Eater sat down with Ben Leventhal (co-founder of Eater) and his business partner Gary Vaynerchuk (who’s an investor in Uber) about their brand new app, Resy.
The mobile app allows diners to pay for access to “premium seats” or “hot tables” at restaurants in NYC. Eater explains, “Instead of charging restaurants a fee for every cover booked, Resy is partnering with New York City restaurants like Minetta Tavern and Charlie Bird to provide reservations.”
When asked to address the fact that a pay-to-play system might feel elitist (no kidding), Vaynerchuk told Eater,
We’re a little bit confused how Resy would democratize restaurant-goin
Resy belongs in American Psycho’s New York City.
— Gabriella Gershenson (@gabiwrites) May 28, 2014
Resy’s selling of tables (instead of giving them away) signals shift in power from the diner & toward the restaurants, like with Next/Alinea
— ryan sutton (@qualityrye) May 28, 2014
If restos levied a direct surcharge on 8pm tables, the ill will would be huge, I’ll bet. So an app, like tickets, may shield them. Maybe.
— Pete Wells (@pete_wells) May 28, 2014
@pete_wells Shocks me every time how much easier to book by any means almost anywhere in London, LA, Chi, than NY, unparalleled pain in ass
— Steve Cuozzo (@stevecuozzo) May 28, 2014
I book a lot of reservations. And last minute tables DO exist. They’re free, plentiful & often easier to get than if you call a month ahead.
— Pete Wells (@pete_wells) May 28, 2014
. @benleventhal don’t mind paying for resies but would seem less like a “fee” if it was built into a larger experience, instead of itemized.
— ryan sutton (@qualityrye) May 28, 2014
@benleventhal @qualityrye Yeah, like plane tickets. If packaged right, I think people would embrace it.
— Bret Thorn (@FoodWriterDiary) May 28, 2014
@benleventhal I used to cringe whenever I saw a red velvet rope/bouncer in front of a restaurant. Maybe it’s hits a similar nerve.
— charlotte druckman (@cettedrucks) May 28, 2014
Restaurant 3.0 question: can I split my @resy fee with dining companions over @coverpay?
— Meg Hourihan (@megnut) May 28, 2014
@benleventhal @pete_wells Resy sounds cool, but this is a luxury product. It’s only democratic in the same way that VIP concert tix are.
— Michael Endelman (@MichaelEndelman) May 28, 2014
How I feel about paying for a restaurant reservation. https://t.co/CjrccD4Zsy
— devour | nyc (@devourNYC) May 28, 2014
They’ve already cornered housing and government. Why not give the monied classes a leg up on restaurant seats too?
— Mari Uyehara (@mariuyehara) May 28, 2014
[via Eater]