Distil.ai links with OpenTable to boost restaurant revenue

Distil.ai has partnered with OpenTable on an integration that feeds booking and demand signals into Distil.ai's forecasting software for restaurant groups.

The companies said the integration connects Distil.ai's forecasting engine with data from more than 60,000 restaurants on OpenTable worldwide. It is aimed at multi-site operators that manage revenue planning, availability and staffing across multiple venues.

Distil.ai said the work results in a product called Distil Diagnostics. The company positions the tool as a way for restaurant groups to create five-week cover and revenue forecasts based on market demand data rather than historical trading patterns alone.

OpenTable said it seats 1.9 billion diners annually across its platform. Distil.ai said the integration uses OpenTable booking patterns, search demand and performance benchmarks as inputs for forecasting and monitoring.

Product detail

Distil.ai said Distil Diagnostics offers an overview of "availability blockers" at group, venue and service level. The company described these as issues that limit online bookings, with explanations for why booking slots do not show as available.

The platform also includes performance monitoring against forecasts and targets, according to Distil.ai. It also offers a unified view of data across locations so that head office and venue teams work from the same dataset.

Distil.ai said the integration pulls operational and revenue data directly from OpenTable locations into Distil Diagnostics. The company said it removes manual reporting and produces automated insights.

Commercial claims

Distil.ai said early modelling shows operators can "unlock 10% to 15% revenue uplift and cut HQ reporting time by up to 30%" through automated insights and risk detection. The company also said manual forecasting takes hours for head-office teams and that reports can become outdated quickly.

In supporting information, Distil.ai pointed to examples from unnamed groups. One example described a 28-location group in the United States that is "on track to achieve a $8.4m annual revenue uplift by H2 2026", which it said represents a 14.8% increase on average annual turnover. Another example referred to a group of more than 60 locations that estimated an additional 20% in attributable bookings by reducing time spent manipulating data and producing reports.

The companies did not provide financial terms for the partnership.

Customer use

Hawksmoor and The One Group were named as users of the technology.

One early adopter highlighted how the data inputs change operational planning. "Success in restaurants is now about so much more than 'just' great food and service. One of the keys for us is figuring out how to run the restaurant as efficiently as possible - working out how to write the reservations book and the rota. The combination of Distil's intelligence engine and OpenTable's market data means we have never been able to do that more effectively, or as far in advance," said Will Beckett, Co-Founder & CEO, Hawksmoor.

The One Group's Sara Kamber framed the integration in terms of planning and confidence in forward demand signals. "What really stands out about Distil is the partnership. They're genuinely invested in our success and always find creative ways to support our goals - they're never limited by in-the-box thinking. Even at this early stage, getting forecasts based on real demand signals from OpenTable's global network - not just our own historicals - gives us a lot more confidence as we map out loyalty strategy and plan ahead for our guest experience," said Sara Kamber, Senior CRM & Loyalty Director, The One Group.

Company comments

Distil.ai is a UK startup with headquarters in Cardiff. The company describes its product as an AI-powered data and analytics platform for restaurant groups, with features across forecasting, guest profiles and operational reporting.

Gerry McNicol described the partnership as a step towards earlier decision-making in restaurant operations.

"The future of hospitality isn't about collecting more data; it's about transforming data into foresight. Restaurant groups need to see what's coming - not after the fact, but in time to act. Our partnership with OpenTable gives us access to market intelligence at a scale that is truly unprecedented. By combining real-time benchmarking and demand signals from tens of thousands of restaurants with our forecasting engine, we are redefining what's possible for operators. In an industry where every cover counts, this level of intelligence moves restaurants from reacting to demand to anticipating it. It empowers leaders to make earlier, smarter decisions with confidence - bringing the kind of predictive capability to hospitality that supply chains have long relied on to keep supermarket shelves stocked," said Gerry McNicol, Founder and CEO, Distil.ai.

OpenTable said the integration targets groups that still rely on manual processes for forecasting and reporting. "We're proud to help group operators move beyond the era of labour-intensive manual forecasting. With access to real-time industry benchmarks from OpenTable, operators can now focus their energy on strategic decision-making rather than data entry. Having this level of insight at their fingertips provides the edge they need to thrive in the current market," said Robin Chiang, Chief Growth Officer, OpenTable.

The integration is available for OpenTable Pro customers, the companies said.