Matt Roberts believes that reservations for dinner, just like airline tickets and hotel rooms, should be made online.
As the new CEO of OpenTable Inc., a 13-year-old company that lets foodies do just that, Roberts is eyeing an untapped market that could provide big growth opportunities. But he also faces the challenges of a competitive industry, a weak economy, and the fact that most people don’t seem to mind making restaurant reservations with an old-fashioned phone call. He estimates that only about 9 percent of restaurant reservations in North America are made online.
Still, the reservations capacity is what sets OpenTable apart in a sea of websites that let users write restaurant reviews or buy coupons for dining out — functions that OpenTable has added to stay competitive.