Opentable

[cabrales]

Leslie -- glenn and a number of members were discussing the role of opentable.com. I'd appreciate learning any updates you may have on how opentable.com may currently be utilized at Daniel, particularly in respect of the tracking of diner habits and visits. Could opentable be a ready means to obtain "PX" treatment?

While I have not yet utilized opentable and do not know how Boulud currently deploys the system, below are certain excerpts on opentable from L Brenner, "The Fourth Star" (2002, addressing the 2000-2001 period):

"Open Table is a computerized reservations system . . . if it words as planned, it will radically simplify keeping track of a wealth of information about customers -- everything from what they ate on their last visit to whether they're a journalist or a friend of one of the sous-chefs. Further down the road, customers will even be able to reserve a table on-line [this has already occurred].  The program will automatically print out soignes [guests to be accorded favorable treatment] . . . ."

[Leslie Brenner]

Cabrales, thanks for the question. I'm afraid I'm going to have to plead ignorance on this one--I didn't really follow the Open Table thing through to the end, so I don't really know what the results were. I don't think that booking on Open Table would be a means to obtain PX status--that comes more from either being a regular, a celebrity, a chef, journalist, etc.