Tablo x TheFork makes social dinners easier (and less anxiety-inducing)

There’s a moment, when you’re organizing a dinner, when enthusiasm can stumble over a very simple sentence:
“Hi, I’d like to make a reservation…”

For some people, it’s nothing. For others, it’s exactly when the overthinking begins: what if they don’t answer? What if I don’t explain myself well? What if they ask something I’m not ready for? What if I have to call back to change the number of people?

And if the restaurant closes in the meantime… that’s it.

That’s why the partnership between Tablo (the app that helps you meet new people around a table) and TheFork, the leading online restaurant booking platform, isn’t “just” a technical collaboration. It’s a way to make the experience smoother, more inclusive and, yes, lighter.

Booking online is convenient. But above all… it removes a “weight”

Online booking is no longer an extra: for many people, it’s the most natural way to organize plans.

TheFork’s 2025 consumer behavior data shows a very clear scenario: almost 90% of reservations happen via app and 50% of users book within 4 hours or less (often in a “decide now, go now” mode).

There’s another interesting figure (this time from a National Restaurant Association report): 70% of consumers say they would gladly use online options to make the experience faster, with even higher percentages among Gen Z and Millennials.

Translation: when organization is quick, people move more.

And this is where Tablo comes in: because Tablo is not “just booking,” it’s about turning a dinner into a real opportunity for connection.

Calling to book: for many, it’s not “just a phone call”

Let’s be honest: it’s not laziness, nor a lack of manners. For many people, making a phone call is a small source of stress.

There’s even a term for it: telephobia (anxiety or fear related to making or receiving phone calls). In a 2024 study among medical students, it’s defined specifically as fear of calling and shows a significant prevalence in the sample analyzed.

When you look at “real life” data, it becomes even more understandable: research by CommBank on Gen Z (Australia) reports that almost half (49%) say speaking on the phone makes them anxious, and nearly 6 out of 10 say they fear making or receiving a call, even when necessary.

Now imagine this applied to booking a restaurant: explaining the time, confirming the number of guests… and maybe calling back because someone else joined.

If the goal is to get more people out and meeting in real life, reducing logistical anxiety is essential.

The Tablo x TheFork partnership: less friction, more dinners that actually happen

On the occasion of Sconnessi Day (February 22), TheFork and Tablo announced an integration: it is now possible to book on TheFork directly from the Tablo app, simplifying the organization and making the step from “idea” to “real dinner” more immediate.

This integration is also formalized in Tablo’s terms with the “Book with TheFork” function, which can redirect to the TheFork platform or integrate booking tools directly into the app.

Because this is a concrete advantage, especially for social dinners.

You can book whenever you want (even outside restaurant hours).

If the restaurant is closed, calling is impossible. Booking online isn’t: TheFork describes reservations as available 24/7, with real-time availability.

You manage participants without the “call-back anxiety.”

On Tablo, organization is dynamic: people join, plans change, details adjust.
Having everything in the app (participants + digital booking) means fewer follow-up calls and more control, without the feeling of “bothering” anyone.

It’s a boost for those who have never organized before.

Today, Tablo is already a major engine of social connection: the website mentions over 650,000 users in Italy, more than 60,000 tables created and around 3,000 tables per month.

The idea behind the partnership is exactly this: make the last mile (the booking) even faster and smoother, so that those who have only participated so far… feel encouraged to create as well.

On Tablo you really “join”: one tap and you’re in the dinner chat

The best part is that on Tablo you don’t “just book”: you start getting to know people before you even sit down.

In Tablo’s terms, it’s clearly stated: to participate, you simply click “JOIN/ENTER” and from that moment you can talk to the other participants in the dedicated chat to organize and update details.

So the experience becomes:

I’m in
chat activated
breaking the ice before the dinner
and then… actually going to the table.

The new format “Sconnessi by TheFork”: digital gets you to the restaurant… then it switches off

There’s an interesting paradox: we use digital tools to organize, but sometimes digital tools steal the moment from us.

That’s exactly where the new permanent theme on Tablo comes from: “Sconnessi by TheFork,” designed for those who want to experience dinner by putting conversation and connection at the center, leaving the phone aside.

And the numbers explain why.

According to data shared in the partnership communication, 7 out of 10 Italians use their smartphone at restaurants.

YouGov, across 18 international markets, reports that 21% of global consumers admit to frequently using their smartphone while dining out with friends or family.

And in the UK, a YouGov analysis showed that 53% say they look at their phone even while dining out with friends or family.

Research on “phubbing” (ignoring someone because you’re looking at your phone) links this behavior to less satisfying relationships and greater feelings of isolation.

The “Sconnessi” mini-challenge is simple but powerful:

phones in your pocket (or airplane mode)
first course: talk only to the person in front of you
if you really need to use it, step away from the table

The goal isn’t to demonize smartphones. It’s to use them well: they help you create the dinner… and then let you fully live it.

In conclusion: more dinners happening, less stress, more real connections

Tablo was created for one clear purpose: bringing real people together in real places, around a real table.

With TheFork, the practical side becomes smoother: digital booking, more immediacy, fewer calls, more ease.

And with “Sconnessi,” the message becomes even stronger: social is powerful when it’s real — and when you’re at the table, the best connection is the one right in front of you.