Chain Restaurants on iDine with Gift Cert opportunities
 

There's a thread on fast food iDine restaurants but thought it might be useful to have a thread on sitdown chain restaurants that may be more likely to have gift certs and/or cards available (I know some fast food places do, but as noted in the other thread some, such as Dunkin Donuts, do not. Not sure yet about Quizno's).

In addition, sitdown chains may offer a greater opportunity/rationale to invest a bit more in certs (may be tough to justify $200 at BK, while $200 at Melting Pot is probably just a couple of visits).

This became an especially interesting question with the AA, 25 mi. elite bonus. In any case, here's a few to get us started. Several Melting Pot locations in FL, seems just about every Roadhouse Grill location (some leaving at end of June, others not), and the Cheeburger, Cheeburger locaition in Naples, FL.

Any others worth mentioning?

In the Dallas area (with locations outside of Texas):

IHOP in Richardson
Denny's
Schakolad (makes a good hot chocolate ^ )-Plano
Dickey's BBQ Pit
Schlotzsky's (sandwhiches)
Quiznos- Plano

I don't know if all offer gift cards. I asked at Quiznos the other day and they were "out". None of these will give you huge dines, but months ago at IHOP, they were beside themselves when I asked for $250 in gift cards.

I hope the manager realized that roughly half of that $250 was going to be siphoned off down to Miami.

The Damons in Raleigh, NC, participates in iDine ATM (update, left the program 6-5-06, might be back later). However, I have had trouble twice this year with dines there not being captured so I had to fax in receipts. As a result, I am a little leery about buying gift cards there.
But, hey, if you're in town to catch a Stanley Cup game, pop across the street and test it. :)

Edit 1: happened to be there today and decided to test it. Bought 2 cards for $25 per. The receipt said "table sale," not "gift cards." I also added a little tip for the host because he went above and beyond at a frantic moment. So the bill was not an even amount resembling a cert. Will update to report if it captures OK etc. I'll spend >$50 at a Damons in Ohio next month anyway, and the manager assured me that the cards are valid at any location, so might as well give this a try.

Edit 2: sure enough, it failed to capture so I'm faxing in the receipt. Might all be moot: idine says this Damons location left the program June 5, just three days after I bought the gift cards.

Edit 3: update, received mileage credit for the gift cert purchase. Correctly dated, for once with this location.

You know I've been trying to think about this from the perspective of a chain restaurant selling a gift certificate. I'm not sure, but it seems that a chain restaurant would actually want to be in a situation where they sell a gift certificate but the cert is actually redeemed at another location. Or is there some sort of intra-company transfer when that happens?

If not, then I think I'd be happy to get the $250, even if half goes to Miami since my food and other cost here will be zero.

oppps...not so fast
 

I just ordered some gift certificates from a sit down chain, thinking I would use the certificate for the restaurant closest to me rather than the one that offered thru idine.

So, got the gift certificates and they say that the certificates must be used for only the location that I bought them from !

Pat

Which chain? I haven't received my Melting Pot certs yet (though the charges have posted to my Amex) but they specifically told me the certs'd be good at any location. Hope that's true.

Cambridge, MA
 

Gift cards can be purchased or redeemed at Grafton Street, Redline, and Temple Bar in Cambridge, MA.

Are those debit-card-like "certs" put out by a company called Valutec? We have a couple of RN joints here that use that vendor, but have the individual restaurant name on the card, so I'm leery of buying at one, and using at another.

not sure about the gift cert aspect

but i got idine miles from the TGI Fridays near Madison Square Garden in NYC

I don't know if they're backed by Valutec, but I can confirm that the gift cards can be both purchased and redeemed at both Redline and Grafton Street. I've never been to Temple Bar, but the gift cards have all 3 restaurant names on them.

Do you get Gold Points, as well? Double dip is good.

Good news (at least for any Melting Pot fans). Received my gift cards and they specifically say they're good at any location. My points have also posted as well.

Just ordered gift cards from Cheeburger, Cheeburger in Naples, FL, so hoping to get the same treatment. We have a couple in our area and they make great burgers (of course with a name like that, they'd better).

Gift Cards for AA and United Bonuses
 

With the AA and United bonuses cited elsehwere in this forum I have a renewed interest in gift card possibilities from chains that may have some but not all locations particpating in Rewards Network.

Gatorboy and his brother SICGator (his initials are SIC) are headed to Phoenix for the national championship football game (Ohio State vs. the Gators). I see that Buffalo Wild Wings and Johnny Rockets both particpate in the Phoenix area but not back home. Will likely hit Buffalo Wild Wings but don't really care for Johnny Rockets. Maybe I'll get a gift card from there as an actual gift for someone - my wife's nephew or something. :p

Please be little bit careful: We thought this would be good idae with Chin-Chin in Southern California. Before purchasing GC asked Manager if usable at all Chi-Chins. He said "Yes, Of course." Went to use it in other one-no go-different local owners.