When higher education resumes this fall, it’ll come with a new capability: reservations in university and college dining halls.
As schools bring large groups of students back together, one of the ways colleges and universities plan to implement new health and safety measures is through requiring reservations at their dining facilities. To help with that, OpenTable is offering its reservation services to these educational establishments free of charge to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and maintain a socially distanced setup.
What’s new
Booking a table at university dining halls is now live at select schools across the country including Cornell University, the University of Wisconsin – Madison, St. Norbert College, and Bowie State University, with more to follow. Making a reservation allows students to:
- Feel more comfortable returning to school, knowing that safety precautions are being taken in light of COVID.
- Save a spot to enjoy on-campus meals at a distance from other students.
- Join a waitlist to be alerted when a table becomes available, limiting the unnecessary exposure that comes with lines.
How it works
To book a table at your university dining facility, simply head to the OpenTable app or website to see what’s available on campus. Just like booking a normal reservation, you’ll navigate to the profile page of your school’s dining facility to see information like menus and safety measures, then enter your desired time and party size to reserve your spot.
If a reservation isn’t available at your requested time, select campuses are allowing you to join an online waitlist and get instantly alerted via text when it is time to check in. You’ll see the option to “Join Waitlist” on the facility’s profile page if this functionality is live for your school.
As universities face tough decisions to reopen in the fall, OpenTable is here to help them adapt to these changing times and keep their students safe. To check out if your school dining hall is taking reservations, visit our app or website and search for its name. For more information on pricing or to inquire for your school, head to https://www.opentable.com/restaurant-solutions/schools/.
