Guiding foodies in their search for the perfect restaurant, TheFork allows its users to book tables for free and in real-time. Patrick Hooykaas, Regional Managing Director, serves us a platter of the app’s exclusive benefits and plans for a mouthwatering future.
ENABLING EXCEPTIONAL CULINARY EXPERIENCES
As the leader in online restaurant bookings across Europe and Australia, TheFork was created in 2007 and swiftly revolutionised the food and beverage industry by offering a new way to foster relationships between restaurants and diners and providing the first online booking diary for professionals.
With over 55,000 participating restaurant partners worldwide and approximately 20 million monthly users, selecting, enjoying, and sharing a dining experience has never been easier.
“TheFork uses technology to connect diners and restaurants,” introduces Patrick Hooykaas, Regional Managing Director.
“For diners, the app makes it simple to discover new, exciting spots, grab a last-minute table, or plan a special night out. For restaurateurs, it offers innovative tools to manage reservations, track guest preferences, fill seats more efficiently, and invite new diners.”
In removing operational friction, TheFork allows restaurants to spend more time focusing on the people in the dining room.
The app is best known for TheFork Manager – its restaurant management software that simplifies day-to-day operations for busy restaurateurs. As an all-in-one solution built for today’s top eateries, it supports businesses with everything from table reservations to diner loyalty, streamlining daily tasks, reducing waste, and controlling costs, no matter the type of restaurant.
“Our client base includes a wide variety of businesses, from independent restaurants to well-known restaurant groups. In 2019, we became the MICHELIN Guide’s preferred booking platform, and we are now serving over 2,500 Michelin-starred restaurants,” details Hooykaas.
On the dining side, customers are able to personalise their restaurant searches by filtering based on preferences, alongside being guided by 20 million verified reviews. They also benefit from special offers throughout the year and Yums – a loyalty programme that rewards diners for repeat bookings.
TheFork aims to make it easy to discover new favourites, check real-time availability, and book a table in seconds.
ONE-OF-A-KIND DINING MEMORIES
In July 2025, TheFork announced its multi-year partnership with Mastercard to elevate the dining experience for their cardholders.
Through the app’s expertise in dining and Mastercard’s global reach, users will receive access to exclusive benefits worldwide.
“European customers and people travelling to the region will have always-on access to reservations and a special selection of exclusive, culinary-centred Priceless Experiences, also offered through our platform,” expands Hooykaas.
This collaboration draws on TheFork’s unparalleled ability to deliver memorable dining experiences across key European countries, including Italy, France, Spain, the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Portugal, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, and Sweden.
“Together with Mastercard, we’ll enable exceptional culinary experiences at top dining locations and spotlight rising chefs,” he prides.
Priceless Experiences inspire and deepen one’s connection to food, culture, and community. They are designed to offer more than the traditional meal and provide people with direct access to restaurants, chefs, and cultural settings that are normally hard to reach, making dining more immersive.
For example, in the UK, users can enjoy 21 experiences, such as moments at Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal, offering masterful modern French cuisine in a legendary London setting, and Rebel, a rising star in Newcastle upon Tyne known for its creative, ingredient-led menus in an intimate space.
These experiences directly link guests to the chefs’ stories, techniques, and creative inspiration.
Equally, Hotspots allows Mastercard cardholders to make nearly unbookable restaurants bookable.
“Hotspots give Mastercard holders privileged access to hard-to-get reservations at some of the most in-demand restaurants. This means tables that are usually booked out weeks or even months in advance can be reserved,” explains Hooykaas.
Examples include The Lecture Room and Library at Sketch in London, a three-Michelin-starred icon of artful gastronomy, and Albatross Death Cult in Birmingham, celebrated for its cutting-edge culinary flair and vibrant atmosphere.
By opening doors to these sought-after venues, Hotspots ensures more food-enthusiasts can experience exceptional dining without the usual waitlists.
“TheFork uses technology to connect diners and restaurants”
Patrick Hooykaas, Regional Managing Director, TheFork
REDEFINING THE GASTRONOMIC EXPERIENCE
Recently, TheFork released a suite of powerful new features in its app to streamline operations and provide restaurants with more control than ever before, all whilst maintaining an exceptional experience for diners.
“We’re leaders in no-show reduction for restaurants, and the next layer of that is pre-authorisation for credit cards, combined with credit card guarantees, reconfirmations, and no-show protectors to ensure restaurants’ revenue has been released,” informs Hooykaas.
Equally, the app has introduced The Feed, which adds a highly anticipated social element, allowing diners to discover the latest recommendations from friends and selected content creators.
Restaurant groups can use the group overview page to track covers, bookings, and performance, making it easier to cross-sell to another restaurant in a group if one is full.
Additionally, the Marketing Toolbox centralises campaigns with smart content, automated setup, and optimised budgets. This is alongside TheFork Manager app, which introduced a new booking form and reservation list optimised for mobile use, making it five times faster and more intuitive.
In addition to these new features, the app is investing heavily in artificial intelligence (AI) and social-led features to transform the way people search and book restaurants.
“AskTheFork’s goal is to revolutionise the current search model through AI integration. We aim to harness the wealth of user-generated content from our diners, including reviews, photos, and other data like location, pricing, and menus,” breaks down Hooykaas.
“Through advanced AI-powered search, we will deliver highly relevant recommendations.”
Restaurant reservations already thrive on social dynamics, and the app plans to strengthen this further by allowing diners to connect with their contacts via TheFork Social. People will be able to see restaurants their friends have reviewed and prioritise recommendations from their network.
Additionally, users will be able to follow influencers and other diners, adding credibility to the restaurant experience.
As TheFork looks ahead, its priority is to continue building a truly nationwide marketplace in the UK.
“Following our successful expansion outside of London, we’ll focus on adding the best local gems and top-performing restaurant groups, and expanding our selection of Michelin-starred establishments,” confidently concludes Hooykaas.
