WowTables curates menu, creates experiences for diners
Imagine dining out at one of the most picturesque restaurants for that cherished dinner. The ambience is fine as is the soothing music. Amidst all this, are you unable to decide on a menu for yourself? Let WowTables help you.
A table reservations platform which curates exclusive dining experience for guests by associating with over 200 premier restaurants in the four cities of Mumbai, Pune, Delhi and Bengaluru, WowTables is the brainchild of Deepa and Kunal Jain, which started as ‘Gourmet it Up’ in 2012. The couple are both self-confessed foodies.
“We have been food lovers for as long as we can remember and have frequented restaurants in Mumbai and wherever we have been,” says Deepa, Co-founder, WowTables. Being food critics at heart and experimenting with various restaurants and cuisines, they realized they were bored and frustrated with what was on offer. They got in touch with friends and family and sensed that everyone around them was feeling the same thing.
“To fill that void we came up with an idea to create a table reservations platform which would offer diners something new each time at their favourite restaurants,” says Deepa.
The three simple steps to a curated menu
The curated menu is available only for members of WowTables.com. Interestingly, membership and reservations at WowTables does not cost users a penny.
On reaching the venue, the host simply needs to be given the guest’s name. Vouchers or printouts are not needed. You enjoy the curated meal and directly pay the restaurant.
“The curated experiences brought a difference to menus and added footfall to restaurant partners, building credibility and trust along the way,” says Kunal, Co-founder and MD of this food tech venture.
The curious way of curating food
WowTables carefully selects from the restaurant’s existing menu and aims to include a variety for diners. “There is an option within the curated menu where diners can choose from seafood to white meat to red meat and even between mushrooms and paneer. Baked food lovers also have the option to avoid fried food,” says Kunal. The co-founders say WowTables is aimed at diners who want to enjoy a wholesome meal.
There are a la carte experiences on offer too. By opting for a la carte reservations through WowTables, guests earn gourmet points which can later be exchanged for Rs 500 gift cards. WowTables also offers expert tips on cuisines and restaurants on the a la carte reservation pages on their website.
Co-founder Deepa Jain is the Founder of RecipeMobile as well, a food brand that supplies gourmet food items to restaurants and to customers. She has an understanding of the restaurant business. Kunal, the Co-founder and MD of WowTables, is an entrepreneur and digital marketer with expertise in building and marketing consumer websites.
Expansion plans
WowTables has ambitious expansion plans to make the brand more accessible to a wider set of audiences. They anticipate entering additional markets soon. “We re-branded to ‘WowTables’ for greater accessibility,” says Deepa. The company is in the process of integrating payment systems for customer and restaurateurs on their mobile app, to enable guests to pay for their experiences through the app at the restaurant.
As part of their marketing initiatives, they are soon launching their mobile app on Android and iOS to ensure smoother reservations. It will also aid guests to make reservations on the go. They also have ongoing promotions in each of the cities.
In terms of competition, there is ResDiary, URESERV, SeatMe, all online table reservations platform which too are doing good business.
WowTables raised $300,000 in their first round of funding last year and are aiming to raise about $2 million in the next six months.