How Wayfare Tavern Increased Over-the-Phone Bookings by 150% With Their Virtual Hostess
Customer Case Study
Hostie manages 84% of calls without transferring to a host, and phone bookings are up 42%
By Dillon Newman
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Customer Case Study
In 2018, Harborview Restaurant and Bar opened its doors in San Francisco. With a focus on handmade dim sum and fresh seafood, the restaurant set out to bring authentic Cantonese Chinese cuisine to its beautiful space overlooking the San Francisco Ferry Building.
As call volume grew over the years, co-founder Karen Wong and her team needed a solution for missed calls and their overwhelmed host staff. In late 2024, Karen was referred to Hostie.
“I like the personal relationship you have with a vendor or service,” said Co-Founder Karen Wong. “I like meeting the owners and founders.” After meeting Hostie CEO Randall Hom, Karen and her team knew Hostie would be the right fit for Harborview.
“We get a lot of call volume, and customers were complaining, ‘Why can’t you pick up the phone?’ We answered all the calls ourselves, but there were still a lot of missed phone calls,” said Karen Wong, Co-Founder.
Harborview Restaurant and Bar began working with Hostie in November 2024. Since then, Hostie has managed 84% of calls without transferring to staff, and over-the-phone bookings have increased by 42%.
With Hostie integrated into Harborview Restaurant and Bar’s reservation platform, staff don’t have to worry about missed calls turning into missed reservations anymore. Hostie books tables automatically, 24/7.
Since Hostie started managing reservations, over-the-phone bookings have increased by 42%, total reservations are up 11%, and missed calls are no longer an issue.
With Hostie, Harborview Restaurant and Bar’s team no longer has to stay glued to the phone or worry about missing calls. Instead, staff can focus on what matters most: providing an amazing experience for guests.
“AI’s not trying to take our staff’s jobs; it’s trying to help make them easier,” said Karen Wong, “The call log is there – the time stamp, when they called, who called, what they talked about. It’s all there. It’s very easy to follow up; it doesn’t have to be complicated.”
Since onboarding, Hostie has fully resolved 84% of Harborview Restaurant and Bar’s calls without transferring to a host. That shift allows the staff to stay focused on in-house guests instead of being constantly pulled to the phone.
“I used to sit in my office next to the phone as a backup phone manager. Calls would come in nonstop. Now it frees up my time and gives me the flexibility to roam around the restaurant. I can hang out at the bar and still pick up the phone. I don’t have to be tied to my desk; now I can pick up from my cell phone.” - Karen Wong
Free up your staff to focus on guests while never missing a call. Try Hostie today.
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