Debby Soo on pricing strategy
From Debby Soo, CEO of OpenTable, 2026 Hospitality ICON awardee, in conversation with Dean Arun Upneja · · Boston University School of Hospitality
“Every year since I've been here at Open Table, six years I've been here, our revenue per restaurant has not grown. In fact, it has declined purposely. So, I'm watching Mary Kate's face. Purposely so. We can compete with flat rate players that are out there. And for me, more importantly, I want every single dollar that our restaurant client pays us to be earned. I want restaurants to feel good about the check they're cutting open table. There is value we drive, but was it at the $4,000? I'm making it up, so don't real number. Like, was it at $4,000 a month? Probably not for two restaurants, let's say. So the revenue per restaurant in our ARPO has been purposefully and strategically brought down because we need to make sure we're matching price to value.”
On , Debby Soo, Chief Executive Officer of OpenTable at Booking Holdings Inc, spoke about pricing strategy during Debby Soo, CEO of OpenTable, 2026 Hospitality ICON awardee, in conversation with Dean Arun Upneja on Boston University School of Hospitality.
About Debby Soo
Debby Soo, CEO of OpenTable, received the 2026 Hospitality ICON Award at the Hospitality Leadership Summit hosted by Boston University School of Hospitality on April 10, 2026. In a conversation with Dean Arun Upneja, Soo discussed her career journey and OpenTable's restaurant-first mission. She described the company she joined in August 2020 as "not shiny," noting it was in the middle of the pandemic when restaurants were largely closed. Soo criticized past practices, saying that during COVID, OpenTable waived fees but required restaurants to sign three-year contracts to receive free months, calling that approach "stupid." Soo stated that under her leadership, OpenTable's revenue per restaurant has not grown and has "declined purposely" to compete with flat-rate competitors and ensure the value matches what restaurants pay. She emphasized that restaurants are the paying customers, not diners, and that resources are focused on providing best-in-class software for them. Soo added that despite declining revenue per restaurant, overall revenue has increased every year due to growing the install base, hiring more salespeople, and improving the product.