Budapest, Hungary -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/03/2012 -- Budapest restaurants and diners have been flocking to a new online reservation service called TableFree over the past year. Observers say the success of the site is part of a regional trend towards improved customer service and increased tourism from all over the world.

The site offers new takes on a tried-and-true functionality: it allows diners to make online reservations at restaurants all over Budapest but it is available in multiple languages and it offers Budapest restaurants an option to have an online presence without being directly connected to the Internet themselves. These modifications are especially important for Budapest because the local language, Hungarian, is not widely spoken by tourists, and because few restaurants in Budapest have Internet connections in-store.

The site has been up and running for one year as of 1 July, and it recently added its 150th customer to its list of Budapest restaurants .The TableFree facebook page, which offers recipes and information on special events at restaurants in Budapest, is closing in on 10,000 fans, reflecting the enthusiasm with which local diners and tourists alike have embraced the online reservations service for dining in Budapest.

Some of the best-loved restaurants in Budapest have allied themselves with the site, including Gundel, Nancsi Neni, and Costes, the first Michelin star restaurant in Budapest. The site also reflects the current trend of integrating online and offline marketing techniques. It has a presence on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, and organizes a massive event called "TableFree Restaurant Days" that is similar in style to New York City's popular "Restaurant Week" event. Industry observers and local sources have cited these kinds of coordinated efforts as examples of the way the Internet is growing in use as a marketing tool in central and Eastern Europe.

According to analysts, the popularity of the TableFree service is in keeping with the general development of online activity in central Europe as the region races to catch up to Western Europe and North America. Services like TableFree are showing that the market is ready to embrace solutions that have proved useful in other markets.

TableFree is a privately held company based in Budapest for more details http://budapest.tablefree.hu/