---
title: "Have your AI agent call a restaurant and book a table"
description: "Ask your agent to call a restaurant that doesn't take online bookings and reserve a table. It handles the host, flexible times, and seating requests for you."
url: https://callforme.tel/use-cases/restaurant-reservations
updated: 2026-09-29
---

# Have your AI agent call a restaurant and book a table

> Tell your agent the restaurant, party size, and a time window. With CallForMe installed, it finds the number, places a call from an automated assistant that says who it's calling for, asks for a table inside your window, and reports back with the time booked, the name it's under, and anything the host said.

**Say to your agent:** "Call Nonna's and book a table for 4 Friday at 7:30. Anything between 7 and 8:30 is fine. Ask for a booth."

## What you say to your agent

> Call Nonna's and book a table for 4 Friday at 7:30. Anything between 7 and 8:30 is fine. Ask for a booth.

Plenty of good restaurants still take reservations only by phone. This is the call you keep meaning to make at 4pm and forget until 6.

## What your agent does

1. **find_business** with `query: "Nonna's"` and `near` set to your city. It gets the phone number, today's hours, and whether they're open now.
2. **plan_call** with your goal. CallForMe returns the opening line, a checklist, and the questions a host is likely to ask that you haven't covered, like "any allergies?" or "is it a special occasion?". Your agent can fill those in before dialing.
3. **place_call** with the details:

```json
{
  "phone": "+15125550142",
  "business_name": "Nonna's",
  "goal": "Book a table for 4 this Friday. 7:30pm preferred, anything from 7:00 to 8:30 is fine.",
  "details": "Party of 4. Would like a booth if one is open. No allergies.",
  "questions": ["What time is the reservation?", "What name is it under?", "Is there a cancellation policy?"],
  "on_behalf_of": "Jake Marsh",
  "callback_number": "+12145550199",
  "constraints": "Do not give a credit card number. Do not book outside 7:00 to 8:30pm."
}
```

4. **get_call** with `wait_seconds: 50`, repeated until `status` is `ended`. If the host asks something your agent wasn't told, such as "is patio okay?", it shows up as `pending_question`, and your agent replies with **answer_question**.

The first time you place a call, CallForMe returns a setup link instead of dialing. You open it, add $10, and your agent places the same call again. See [how setup links work](/docs/setup-links).

## Example result

Example transcript excerpt:

> **Assistant:** Hi, I'm an automated assistant calling on behalf of Jake Marsh. I'd like to book a table for four this Friday, ideally at 7:30.
> **Host:** Seven-thirty is gone. I can do 7:15 or 8:45.
> **Assistant:** 7:15 works. Is a booth possible?
> **Host:** I'll put a booth request on it, can't promise. Name?
> **Assistant:** Jake Marsh. Is there a cancellation policy?
> **Host:** Just call if you can't make it.

What your agent tells you:

| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Reservation time | Friday, 7:15pm, party of 4 |
| Name | Jake Marsh |
| Booth | Requested, not guaranteed |
| Cancellation policy | Call ahead, no fee mentioned |

Call length 1m 48s. Cost $1.00.

## Tips

- **Give a window, not a single time.** "7 to 8:30" lets the assistant say yes to 7:15 instead of hanging up empty-handed.
- **Put the must-haves in `constraints`.** If you'd rather have no table than a 9pm table, say so.
- **Add a `callback_number`.** Restaurants sometimes want to confirm by calling back. The call comes from CallForMe's number, +1 (469) 966-0062, so without yours they have no way to reach you.
- **Moving an existing reservation** works the same way. Put the current time and name in `details` and the new time in `goal`.
- **Several restaurants at once:** ask your agent to call your top three one at a time and stop at the first one with a table, so you never hold two bookings. See [quotes from several businesses](/guides/quotes-from-several-businesses).

## What it costs

A reservation call usually takes 1 to 3 minutes, so it's $1. If the restaurant doesn't pick up, it's free and your agent can try again later.

## Related

- [Wait time check at a walk-in spot](/use-cases/restaurant-wait-time)
- [Private room for a group](/use-cases/event-venues)
- [Install in Claude Code](/agents/claude-code) · [ChatGPT](/agents/chatgpt)
- [Pricing](/docs/pricing)

## FAQ

### Will the restaurant know it's an AI calling?

Yes. Every call opens with "Hi, I'm an automated assistant calling on behalf of" your name. It never claims to be a person, and if the host asks, it says it's an AI assistant.

### What if they want a credit card to hold the table?

The voice assistant never gives card numbers over the phone. It asks your agent, and your agent can tell it to decline, pick a place that doesn't need one, or give the host your callback number so you can call to finish it.

### Can it call during the dinner rush?

It can, but hosts are busiest then. Ask your agent to call mid-afternoon, when someone has time to check the book.

### What if nobody answers?

You aren't charged. Your agent can try again later. Each account can call the same number up to 3 times a day.