A couple of restaurant dining rewards programs
August 6th, 2007 | by mbhunter |Dining out is pricey. It’s one of the biggest leaks in our finances. We went a week without ordering anything out or dining out anywhere, even for so much as a cup of coffee or something off of McDonald’s Dollar Menu. It wasn’t that much of a hardship to do it, but if we break down and want to eat out, it makes sense to try to get a deal.
Jim over at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity posted on a service called OpenTable.com that routes reservations to mid- and high-end restaurants in metropolitan areas. Diners can accumulate points (100 points for most reservations, and 1,000 points for “slow-time” reservations) which can be traded in for gift certificates at the rate of $20 per 2,000 points. There are also weekly deals (this week is DC Restaurant Week) which include $20 lunches and $30 dinners (again, these are mid- to high-end restaurants).
Another site that has a different selection of eateries is Restaurant.com. This site works a little bit differently. There are no points but you instead buy gift certificates for participating restaurants at a pretty nice discount ($75 certificate for $30, a $25 certificate for $10, and others, depending on the restaurant). This site also covers some of the non-metro areas a lot better. You print the certificate from your printer and go.
A couple of caveats with these sites:
- Check what’s included and what isn’t. There may be minimum purchases to use the certificates, and these may not include beverages or tips.
- Be sure to cancel your reservation through OpenTable if you can’t make it. Four no-shows and you’re out.
- Check the times that the certificates are valid. The gift certificates may not be valid on weekends.
- Check all of the other fine print. Make sure you know what you’re buying.
Beyond these caveats, these sites can defray some of the costs of splurging at quite a few restaurants.
Also, there’s a special promo code for Restaurant.com valid August 7th to August 12th. Use the promo code “PICTURE” and get 50% off your certificates! That makes a $25 certificate only five bucks!!
3 Responses to “A couple of restaurant dining rewards programs”
By Chief Family Officer on Aug 8, 2007 | Reply
It must be different in other areas, given its popularity. The restaurants available on Restaurants.com where I live aren’t ones I want food from!
By mbhunter on Aug 8, 2007 | Reply
They can be hit or miss, but they add restaurants all the time as well.