservations, QR table ordering and the Chefzi app included in one monthly plan. You can see how it compares on our GloriaFood alternative page and in Chefzi vs GloriaFood. Chefzi isn't a till system and doesn't offer deposits, kiosks, a customer app or loyalty. See what Chefzi does not do.

Early Black Friday & Cyber Monday Deal: new sign-ups get 3 months free, with no setup fee. The deal ends at 23:59 on 1 December 2026.

After the free period, Chefzi is £19 a month for cash or no-card ordering, or £29 a month with online card payments through Stripe, per location, excluding VAT, with reservations included. Standard Stripe fees apply. There's no setup fee and no commission. See Chefzi pricing.

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Frequently asked questions

Will GloriaFood table reservations stop working?

Yes. Oracle's end-of-life FAQ says all GloriaFood products and services end on 30 April 2027, and paid services end earlier if your final renewal expires first. After that, the Table Reservations button on your site won't take bookings.

Can I export my GloriaFood reservations?

GloriaFood's pages describe a Table Reservation report showing accepted and rejected bookings for a period, and exports of client and order lists. We didn't find a documented export for future bookings, so write them down or screenshot them before you switch. Oracle says you can retrieve data for 30 days after your service ends.

Does Chefzi take reservation deposits like GloriaFood?

No. A guest requests a table and you confirm it, and there's no card deposit on the booking. If deposits are essential to you, choose a booking system that takes them, and use Chefzi for ordering if you like.

Where do Chefzi bookings show up?

Booking notifications arrive in the same Chefzi app that receives your delivery and collection orders, on a phone or tablet you already own. You confirm the booking and the guest sees the date, time and party size.

What replaces GloriaFood's order ahead with a booking?

Chefzi doesn't attach a food pre-order to a table booking. Once guests are seated, they can scan a QR code and order from their phone, and those tickets go to the same app as your other orders.

Sources