Create a Cover-Count-Only Event

Posted in Public Events.

Use this when you want an event that ignores table allocation and sells capacity by covers only, while still appearing in the Live Console.

Part 1: Create the event and set booking rules

  1. Go to Public Events → Bookable Events.
  2. Click Add Public (top right).
  3. Enter an Event Title (e.g., Bonfire Night).
  4. Add a Summary and Description (shown to customers on the booking page and event link).
  5. Set Type to One off.
  6. Select the Event Date.
  7. Leave Event Duration (Days) as 1.
  8. (Optional) Tick Pre-Pay required and set Pre-Pay Cutoff (Days) to 0 if you want payment at point of booking.
  9. Choose Payment Type if applicable.
  10. (Optional) Set Custom Cover Time (mins) (e.g., 120 for 2-hour slots) if you don’t want to use your standard cover time.
  11. Tick Use cover count only and not allocate to tables?
    • This makes the event run on a cover count and ignore tables.
  12. Click Add Event.

Open the event you just created:

  • Click Back → Bookable Events, then click MANAGE next to your new event.
  • You’ll return to the same Event Details page you used in steps 3–11 — it now has more boxes/options.

On this Event Details page, set your booking rules (required):

  • Min booking covers (e.g., no fewer than 4).
  • Max booking covers (e.g., no more than 8).
  • Limit bookings per timeslot (e.g., max 6 bookings per slot).
  • Limit covers per timeslot (e.g., max 30 covers per slot).
  • Total maximum bookings – ignore this as you need to enter this information if applicable on the event exclusivity page

Part 2: Set event times (don’t use ALL TIMES)

  1. Go to EVENT TIMES (top).
  2. Do NOT use “ALL TIMES” — it opens availability midnight to midnight.
  3. Choose DEFINED or SITTINGS.
  • Sittings: You set arrival times (e.g., 12:00, 14:30). Cover Time (mins) controls how long each booking lasts.
    Important: If you don’t set a Cover Time, the system defaults to 0 minutes, which can lead to double bookings when sittings are close together.
  • Defined: One continuous window (e.g., 12:00–18:00) with rolling start times. Cover Time still sets booking length.

 

  1. Set Event start and Event end to define the event window (the period the event is running).
    • Example: venue open 12:00–18:00, event actually 15:00–18:00, and you don’t want normal bookings before the event → set Event times = 12:00–18:00.
  2. Add Booking times (when customers can book for the event) and click Add hours.
    • Continuing the example: set booking times to 15:00–18:00.

Part 3: Exclusivity & visibility

Go to Event Exclusivity and choose either:

  • Non exclusive – take normal bookings alongside event bookings.

OR

  • Full venue – only event bookings during the event window.
  • Rooms/Tables – only specific rooms/tables are available for the event.
    • After Save, choose Pick room to add whole rooms, or Pick table to add specific tables. This will block those tables out to be used for normal bookings, if the evnt isn’t exclusive

Additional settings:

  • Exclude from flow – remove these bookings from your usual flow control (e.g., pre-made afternoon tea).
  • Ignore covers – exclude these covers from your normal cover count.
  • Show in live console – toggle visibility in the Dining Console.
  • Disable standard bookings – block all non-event bookings during event times (recommended if you don’t want regular bookings).

Part 4: Pre-order, deposits, and event costs (optional)

These are each available under separate buttons at the top of the screen:

  • Pre-Order Options – add a pre-order workflow if needed.
  • Deposit Options – add a deposit or adjust any deposit rules.
  • Event Costs – add pricing options (e.g., Adult, Child, OAP). For each option set:
    • Title, Cost, and Pre-pay Amount (how much to charge/pre-authorise).

Final checks & good practice

  • Ensure Show in live console is set the way you want.
  • Review Exclusivity so normal bookings don’t clash with event bookings.
  • Verify all booking limits are correct.
  • Save your changes.

Note (applies if you later change tables or capacities elsewhere):
This event ignores table allocation, but if you subsequently delete tables, make them non-bookable, or reduce table covers elsewhere in your venue, reallocate for each date with bookings to keep things tidy: open Live Console → cog → Delete Shuffle Locks → Deallocate All Tables → Smart Allocate.