Skift Take
Kayak CEO Steve Hafner says that 'nothing has changed here' in regard to the OpenTable customer data that restaurants control. But the policy change has potential to set a precedent for how all tech vendors share information with restaurants.
When the Priceline Group (now Booking Holdings) acquired OpenTable in 2014, many doubted the synergy between the business. What could an online travel agency do with a restaurant booking site?
In the years since the acquisition, the market has devalued the partnership. Booking CEO Glenn Fogel continues to place his faith in the company, though he admitted in September at Skift Global Forum that they haven’t made the moves they should on OpenTable. The reservations platform went through a round of layoffs last June and OpenTable's CEO, Christa Quarles, left the company in October.
Now under Kayak CEO Steve Hafner's leadership, OpenTable introduced a change that seems positioned to set a precedent for control of all-important customer data.
On Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported a change in the OpenTable client agreement contract. As of March 15, restaurants can no longer share access to OpenTable with any unapproved third-party system that has the intent of using that data for use on their own service. This change seemingly takes direct aim at at least one competitor, SevenRooms, a reservations and customer relationship management software company.
In an email to OpenTable customers, the company stated, "In order to maintain the security of our systems, diner and restaurant data, and to ensure compliance with applicable privacy laws, we've clarified concepts regarding unauthorized third-party access to our software and systems." The email cites recent impl
