More people are opting for early dinners since the pandemic, says OpenTable CEO Debby Soo

abcnews.go.com:

When OpenTable CEO Debby Soo joined the restaurant reservation company in 2020, the industry was struggling through the pandemic

When OpenTable CEO Debby Soo joined the restaurant reservation company in 2020, the industry was struggling through the pandemic.

“It was all hands on deck and ‘How do we help restaurants keep afloat?’” she said. “It was a very intense period, but it was also a very clear period. That was what the whole company was focused on doing.”

These days, she is focused on growing the 25-year-old company, which was acquired by Amsterdam-based Booking Holdings in 2014. OpenTable manages reservations for 55,000 restaurants worldwide and seats more than 1 billion diners per year.

In 2021, OpenTable launched “Experiences,” which lets diners book special offerings like wine tastings or cooking classes. Last year, it partnered with inline, a Taiwan-based restaurant software provider, to expand its presence in Asia. And in March it joined with ChatGPT to give automated restaurant recommendations to the chatbot’s users.

Soo spoke to The Associated Press recently about OpenTable and the restaurant industry. Her answers have been edited for length and clarity.

What are some dining trends that have changed since the pandemic?

There was this surge of early dinner dining during the pandemic that has largely carried out even after the pandemic. That 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. slot is quite popular, whereas before the 7 p.m. slot was really the most coveted. I think there’s something at play here with work and working in an office. Before it was Monday through Friday, you were in the office, you would leave at 5:30. Now maybe maybe you’re fully remote and you’ve been in your apartment or your house for a whole day and you can’t