You can be on Entrepreneur’s cover!

Groupon Helps Restaurants Fill Tables During Off-Hours With Reservation-Based Deals Groupon's latest feature allows businesses to offer deals that can only be redeemed at a specific time of day.

By Kate Taylor

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

With Groupon's new feature, timing is everything.

The daily deals site announced on Wednesday it would begin offering deals that could only be redeemed by businesses at specific times. Using the new platform, customers would need to make a reservation through Groupon after buying the deal, instead of redeeming the deal at any time.

The service promises to be a homerun for businesses who need to fill up their restaurants and bars in quiet hours, but don't want to miss out on customers paying full price during busier periods.

"They're making it really easy for us to fill tables during off-peak times, which generates more revenue for the restaurant and gives us more opportunities to attract new customers and turn them into lifelong fans," Rick Bayless, owner of Frontera Grill in Chicago, said in a statement released by Groupon.

Related: What Happens When a Mall Is Split Between Two Minimum Wages?

Frontera Grill was one of the approximately 100 food and beverage establishments in Groupon's pilot for time-based deals. Today, the platform is available to all restaurants that accept reservations, with plans to expand to other businesses that take appointments such as salons, spas and classes.

The benefits for salons and restaurants trying to bring in new customers during off hours are clear. But what does the customer get out of the new option? The platform cuts out the need to bring along a voucher or whip out Groupon mobile after a meal, since the discounted reservation is in the books. For some, the ability to book ahead of time may also help ensure that every deal that gets bought gets used. However, the new time limitations can make the new feature a drag for Groupon-users who like the flexibility of being able to use a deal whenever they want – not just at inconvenient times that work best for a restaurant.

Related: Isis Mobile Wallet Changes Name to Distinguish Itself From Terror Group

Kate Taylor

Reporter

Kate Taylor is a reporter at Business Insider. She was previously a reporter at Entrepreneur. Get in touch with tips and feedback on Twitter at @Kate_H_Taylor. 

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business News

This Highly-Debated Piece of Cinematic History Just Sold For Over $700,000 at Auction

The wood panel from "Titanic" is often mistaken as a door. Either way, he couldn't have fit. (Sorry.)

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

From Tom Brady to Kevin O'Leary – See Who Lost Big in the Wake of the FTX Crypto Collapse

The crash exposed an $8 billion hole in FTX's accounts, leaving investors and customers scrambling to recoup their funds.

Fundraising

Avoid These 9 Pitch Deck Mistakes When Asking Others For Money

Crafting an efficient pitch deck requires serious effort, but at least it's not wandering in the dark since certain rules are shaped by decades of relationships between startups and investors.