Overbooking and holds

Sometimes the rules need a human override — a regular calls when the slot is technically full, or you want to promise a table to a party who's parking. TableStack gives you two controlled ways to do that: overbooking past a pacing cap, and holding a table on the floor.

Overbooking a full slot

When a booking would push a slot past its pacing cap, TableStack flags it rather than silently refusing. What happens next depends on one setting: the overbook passcode in your booking rules.

• No passcode set — hosts can still overbook, but only after acknowledging a warning. The slot is knowingly overbooked and TableStack records it as an explicit overbook.
• Passcode set — hosts must enter the manager passcode to book past a full slot. This is passcode protection: front-line staff can't quietly overload the kitchen, but a manager can make the call when it's the right thing to do.

Overbooking is an in-house action — diners never see it and can't do it through the public booking page. The passcode check only comes into play when a slot is actually paced (i.e. you've set a cap); without a cap there's nothing to book past.

Risk-aware capacity advice

When a slot is at its cap, the booking sheet also checks the no-show risk scores already sitting on that window's bookings. If the expected no-shows would free enough covers for the party you're entering, it says so — "risk scores expect ~3 covers to no-show in this window". It's advice, not permission: the passcode gate (where set) still applies, and nothing is ever auto-overbooked.

Holding a table

On the live floor, the Hold table 15 min action takes a specific table out of service briefly and starts a countdown on it. Use it when you want to reserve that table for a party who's here but not ready to sit — finishing a drink at the bar, or on their way in.

If nobody is seated before the timer runs out, the hold releases itself and the table returns to service — no dangling holds at the end of the night. You can also release the hold early with one tap. A 15-minute hold is different from fully blocking a table, which keeps it out of service indefinitely (for maintenance or a private event) until you unblock it.

What this affects

• Availability — overbooked covers still count toward pacing, so the engine stays honest about how full you are.
• The floor — a held table shows as unavailable to seat while its timer runs.

What affects this

• Your pacing cap — overbooking only applies where a slot is capped.
• Your role — the passcode is set by a manager or owner; holds require the seat-parties permission.

Related: seating a party.