I found a way to skip the line at America’s most exclusive restaurants with 24 hour’s notice – but there’s a catch
FINE dining enthusiasts know it takes months or even years to secure a spot at the hottest restaurants.
Now you can snag a reservation without getting stuck in purgatory on the waitlist, but there's a catch.
A brand-new dining app, Front of House, offers in America.
By buying "collectibles," digital NFTs that consumers may recognize from other online spaces, customers can guarantee a table once a week for a whole year, with just 24 hours' notice to the restaurant.
But depending on the hot spot, consumers might pay money to secure their spots.
One man, Quincy Moore, told the New York Post , one of the twelve restaurants currently partnered with Front of House. He'd been trying to get a reservation for months.
Front of House users can buy their collectibles with credit cards or cryptocurrencies, and they'll get more than just reservations.
Depending on the restaurant, consumers might also get early access to events and supper clubs or coveted merch from the trendy businesses.
The New York post reported restaurants keep 80 percent of the revenue from subscriptions, while Front of House receives the rest.
Prices vary, too, from establishment to establishment. One woman, Danielle Vreeland, told The Post she spent $300 on a collectible from Emmett's, her favorite pizza restaurant that is often crowded with swarms of tourists.
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"Who has time to wait around on Resy?" Vreeland asked the outlet. "I knew this was something I would get a lot of use out of.”
For her money, Vreeland will also receive merch and invites to VIP pizza parties.
“We wanted to create a way for you to easily get into restaurants and any of that currency is funneling back to the restaurant,” Phil Toronto, co-founder of Front of House, told The Post. “It’s a way for restaurants to reward their regulars.”
On the Front of House website, Front of House lists the prices for current NFTs at each partner restaurant. Dame has an exclusive 20 spots for its $1,000 collectible, while Wildair Donut Friends has tiers from $100 to $400 for its Donut Club.
But even owning a collectible doesn't make getting a table a complete certainty.
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The website makes clear in some places, like Dame, tables aren't guaranteed "if already booked by another FoH holder."
Still, dedicated foodies are clearly hungry for the service, with many of the collectibles already "86'd" from the menu.