Formitable is now Zenchef. The two companies merged in January 2023, and since early 2024 Formitable, Resengo and Zenchef have carried on under one name: Zenchef. Your Formitable account still works and support is still there, but no new features are coming. Sooner or later you move to ZenchefOS, or to something else.
That choice is what this piece is about. First what exactly changed, then what it means for you, then the three routes you have.
What exactly changed?
Formitable no longer exists as a brand of its own: it was folded into Zenchef in three steps, and the new software is called ZenchefOS.
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| January 2023 | Zenchef and Formitable merge |
| 12 September 2023 | Zenchef | Formitable acquires Belgian Resengo |
| January 2024 | Formitable stops getting new features |
| Early 2024 | Formitable, Resengo and Zenchef carry on under the Zenchef name |
| Now | Moving to ZenchefOS is optional; later it becomes required |
The Resengo acquisition was reported at the time by Misset Horeca. That Formitable is no longer being developed is in Formitable's own FAQ: the system is supported and kept running, but from January 2024 no new features or solutions are being built.
No end date has been published. Formitable only writes that the move will be required "in the future".
What does it mean for you as a Formitable user?
For your day-to-day service nothing changes today: your diary, your widget and your guest list do what they did yesterday. What changes is the direction. Every new feature now goes into ZenchefOS, and a system that is no longer developed slowly falls behind on payment methods, integrations and what guests expect.
What Zenchef itself promises on its announcement page:
- Your data comes with you. When you upgrade to ZenchefOS, all guest and booking data is transferred, and the guest data stays yours.
- No commission. Like Formitable, ZenchefOS charges nothing per guest.
- Different features. ZenchefOS has, among other things, a table plan, call assist, suggestions across multiple venues and group request management. Zenchef does warn that features "may not look exactly the same".
Some articles say you will be moved over automatically. The official FAQ says otherwise: early access to ZenchefOS is a choice now and only becomes required later.
What is not written anywhere is the price. Zenchef publishes no monthly fee, and Misset Horeca has already run the headline "Is Zenchef becoming too powerful? Restaurateurs fear much higher prices." What is public about the fees, and what third parties quote, is laid out in Zenchef pricing: what it costs.
Your three options
A Formitable user has three realistic routes: go along to ZenchefOS, switch to another reservation system, or keep Zenchef and add something next to it for what it does not do.
| 1. Go to ZenchefOS | 2. Switch | 3. Keep Zenchef, phone alongside | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effort | Lowest: data comes along | Highest: new system, new widget | Low: one integration |
| Your guest data | Transferred by Zenchef | Export and import | Stays in Zenchef |
| Price known upfront | No, on request | Depends on the system | Zenchef: no. Phone: yes |
| Commission per guest | None | Depends on the system | None |
| Right if | You are happy with Zenchef and the price works | The price or package no longer fits | The system is fine, but the phone goes unanswered |
Option 1 is the path of least resistance, and the right one for many restaurants. Do ask for a written price first, because you cannot look it up anywhere.
Option 2 pays off if the quote disappoints, if you want a simpler system, or if you were unhappy anyway. A required migration is the natural moment to compare: switching costs little extra now, because you have to move regardless.
Option 3 fits when the reservation system is not the problem, but the phone ringing during service is. More on that below.
What to check when you switch
Anyone moving off Formitable, to ZenchefOS or elsewhere, checks five things before the switch date:
- A full export of your guest list. Even if Zenchef transfers the data, keep your own copy with names, phone numbers, notes and allergies.
- Future bookings. Ask how bookings already in the diary move across, including deposits that have been paid.
- The widget on your site and in Google. A new widget means new code on your website, and the button on your Google Business Profile has to point to the new link.
- Payments and deposits. Which payment provider, which fees on iDEAL and cards, and who handles refunds.
- Term and notice period. Get the new contract in writing, including what it costs to stop early.
Plan the switch outside your busiest weeks. A new diary on the first Saturday of December is not a good idea.
Switching to Bubo, or Bubo next to Zenchef
Bubo is a reservation system and an AI phone assistant for restaurants, and you can take either one on its own. That makes it a candidate for both option 2 and option 3.
As a replacement (option 2). The reservation system costs €49 a month and the first 30 days are free. No commission per guest. Guests book through your own site, their number is verified by text or WhatsApp before the table is held, and confirmations and reminders go out on WhatsApp. The price is simply on the pricing page.
Next to Zenchef (option 3). The AI phone assistant answers in 70+ languages and connects to Zenchef on the Grow plan: what is booked on the phone lands in your Zenchef diary. So you do not have to move to get the phone answered. The phone assistant costs from €29 a month and has a 14-day free trial. The other integrations are on the integrations page.
To be fair: Zenchef answers the phone itself too, with AI Call, for tables and questions. The difference is what the call is allowed to become after that. With Bubo the same call can also end in a takeaway order, a deposit or a gift card. It is set out point by point in Bubo vs. Zenchef.
For both there is a one-time setup fee of €149 per business, however many products you take, and it is waived if you stay a year. You are live within three working days.
Frequently asked questions
Does Formitable still exist?
Yes, as software it does. Formitable is supported and kept running, but has had no new features since January 2024. As a brand it has been folded into Zenchef, and its successor is called ZenchefOS.
Do I have to move to ZenchefOS?
Not yet. According to Formitable's FAQ, early access to ZenchefOS is a choice for now and the move becomes required "in the future". No date has been published.
Does my guest data move to ZenchefOS?
Yes. Zenchef writes that all guest and booking data is transferred on upgrade and that the guest data stays yours. Still, make your own export before you switch.
Is Zenchef still commission-free?
Yes. Zenchef confirms that ZenchefOS charges no commission per guest, just like Formitable. You do pay processing fees on online payments, such as iDEAL and cards.
Can my Formitable widget stay on my site?
As long as Formitable runs, the widget works. When you move to ZenchefOS or another system you get a new widget, and the code on your site and the link in Google have to be replaced. Ask your supplier who does that.
What does Zenchef cost now?
Zenchef publishes no monthly price; you request a quote. Third parties quote around €49 a month per venue, and the processing fees are on their site. Everything that is known is in our piece on Zenchef pricing.