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Why You Can’t Get a Restaurant Reservation - How bots, mercenaries, and table scalpers have turned the restaurant reservation system inside out.
How bots, mercenaries, and table scalpers have turned the restaurant reservation system inside out.
At Sailor, April Bloomfield and Gabriel Stulman’s new spot in Fort Greene, reservations are scooped up fourteen days in advance by residents of SoHo, Aspen, and East Hampton, who likely saw the place on some list, or while doomscrolling TikTok or Eater. Others call in favors with friends in the industry, bribe maître d’s, or e-mail reservationists with made-up stories—a diehard foodie visiting town (“we have always been desperate to come and try your delicious looking Lasagna!”), or pretending to be the Queen of Morocco or the sister of the King of Saudi Arabia. If a restaurant deems you important enough—and decides to label you as a “V.I.P.,” “P.P.X.,” ( personne particulièrement extraordinaire), “reg,” “$$$$” or “soi” (short for soigné) on its in-house system—you might notice a little gold-and-black crown emoji and more available tables next time you sign in to Resy.
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