Zenchef is a European restaurant reservation and table management platform, packaging booking, payments, guest profiles, marketing and analytics into its ZenchefOS suite. It operates in seven languages across France, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy and Portugal, with a guest-facing booking app and integrations with restaurant point-of-sale systems, serving independent restaurants and restaurant groups.
Connecting Zenchef to Ventrata lets you resell products from operators that use Zenchef as their booking system. Ventrata reads their live availability from Zenchef, and every booking you take is created directly in the operator's Zenchef account.
To learn more about Zenchef, visit zenchef.com.
📒 NOTE
This connection is in testing and may not be available to all users.
‼️ IMPORTANT
In Ventrata's Zenchef connection, Zenchef restaurant rooms (and an additional 'All Rooms' entry) are returned as products for mapping.
Primary website | |
Tags | Booking / Ticketing System |
Connection features | Availability Sync · Bookings Sync |
Developed by | Ventrata (using Zenchef API) |
This operator connection (also called a backend) lets you resell products from operators that use Zenchef as their primary booking system, with every booking created directly in Zenchef. Features of this connection include:
Availability Sync – live availability comes from the operator's Zenchef account.
Bookings Sync – bookings post from Ventrata to Zenchef, and Zenchef issues the tickets or vouchers.
Zenchef's external API used for this connection is a custom API that does not follow the OCTO API standard, which may limit certain functionality and capabilities.
Creating the Zenchef Connection
🔐 Required Role Permissions: See Operators, Modify Operators, See Products, Modify Products
Before you begin:
You must have a commercial agreement with the operator for their rates and terms.
You must have the Zenchef Restaurant ID and Zenchef API Token for the operator. See the steps below.
You must recreate the operator's products in Ventrata. See how to create products. The connection syncs availability, pricing and bookings, but doesn't create products in Ventrata.
Step 1: Configure the Operator in Ventrata
Ask your operator for the credentials. The restaurant finds them in its Zenchef dashboard under Partners > Integrations, or gets them from the Zenchef team.
In the Ventrata Dashboard, go to Products → Operators and open the operator. If they don't exist yet, create them as an operator first.
In the Backend Partner section, select Zenchef and enter the Zenchef Restaurant ID and Zenchef API Token.
Press Update Operator.
Step 2: Connect Each Product
Open the operator's product in Products → Products and edit it. Check that Operator is set to this operator.
Tick Backend Connected. Tick Backend Availability to use availability from Zenchef.
Press Update Product.
📒 NOTE
Zenchef sends both retail and net prices. With Backend Pricing ticked, Ventrata records the retail price as your selling price and the net price as your cost price, whatever cost percentage is set on the operator.
Check Backend Availability to pull availability from Zenchef.
Without it, the product uses the availability set in Ventrata but still posts bookings to Zenchef.
Mapping Products to Zenchef
‼️ IMPORTANT
Mapping tells Ventrata which Zenchef product, option and units to check availability for and book. If a backend-connected product isn't mapped correctly, its bookings fail. A red highlight across the product row shows an incorrectly mapped product.
In the Ventrata Dashboard, go to Products → Products and open the product.
Open the Mappings tab. It appears once the product is set to Backend Connected.
For each Ventrata option and unit, select the matching Zenchef product, option and units from the dropdowns, which Ventrata loads from Zenchef. Don't leave any field empty.
Press Save Changes.
📒 NOTE
In the Mappings dropdowns, Zenchef products correspond to Zenchef rooms.
📗 TIP
Make a test booking after mapping, and ask the operator to confirm it arrived in their Zenchef account.
Managing the Zenchef Connection
Update the mapping when the operator changes products, options or units in Zenchef.
Replace the key on the operator if Zenchef or the operator issues a new one.
Switch Backend Availability or Backend Pricing off on a product to use Ventrata's own availability or prices instead. Bookings still post to Zenchef.
Connection Features Detailed
This section is for anyone who wants to know exactly how the Zenchef connection works. Here the direction is the opposite of a reseller connection: Ventrata calls Zenchef, using Zenchef API. For each feature, it explains which calls Ventrata makes, when, and what that means for you.
In short: Ventrata asks Zenchef for availability whenever someone looks at a backend-connected product, and creates every booking in the operator's Zenchef account. Zenchef doesn't send changes back to Ventrata.
Timings are typical for Zenchef and rounded, and they can change.
Product Mapping | ✅ |
You map each Ventrata product, option and unit to the operator's Zenchef product in the Ventrata Dashboard. This works as follows:
What this means for you: if something is missing from the dropdown, the operator hasn't made it available to you in Zenchef. Ask them to. |
Content Sync | ❌ |
Ventrata doesn't import product content from Zenchef. Ventrata doesn't import product content from Zenchef. You create and describe the products in Ventrata yourself. |
Availability Sync | ✅ |
With Backend Availability on, Ventrata checks the operator's live availability in Zenchef. This works as follows:
Typically with Zenchef:
What this means for you: customers book against the operator's live Zenchef availability, so you can't oversell a slot the operator has already sold elsewhere. |
Pricing Sync | ❌ |
Ventrata doesn't read prices from Zenchef. Ventrata doesn't read prices from Zenchef. Products use the prices you set in Ventrata, and bookings still post to Zenchef. Zenchef sends both retail and net prices. With Backend Pricing ticked, Ventrata records the retail price as your selling price and the net price as your cost price, whatever cost percentage is set on the operator. |
Promotions Sync | ❌ |
Promotions aren't sent to Zenchef. Promotions aren't sent to Zenchef. Your Ventrata promotions still apply to the price your customer pays in Ventrata. |
Bookings Sync | ✅ |
Bookings made in Ventrata for a backend-connected product are created in the operator's Zenchef account. This works as follows:
Posts bookings, updates and cancellations from Ventrata to Zenchef. Receives vouchers/tickets from Zenchef and issues them to your customers.
‼️ IMPORTANT – Bookings sync one way, from Ventrata to Zenchef. If the operator changes or cancels a booking in Zenchef, Ventrata isn't notified. Ask the operator to tell you about any changes they make. |
Pickups/Dropoff Sync | ❌ |
Pickup and drop-off details aren't passed to Zenchef. Pickup and drop-off details aren't passed to Zenchef. Share them with the operator another way if a product needs them. |
Custom Questions Sync | ❌ |
Answers to your booking questions aren't passed to Zenchef. Answers to your booking questions aren't passed to Zenchef. Share them with the operator another way if they need them. |
Extras Sync | ❌ |
Extras and add-ons aren't booked in Zenchef. Extras and add-ons aren't booked in Zenchef. Only the main product, option and units are. |
Redemption Sync | ❌ |
Redemptions and other status changes in Zenchef aren't sent back to Ventrata after a booking is confirmed. Redemptions and other status changes in Zenchef aren't sent back to Ventrata after a booking is confirmed. |
Pass Walkup Scanning Sync | ❌ |
Pass walk-up scanning isn't available with Zenchef. Pass walk-up scanning isn't available with Zenchef. |
Gift Card Sync | ❌ |
Ventrata gift cards aren't passed to Zenchef. Ventrata gift cards aren't passed to Zenchef. Gift card payments stay in Ventrata. |
✅ supported · ❌ not supported
Good to know: limits and details of the Zenchef connection
Good to know: limits and details of the Zenchef connection
Live availability: availability comes from Zenchef as people browse.
One-way bookings: changes the operator makes in Zenchef don't reach Ventrata.
Custom API: Zenchef's API isn't OCTO, so some features may be limited compared with OCTO backends.
Intended for attractions that also run a restaurant needing reservations; restaurant products can be resold and packaged through Ventrata.
FAQs
I get an error when I save the operator's backend configuration.
I get an error when I save the operator's backend configuration.
The Zenchef Restaurant ID and Zenchef API Token or endpoint is most likely incorrect. Check them with your operator. If the issue persists, contact our Technical Support.
There's no Backend Connected box in the product settings.
There's no Backend Connected box in the product settings.
The operator set on the product most likely doesn't have a backend configured. Check the operator's Backend Partner settings and try again. If the issue persists, contact our Technical Support.
The product, option or unit I want to map isn't in the dropdown.
The product, option or unit I want to map isn't in the dropdown.
The dropdowns list what the operator has made available to you in Zenchef. Ask the operator. If the issue persists, contact our Technical Support.
Bookings fail for a backend-connected product.
Bookings fail for a backend-connected product.
Check the product's mapping first: every option and unit must be mapped. Then check that the slot is still available in Zenchef. If the issue persists, contact our Technical Support.
I get an error when saving the operator's backend configuration.
I get an error when saving the operator's backend configuration.
The Zenchef Restaurant ID and Zenchef API Token are most likely not valid. Double-check them with your operator. If the issue persists, contact support.
There is no Backend Connected checkbox in the product settings.
There is no Backend Connected checkbox in the product settings.
The operator selected on the product most likely has no backend configured. Check the backend configuration and try again. If the issue persists, contact support.
The supplier, product, option, or unit I want to map is not in the dropdown.
The supplier, product, option, or unit I want to map is not in the dropdown.
The dropdown is pulled based on the restaurant rooms in Zenchef made available to you. Double-check with your operator and Zenchef. If the issue persists, contact support.
Useful Resources
📚 More about Ventrata connections
Partner Information
ZENCHEF SAS (Paris Trade and Companies Register 528389794)
63 Av. de Villiers
75017 Paris, France
Ventrata Partner ID: a7fb0c12-9a0a-49ed-87f6-97813ec681f9