Account Creation: Allow users (customers and restaurant staff) to create accounts using email, social media, or mobile numbers.
Profile Management: Users can manage and update their profiles, including personal details, contact information, and reservation history.
Role Management: Support different user roles with varying access levels (e.g., customer, restaurant manager, staff).
Reservation Management:
Table Booking: Enable customers to book tables online, selecting date, time, number of guests, and special requests (e.g., dietary restrictions).
Availability Checking: Display real-time table availability to prevent overbooking.
Booking Confirmation: Send email/SMS confirmations to customers upon successful reservation.
Reservation Modification: Allow customers to modify or cancel reservations with appropriate notifications.
Waitlist Management: Provide functionality for customers to join a waitlist when no tables are available, and notify them when a table becomes free.
Menu Management:
Menu Display: Allow restaurants to display their menu online, including dishes, descriptions, prices, and images.
Menu Updates: Enable restaurant staff to update the menu, including adding, removing, or modifying items and prices.
Special Offers: Manage and display special offers, promotions, or seasonal items.
Customer Interaction:
Feedback and Reviews: Allow customers to leave feedback and reviews about their dining experience.
Communication: Provide a messaging system for customers to communicate with the restaurant (e.g., to request special arrangements or inquire about menu items).
Table Management:
Seating Arrangement: Provide tools for restaurant staff to manage seating arrangements, including layout configuration and table status (e.g., occupied, available).
Real-Time Updates: Update table status in real-time to reflect current availability and occupancy.
Administrative Functions:
Dashboard: Provide a central dashboard for restaurant managers to view and manage reservations, table status, and customer interactions.
Reports: Generate reports on reservation statistics, customer preferences, and occupancy rates.
User Management: Admins can add, remove, or modify user accounts and roles.
Integration with External Systems:
Payment Integration: Optionally integrate with payment gateways for processing online payments or deposits (if required).
Calendar Integration: Allow synchronization with calendar systems (e.g., Google Calendar) for managing reservation schedules.
Notification System:
Reminders: Send reminders to customers about upcoming reservations and to restaurant staff about upcoming bookings.
Alerts: Notify restaurant staff about new reservations, cancellations, or modifications.
Accessibility and Usability:
Mobile-Friendly: Ensure the platform is responsive and accessible on various mobile devices and screen sizes.
User-Friendly Interface: Design an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface for both customers and restaurant staff.
Non-Functional Requirements
Performance:
Speed: Ensure fast load times for the platform, quick response times for reservation processing, and real-time updates.
Scalability: The system should handle increasing numbers of users, reservations, and table bookings without performance degradation.
Security:
Data Protection: Implement encryption and secure storage for sensitive user data, including personal and reservation information.
Access Control: Enforce role-based access controls to prevent unauthorized access to data and system features.
Transaction Security: Securely handle all transactions and sensitive interactions, especially if payment processing is integrated.
Reliability:
Uptime: Aim for high availability with minimal downtime to ensure continuous access to the reservation system.
Backup and Recovery: Implement regular backups and a disaster recovery plan to protect data and ensure business continuity.
Maintainability:
Code Quality: Maintain clean, well-documented code to facilitate easy updates and maintenance.
Modularity: Design the system in a modular way to allow for easy addition of new features and updates.
Compatibility:
Cross-Browser Support: Ensure compatibility with major web browsers (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge).
Mobile Responsiveness: The platform should be fully functional on various mobile devices and screen sizes.
Usability:
User Interface: Design an intuitive and user-friendly interface for customers to make reservations and for restaurant staff to manage bookings.
Accessibility: Ensure the platform is accessible to users with disabilities, following WCAG guidelines.
Localization:
Multilingual Support: Provide the platform in multiple languages if serving a diverse user base.
Regional Customization: Allow for region-specific content, compliance, and system configurations.
Analytics and Reporting:
Data Insights: Provide actionable insights into reservation trends, customer behavior, and table utilization.
Custom Reporting: Allow administrators to generate and customize reports based on specific criteria.
