[jetskier]

Originally Posted by brk-lnt

Personally, I like the idea of memberships in general, and if they want to have some $27,000 tier, that's fine too. It's a one-time, fixed/known amount. Sure, you'll offend some people, and you'll attract others. And this is partly responsible for the overall image of your business and the clientele you attract.

This bid thing would be a pain in the ass though. I don't want to spend half the day wondering if my reservation is really locked-in, or if someone is going to come along at the last minute and bid it out from under me. And, for the most part, I'd wager that I could easily out-bid most people. Other than take-out pizzas, it's rare that my wife and I have left Tavern27 spending less than $100. For me, the concept itself is horribly flawed and not in-line with the general vibe of the lakes region. When making reservations becomes a chore, and you don't know until some later point that your spot is guaranteed, you will tend to gravitate to the more traditional places that require less mental exertion and stress.

In New York, or San Francisco or Honolulu, this idea might go over very well. These are locations where the pool of premium diners typically outstrips the supply of top-end places. In this area though, every restaurant has too much competition to attempt to color THAT far outside of the lines (IMO).

I agree with what I think Dan was saying in his post. It's not Tavern27's job or responsibility to find "homes" for those lost puppies that show up without a reservation. It's a nice gesture, but if it's taking that much time, probably not worth it. If you want to be that nice, print some little 3x5" cards with the numbers of the top 5 closest recommendations, along with driving directions from Tavern27. People would love the **** out of that.

Generally, I agree with you. The overtone of the message based upon either the membership model or bidding is that the food and experience is so good that you will pay a premium or fight to get it. I have not found that to be true and actually prefer the more value-oriented restaurants in the area these days. If we saw Cactus Jack propose this concept, we would simply laugh. The bidding and/or membership model is an urban exclusivity haute concept...this is New Hampshire...way outside the lines.

Just my 2 cents.

Jetskier