Two weeks ago, DoorDash’s SevenRooms subsidiary launched Channel Connect, a central reconciliation layer for restaurant reservations that allows operators to cross-list inventory across multiple channels (e.g. Resy, OpenTable, SevenRooms). This middleware does to reservations what Olo did to delivery, but this time DoorDash is playing offense by being early. The pitch is operator-friendly: one free, open hub that syncs bookings across every channel. But unlike OpenTable, the prize isn’t charging a buck for every butt it places in a seat, but rather the ability to monetize diner data, retargeting, and marketplace leverage. This week HNGRY analyzes the moves DD is making to expand its 10-city reservations marketplace into a global powerhouse it can pitch investors.