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It seems like every industry is getting its own flash-sale site—where deep discounts are offered on a limited basis online—and now restaurants, too, are getting a taste of the action.
Last week, I read about the burgeoning trend on the New York Times' "Bits" blog, highlighting a new entry, Village Vines, that includes discounts on your bill (after you pay $10 for a reservation):
"VillageVines is one of many companies that are changing the way that local businesses market themselves to customers. Restaurants, for instance, can also offer various members-only, limited-time deals through BlackboardEats.com, Gilt City, Groupon, and Yelp, among others."
I spent a little time surveying the field to put together a hit list of some of my favorite flash-sale food sites. After all, next time you take a trip, why not have a sweet coupon (and reservation) all squared away to maximize the quality of your mealtime?
Here are some of their—and my—favorites:
Groupon.com
What it offers: daily discounts (from health club memberships to restaurant coupons) in 85 North-American cities and 29 countries, occasionally featuring restaurants.
How it works: the deal is only activated if a certain number of people sign up.
Sample deal: save $20 on $40 of dinner and drinks at the Rosedale Diner in Toronto.
Village Vines.com
What it offers: discounts of up to 30% off at over 100 restaurants in New York and more than 20 each in Chicago, D.C., Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
How it works: deal seekers use VillageVines to make a reservation at a listed restaurant, pay $10 to secure a table (usually 30 percent off the bill), and the discount is applied to the bill at the end of the meal.
Sample restaurants: Public, Le Cirque, Berimbau, and Double Crown in New York.
Black Board Eats.com
What it offers: up to 30 percent off select restaurant bills or equivalent items in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and online. There's also a "Side Dish" sidebar that announces other food deals around town.
How it works: Subscribers are sent an email with deals lasting about a month. You can then redeem the code for your deal of choice at the listed restaurant.
Sample restaurants: in San Francisco, Barbacco Eno Trattoria, and Little Star; in Los Angeles, Locanda Positano, and Reservoir.
Gilt City.com
What it offers: weekly sales (including restaurant deals, home services, and more) in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco.
How it works: readers select their city and browse the various offers available in their city that week.
Sample restaurants: in New York, Strip House; in Los Angeles, Culina Modern Italian.
Buy With Me.com
What it offers: daily discounts (from spa coupons to restaurant deals) of 50-90 percent at local businesses in the U.S.
How it works: each deal requires a minimum number of people to sign up to activate the deal. Interested users join a group and can share the deal with others. If the minimum number is met, members are charged for the deal and sent an e-voucher.
Sample restaurants: Padre Figlio in New York and Uppercrust in Boston.
What about you? Have you used any of these sites for dining? And how would you rate them on value/ease?
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I've always been a fan of Restaurant.com. They offer gift certificates in most cities, and we have generally been pleased with the selection and quality of the restaurants. When I travel to a new city, I go online to Restaurant.com and see if any of the restaurants look tempting.
Best thing is that once you buy a gift certificate from them, they will send you discount codes and you can buy more at a lower price. At the moment, the regular $25 certificate that is listed at $10 would cost me $2 with the coupon code.
Posted By Dudley on September 16, 2010, 9:41 AM
Scoutmob.com has daily 50% off electronic coupons sent to your phone (either smart phone or a txt on other cell phones). I think it's been in Atlanta for a year, and just started in San Francisco. Nice not to have to pay up front or print out a paper coupon.
Posted By Jim on September 16, 2010, 10:42 AM
I like livingsocial.com and tippr.com, both operating in many cities with a model similar to Groupon.
Posted By cellofello on September 16, 2010, 1:02 PM
Groupon is amazing!! They give great deals on all sorts of stuff and are super easy to use.
Posted By Jessa on September 16, 2010, 4:10 PM
I love Blackboard Eats. I've used them a lot in L.A. (where I'm from) and in NY and San Francisco when I was traveling there. I've never had a bad experience. You can get up to 30% off or a free bottle of wine (something I never splurge in a restaurant) or free appetizers/desserts.
Posted By Susana Benavidez on September 16, 2010, 6:48 PM
I, too, am a fan of Groupon in Columbus, Ohio. I only use their restaurant discount offers. They have been up to 50%. It's a great way to try different venues. The offers are from reputable restaurants, not just chains or fast food places like some programs.
Posted By Travel Zim on September 16, 2010, 11:43 PM
A friend who travels by car on vacation takes along a small microwave, he REALLY saves money, since you only get about 30 cents worth of food per $ spent in a restaurant!! Bring along a few bottles of Toscany wine ($ 4.00) from Trader Joe's, et voila, le diner et pret. No tip, no sales tax No nada.
PS. Bring a candle and make it cosy.
Posted By Jan on September 17, 2010, 5:57 PM