Project overview
MyHost is a restaurant reservation platform built for the Balkans and beyond, born from a simple question: why is booking a table still stuck in calls and messages with no visibility? As strategic tech partner to a Novi Sad–based startup, we joined early—market research, competitor analysis, and user interviews—and co-created a product that fits the market, not just a feature list. my-host.rs is the public home for downloads and updates.
The platform serves guests (discover venues, see layouts, reserve a specific table on an interactive map, loyalty, events), restaurant managers (floor plans, reservations, events, notifications), and platform administrators (analytics, content, campaigns). Delivery spans a React Native (Expo) mobile app, a .NET Core API, and a React web admin, with MongoDB and a modular monolith architecture for speed and maintainability.
The challenge
The regional market had no unified place where diners could browse restaurants, see real table layouts and availability, and book a precise seat without calling. Venues relied on notebooks, ad hoc chat apps, and fragmented tools—leading to double bookings, poor organization, and frustrated guests.
Technically, the hardest piece was a fully dynamic table map: managers lay out tables in an admin editor; those layouts must render interactively on mobile with reliable touch, scaling across devices, and a flexible data model for complex floor plans.
Our solution
We treated MyHost as a product: frictionless UX for guests and operators, city-to-city–ready architecture, and retention through loyalty points, discounts, and an events system. The stack combines a robust .NET backend (JWT auth, including Apple and Google sign-in where applicable), MongoDB for flexible layout and domain data, cloud integrations (e.g. storage, queues, transactional email), and a React admin for operational workflows. The mobile app delivers discovery, maps, booking, and account flows optimized for everyday use.
“Finally, I can book my favorite table without making a call. I see the space, pick the spot, and I’m done in a minute. Bonus points and discounts make it even better.” — MyHost app user
Key features
- For guests: Browse restaurants; interactive bird’s-eye table map with tap-to-reserve; reservations with notes and time; reviews & favorites; loyalty points & discounts; event discovery & booking.
- For restaurant managers: Drag-and-drop (visual) table editor; real-time reservation management; event creation and promotion; push notifications; daily schedule overview.
- For platform admins: Network-wide analytics; user & venue management; promotional campaigns & gamification tooling.
Mobile app
The MyHost mobile app (iOS & Android, Expo / React Native) is where guests discover venues, browse categories, and reserve a specific table on an interactive floor plan—with loyalty, events, and reservation history in one flow. A separate React web admin powers dashboards, map editing, and operator workflows.
Home, search & table map
Featured restaurants, category filters, and open/closed status—then a bird’s-eye layout where guests tap an available table before confirming date, time, and party size.
Booking, reservations & events
Calendar and time-slot booking, a full My reservations hub (including finished stays and table numbers), and event discovery for venue-led experiences.
Restaurant operators use the web admin for floor plans, reservation management, and analytics—paired with these guest-facing mobile flows.
Technical implementation
- Mobile: React Native (Expo), React Navigation, Redux Toolkit, maps & notifications; App Store & Google Play distribution patterns.
- Backend: .NET Core Web API, modular monolith, JWT and social sign-in, Swagger, structured logging, scheduled jobs for operational tasks.
- Data: MongoDB for flexible documents (including complex table layouts).
- Web admin: React, Redux, Material UI / component libraries, geo libraries for map-driven tooling.
- Cloud & integrations: Object storage, queues, transactional email; CI/CD pipelines for API, web, and mobile.
Results & impact
After launch, MyHost scaled quickly in its first market:
- 10,000+ users in Novi Sad within months
- 50+ restaurants onboarded and growing
- ~20% month-over-month user growth (campaign period)
- Strong engagement via loyalty and events; positive feedback on table-level booking clarity vs. traditional phone booking
We shipped one of the region’s more advanced digital table-reservation experiences—with performance, UX, and architecture ready for regional expansion.
