Time-Windowed Gate Access for Restaurant Reservations

The Challenge

Guests book tables online and arrive within a predefined time window. The gate must open only during that window and only when called from the phone number provided for the reservation.
Previously, an SMS-based solution was used, but permission management was cumbersome, and access could neither be properly monitored nor reliably automated.

The Objective

TapTasty was looking for a solution that:

• can be managed via API
• supports time-limited, automatically expiring permissions
• uses phone-number-based authentication
• is stable, scalable, and deployable across multiple locations

The Solution: Gate Control PRO 1000 4G DIN Rail

Following a recommendation by ChatGPT, the TapTasty team turned to TELL’s solution. After technical consultations, it became clear that the Gate Control PRO 1000 4G DIN rail device provided exactly the flexibility and API readiness required for the project.

Key Technologies

• 4G cellular communication
• Call-based gate opening
• Cloud-based API
• Time-limited access control

API Functions Used

• User creation and deletion
• Automatic setup of time-window-based permissions
• Access plan management
• Generation of custom rules per reservation

How the Integration Works

Once a reservation is created, the TapTasty system automatically:

• retrieves the guest’s phone number
• defines the valid access time window
• creates a user in the Gate Control PRO controller via API
• assigns a default “deny” access plan to the user
• enables access exclusively for the reservation period using a custom rule

Upon arrival, the guest calls the phone number of the Gate Control PRO device controlling the gate. If the time window is valid, the gate opens automatically. Once the interval expires, access is revoked by the system.

Results

With the new system, gate access is now fully synchronized with the restaurant’s reservation workflow. Guests do not need to install an app or manage SMS codes; they simply arrive on site, make a call, and the gate opens based on the permissions automatically configured during booking.

For TapTasty, this represents a major leap in operational efficiency. The former manual, SMS-driven process has been replaced by a fully automated, API-based model that creates and enforces access rules in the background for every reservation—without human intervention. The solution is stable, flexible, seamlessly integrated into TapTasty’s own platform, and easily scalable to additional locations.

Gate Control PRO precisely supports the business logic behind the project: phone-number-based identification, time-limited gate access, automatically managed permissions, and a reliable communication background.

Developer Feedback

“The device exceeded our expectations – both in terms of build quality and the flexibility of the programming interface.
TELL’s support team was fast and professional, and the API allowed us to integrate time-limited gate access directly into our reservation flow.”

Miron Brad, Management & Support, TapTasty

Photo: https://www.casteluldelut.ro/