With most software, the vendor decides what goes on the roadmap. HappyChef, the Belgian reservation system built by founder Thibault Van de Sompele, turns that around. Restaurants that buy an owner licence get a seat on the Owners' Council, where they vote twice a year on what the team builds next. Whatever wins gets built, credited to the venue that proposed it.
How A Round Works
- Proposals collected. Anyone can submit an idea, including restaurants on the free Start plan. Duplicates are merged into one ballot.
- Live session at 15:30. The team walks through every proposal: what it is, how much build time it takes and what it is not. Anyone who can't attend gets the recording and the ballot by email.
- Two weeks of voting. Each owner spends their votes whenever it suits them. A group of five venues weighs no more than the bistro round the corner.
- Results and delivery. A week later the full result is online, including the proposals that lost. Those stay on the list for the next round.
The Next Round Opens On 12 January
| Step | Date |
|---|---|
| Live session | 12 January 2027 |
| Voting closes | 26 January 2027 |
| Results published | 2 February 2027 |
| Ships by | 19 March 2027 |
Membership costs nothing extra: it is part of the one-time purchase and lasts as long as the licence does. If the restaurant is sold, the licence moves to the new owner, and so does the vote. Only security, legal compliance and stability are never put to a vote; HappyChef builds those regardless, without taking a slot off the list. The live session is held in English, while every venue gets the ballot and the results in its own language.
The app, the service, the price,... They continuously strive for a better and more convenient reservation system.
Bring Your Proposal To Horeca Expo
From 15 to 18 November 2026 HappyChef exhibits at Horeca Expo in Flanders Expo, Ghent, on stand 4029. Owners with an idea for the winter round can hand it to the team there and then.
