Jul 12, 2023

HMSHost Partners with OpenTable to Bring Reservations to Canadian Airport Restaurants This Summer

The Partnership Launches at Toronto Pearson International Airport

BETHESDA, Maryland (July 12, 2023) – For the first time, travelers will be able to use OpenTable’s app to book reservations at select airport restaurants in Canada this summer through a partnership with global restaurateur HMSHost.

A world leader in creating dining for travel venues, HMSHost is introducing the ability for guests to book a table via OpenTable at its full-service restaurants at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ). The feature is already available at The Hearth by Lynn Crawford, and will roll out to Twist by Roger Mooking, LEE Kitchen by Susar Lee, and Fionn MacCool’s in the coming weeks. In addition, HMSHost is planning a nationwide rollout across its Canadian airports — Calgary International Airport (YYC), Vancouver International Airport (YVR), and Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) — later this summer, with select U.S. airports to follow.

“Diners are accustomed to the convenience of booking reservations at restaurants on the street, so we saw no reason why we couldn’t extend this experience to the airport environment,” said Neil Thompson, Vice President of Digital, HMSHost. “This new feature will help travelers not only save time, but also enjoy a more comfortable, frictionless journey whether they are traveling to or through Toronto Pearson International Airport.”

“We’re thrilled to be offering our passengers the ability to make OpenTable reservations at HMSHost airport restaurants amid the busy summer travel season,” said Khalil Lamrabet, Chief Commercial Officer, Greater Toronto Airports Authority. “This exciting new feature can save passengers time at the airport, as well as give them certainty and peace of mind. Travelers will enjoy the same great dining experiences at the airport with increased convenience and certainty.”

“We’re excited to deepen our partnership with HMSHost, one of the most innovative companies in food and beverage, to power restaurant reservations at Canadian airports,” said Robin Chiang, VP of Global Sales and Services, OpenTable. “Our partnership will help travelers plan in advance and make the airport experience more seamless.”

The launch of reservations marks a growth in the partnership between HMSHost and OpenTable. Last summer, HMSHost introduced on-site digital waitlists to allow travelers much-desired flexibility and control during their airport experience. HMSHost and OpenTable now offer similar waitlist functionality in over 26 restaurants across North America, serving an average of 120,000 guests each month, delivering seamless experiences for hungry travelers through great technology.

HMSHost Leading the Industry

HMSHost is recognized by the industry as the leader in travel dining with awards such as Restaurateur with the Highest Regard for Customer Service and Best Brand Restaurateur for Shake Shack by Airport Experience News. USA Today 10 Best Readers’ Choice Travel Awards gave first place honors to both of HMSHost’s Whisky River locations at Charlotte Douglas International Airport and Raleigh-Durham International Airport. ACI-NA, the trade association representing commercial service airports in the United States and Canada, recognized HMSHost with the 2020 Associate Inclusion Champion Award for leadership and achievement in the ongoing inclusion of business and workforce diversity, outreach, and advocacy. Additionally, ACI-NA awarded HMSHost the 2022 Excellence in Airport Concessions Award for the Best Employee Recognition Program. The company also creates original award-winning events and campaigns including Airport Restaurant Month, Channel Your Inner Chef live culinary contest, 1,000 Acts of Kindness, and Eat Well. Travel Further.

About Greater Toronto Airports Authority

The Greater Toronto Airports Authority is the operator of Toronto – Lester B. Pearson International Airport, Canada’s largest airport and a vital connector of people, businesses and goods. Toronto Pearson has been named “Best Large Airport in North America serving more than 40 million passengers” for five years in a row by Airports Council International (ACI), the global trade representative of the world’s airports. In recognition of its Healthy Airport program, ACI has also awarded Toronto Pearson the “Best hygiene measures in North America” award for three years running, and Toronto Pearson was the first Canadian airport to receive ACI’s global health accreditation for its response to COVID-19.

For our corporate twitter channel, please visit @PearsonComms. For operational updates and passenger information, please visit @TorontoPearson/@AeroportPearson on Twitter. You can also follow us on Facebook or Instagram. 

About OpenTable
OpenTable, a global leader in restaurant tech and part of Booking Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG), connects more than 1.5 billion people with restaurants every year. Powering hospitality at more than 55,000 restaurants, bars, wineries, and other venues globally, OpenTable drives reservations, experiences, payments, guest insights and operations, enabling restaurants to run their most successful business yet.