OpenTable, the restaurant reservation company owned by Booking Holdings, announced on April 20, 2026 that it had acquired Libro, a Montreal-based reservation and table management platform. The companies did not disclose the price or other financial terms.
Libro will keep operating under its own brand so that existing restaurant customers see no break in service, while its restaurants gain exposure on the OpenTable marketplace. The two companies plan a phased integration of inventory, infrastructure and security systems. Libro's employees and leadership team are joining OpenTable.
OpenTable said the deal strengthens its business in Canada, and particularly in Quebec, where Libro has built most of its customer base. Libro's restaurant partners will be offered the option to join OpenTable's diner network.
What Libro built
Libro was founded in 2014 as a spin-out of the online restaurant guides RestoMontreal and RestoQuebec, according to BetaKit. Its software handles table bookings, waitlists, customer reviews and guest communications, and lets restaurants take reservations under their own branding. The company says its tools help restaurants reduce no-shows and bring guests back for repeat visits.
BetaKit reported that more than 3,000 restaurants use Libro, ranging from the Cora breakfast chain to Alentours, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Quebec City. The company serves restaurants in Canada, the United States and Europe, though its base is concentrated in Quebec.
Libro had been growing before the sale. BetaKit reported that the company had increased revenue by 30% in the year as of August and added 400 new restaurant locations, and that it ranked 75th on The Globe and Mail's 2024 list of Canada's Top Growing Companies. Libro is led by president and CEO Lorne Schwartz. No outside funding rounds or investors have been reported for the company, and it did not disclose its headcount.
“This is an exciting next chapter for Libro and the restaurants we serve.”
Why OpenTable is buying
OpenTable works with more than 65,000 restaurants worldwide and says it helps them fill 1.9 billion seats a year. Buying Libro adds a regional platform with thousands of restaurant relationships in Quebec, the market the company singled out in its announcement, and a team that already supports those restaurants locally.
CEO Debby Soo said both companies share a commitment to local restaurants and that combining Libro's local expertise with OpenTable's global diner network would deepen the company's commitment to Canadian dining. In a LinkedIn post cited by BetaKit, she said bringing in the Libro team would strengthen OpenTable's presence in Quebec and beyond.
The combined teams will work on products for restaurants and diners across North America, the companies said.
What happens to Libro's restaurants
For now, little changes on the surface. Libro remains a standalone brand, and restaurants keep using its reservation, waitlist and guest tools. Over time, the companies expect to merge the underlying inventory, infrastructure and security systems, and Libro restaurants that opt in will become bookable through OpenTable's consumer app and website.
Schwartz said joining OpenTable would let Libro expand its reach while continuing to offer the local support and product development its partners rely on. The companies did not give a timeline for the integration beyond saying it is expected to be completed in the foreseeable future.
Neither company said how many people work at Libro or whether its Montreal headquarters will stay open as a separate office. The press release said only that OpenTable would welcome both Libro's employees and its leadership team, and that the combined staff would focus on products for restaurateurs and diners in North America.
OpenTable's long road of ownership
OpenTable started in 1998 as easyeats.com and went public in 2009, according to BetaKit. Priceline bought it in 2014 for $2.6 billion in cash, taking it private, and it now sits inside Booking Holdings, the parent of Priceline and Booking.com.
The company has recently added an AI-powered concierge that answers plain-language requests for restaurant recommendations. The Libro deal is a more traditional move: buying a regional competitor and its restaurant relationships to grow share in a market where OpenTable had less reach.
