First Table is now accessible to more customers, with solo bookings and groups of up to six able to make bookings following recent updates.
New Zealand’s most popular restaurant booking platform, First Table, has announced a raft of significant updates which will make the platform accessible to more people than ever before.
The Queenstown-founded company is expanding its offering to allow bookings for solo diners and groups of up to six (in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown, with other regions to follow), while also widening its advance reservation window to up to 14 days.
Until now, First Table bookings were limited to groups of two to four and could only be made up to seven days in advance. The new offering removes all of those constraints and is the biggest update to the platform since its launch in 2014.
“Whether you’re a solo diner on a Tuesday night, a family of six celebrating a birthday, or a couple planning an anniversary two weeks out, you’ll now be able to book through First Table and save 50 percent on your food bill. This is a big step forward for the platform and will allow us to facilitate more bookings than ever before,” said First Table CEO Alex Cappy.
“Solo diners will be able to book for the first time, which is going to be great for anyone who travels for work. We’ve also expanded group bookings to groups of up to six, opening up the platform to families, larger friend groups and workplace dinners,” she added.
New table releases have also shifted from 9 pm to midday, making it easier for people to browse and book during the day rather than competing for tables late at night.
The changes come as New Zealand’s foodservice industry navigates a period of rising food costs and shifting consumer habits. Food inflation reached 4.5 percent in February 2026, putting pressure on household dining budgets at a time when restaurants are also looking for new ways to fill tables.
“At a time when the cost of living is weighing on households, First Table is a great option for anyone looking to treat themselves without feeling like they’ve blown the budget,” said Cappy.
“By opening First Table to everyone, from solo diners to families of six, we’re helping more people connect over food, more often.”
The update is designed to benefit both restaurants and diners. Expanding group sizes and booking flexibility mean more bookings during quieter periods, and more new customers discovering a restaurant for the first time.
“Every one of these changes is good for restaurants, too. We know this update will entice more diners to get out and support their local restaurants during a tough period for the hospitality industry,” Cappy concluded.
Nic Watt, one of New Zealand’s most respected restaurateurs and the Chef-owner behind acclaimed Auckland restaurants Inca, MASU and Cāntīng, welcomed the changes.
“The hospitality industry thrives when restaurants are full and diners feel they’re getting real value. First Table opening up to solo diners and larger groups is a genuinely smart move; it fills seats during quieter periods and introduces our restaurants to guests who might never have booked otherwise. This kind of innovation is exactly what the industry needs right now.”
First Table has seated more than five million diners since launching in 2014. The platform now connects more than 3.3 million diners with over 4,300 restaurants across New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom, and is the number one restaurant booking app on both the App Store and Google Play in New Zealand.
The First Table app is available on the App Store and Google Play.
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