|
Is it the equivalent of slipping the maitre'd a
twenty or is it the future of dining in our city? London's restaurant
booking game is hotting up with the arrival of an American on-line
booking company offering prime time tables at top restaurants to
diners who pay extra.
Customers pay around £20 for preferential tables
in London's most desirable restaurants, but the operators of Dinnerbroker,
the newest American fad to hit our shores, are warning prices could
go up with demand. "The market will set the price," Doug Keare,
chief operating officer of Dinnerbroker, who is visiting London
this week from San Francisco where Dinnerbroker was launched in
July.
Dinnerbroker operates like a last-minute reservation
service and has caused a heated debate across the city since its
launch three weeks ago. Critics say it has bought ticket touting
to the restaurant trade, but the operators are claiming it's no
different from the last minute price system that applies to airlines
and hotel bookings.
Other criticisms claim that the system will squeeze
out 'regular' diners and pave the way for 'well-heeled' diners to
take control of availability. But Keare says at most they will control
10% of a restaurant's tables. He says the service has been hugely
successful since launching here, and is for people from all different
walks of life. "It's for travellers who arrive in town and haven't
booked anywhere, it's for people who have forgotten a special occasion
or who have neglected to book in advance," he says. But is it glorified
touting?
Keare says it's no different from how airlines and
hotel prices fluctuate depending on demand, but how much it will
go up remains to be unclear. "At the moment its about £20, but in
future depending on the demand for the top handful of restaurants
it will be more than that." Just how much? "Well someone offered
us $400 for a table once," he says. As for the controversial nature
of the business, Keare says it's a causing a stir because it's a
new concept in the restaurant trade. "People fear change," he says.
While Dinnerbroker currently operates in ten cities
across the world Keare says they are aiming to operate in a total
of 20 cities across the world, with 2,000-3,000 participating restaurants.
More than 20 London restaurants have been signed up for Dinnerbroker,
including Notting Hill's Dakota, The Pharmacy and The Cow Dining
Room. Keare says currently Dinnerbroker has up to 20 tables a week
at a given restaurant.
The restaurant receives a commission of around 50%
of the fee when customers book through Dinnerbroker. The service
also offers discounts of up to 20 per cent to diners prepared to
eat at times when restaurants struggle to fill their tables. In
this instance when a customer is eating very early or late, there
is no booking fee and receive a discount set by the restaurant,
but usually between 20 and 30%.
|
