The latest restaurant to adopt restaurateur Nick Kokonas' ticketing system is not exactly a fine dining establishment with a prix fixe menu, but a smaller, casual restaurant with a la carte options. According to a tweet from Kokonas, Tuck Shop in Phoenix, Ariz. has switched to tickets, but the restaurant is using a different model.
Typically at high-end restaurants like Alinea and Coi, customers pay for the entire meal, plus tax and service, upfront. However, according to Tuck Shop's website, their tickets are more like deposits on a reservation: "The amount you pay for the ticket is applied toward your final bill." Interestingly, the tickets still include a 20 percent service charge and 8.3 percent tax on the reservation price. Customers are asked to also "simply tip your server as you would normally on only the remaining amount due when your check is presented."
Tuck Shop says that it is switching to tickets to help guarantee customers' reservations and to help "eliminate no-shows." Currently, tickets can be purchased two to three months in advance for anywhere between $20 and $35 per person, depending on the day and time. While the restaurant will no longer take reservations outside of the ticket system, there will still be unreserved tables available for walk-ins. It looks like more casual restaurants will be adopting the deposit-style Kokonas ticketing system in the near future. Kokonas added in another tweet, "Tickets for neighborhood restaurants as well as the 'high end' that everyone expects... and across the country... in the next 2 months."
· FAQ [Tuck Shop]
· @nickkokonas [Twitter]
· All Nick Kokonas Coverage on Eater [-E-]