convincing you favorite restaurants to join iDine
Sep 11, 2006, 11:27 am
#1
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convincing you favorite restaurants to join iDine
Has anyone had any success convincing their favorite places to join this program? What is required from the restaurant's perspective (couldn't find details on the website) and what is in it for them?
Sep 11, 2006, 2:12 pm
#2
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No - I've never had this conversation with a restaurant/bar owner.
Others here know the detailed mechanics of the program better than I, but basically it's a form of a loan program for the restaurants. iDine fronts them some money and then takes a cut of the proceeds when iDiners show up and eat.
Over time, it seems that if a restaurant is successful enough to thrive on its own, it gets out of iDine. I get the sense that the terms are attractive to a restaurant starting up in bad need of cash, but unattractive enough that they want to get out as soon as they can. If iDine is paying me back 10-20% of the bill, I'm guessing that they are taking about 1/2 of the bill as their cut.
Others here know the detailed mechanics of the program better than I, but basically it's a form of a loan program for the restaurants. iDine fronts them some money and then takes a cut of the proceeds when iDiners show up and eat.
Over time, it seems that if a restaurant is successful enough to thrive on its own, it gets out of iDine. I get the sense that the terms are attractive to a restaurant starting up in bad need of cash, but unattractive enough that they want to get out as soon as they can. If iDine is paying me back 10-20% of the bill, I'm guessing that they are taking about 1/2 of the bill as their cut.
Sep 12, 2006, 10:35 am
#3
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I saw a thread here or on the UA forum about a guy that says he successfully persuaded "Bistro Zinc" in Chicago to join the Idine program. He said he dined there regularly and for months he sent letters to Idine, asking them to recruit the restaurant, and to Bistro Zinc, asking them to join the program.
Sep 12, 2006, 11:30 am
#4
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I have no idea if it helped or not, but one iDine resto I enjoyed patronizing went bankrupt and closed suddenly. Many months later, a new restaurant opened there and I wrote iDine about it, suggesting they might be a likely candidate to approach for membership (new neighborhood pub, restaurant and grill, starting with no customer base, occupying former iDine location.) A couple of months later, it became an iDine restaurant (and pub,) and it has again become one of my favored dine spots.
Sep 12, 2006, 6:26 pm
#5
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Originally Posted by pinniped
Over time, it seems that if a restaurant is successful enough to thrive on its own, it gets out of iDine. I get the sense that the terms are attractive to a restaurant starting up in bad need of cash, but unattractive enough that they want to get out as soon as they can. If iDine is paying me back 10-20% of the bill, I'm guessing that they are taking about 1/2 of the bill as their cut.
Sep 12, 2006, 7:14 pm
#6
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Originally Posted by salut0
Strange -- seems to be that some of the places I've seen listed in NYC are actually quite well established. Do the restaurants get access to information/profiles of their customers as well through this? I would have thought that my information is now doing the rounds among various merchants as a quid-pro-quo for the miles I am getting. Or am I wrong?
Idine is by no means limited to restaurants that are just starting out. I don't know why anyone would think that it is!
The quid pro quo (at least one of them) is that the restaurants get your business as a result of being on iDine's lists.
Sep 12, 2006, 9:02 pm
#7
Join Date: Mar 2006
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Originally Posted by KathyWdrf
Even "well-established" restaurants sometimes need to borrow money. @:-)
Idine is by no means limited to restaurants that are just starting out. I don't know why anyone would think that it is!
The quid pro quo (at least one of them) is that the restaurants get your business as a result of being on iDine's lists.
Idine is by no means limited to restaurants that are just starting out. I don't know why anyone would think that it is!
The quid pro quo (at least one of them) is that the restaurants get your business as a result of being on iDine's lists.
Sep 13, 2006, 6:11 am
#8
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50% cut sounds like a lot to me. sit down table cloth restaurants usually operate with less than a 10% net margin. I do realise that the 10 points per dollar nets out to 20 cents or so.
Some of the restaurants in the DC area have been iDine members for a very long time(over 5 years, maybe 10). I don't see how they could survive giving up 50% of gross over a long period of time.
Some of the restaurants in the DC area have been iDine members for a very long time(over 5 years, maybe 10). I don't see how they could survive giving up 50% of gross over a long period of time.
Sep 13, 2006, 10:48 am
#9
Join Date: Mar 2006
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Originally Posted by slawecki
50% cut sounds like a lot to me. sit down table cloth restaurants usually operate with less than a 10% net margin. I do realise that the 10 points per dollar nets out to 20 cents or so.
Some of the restaurants in the DC area have been iDine members for a very long time(over 5 years, maybe 10). I don't see how they could survive giving up 50% of gross over a long period of time.
Some of the restaurants in the DC area have been iDine members for a very long time(over 5 years, maybe 10). I don't see how they could survive giving up 50% of gross over a long period of time.
- the restaurants take a bunch of money upfront, and have to repay it in time
- the restaurants don't pay 50% of gross payments from ALL clients, just the ones who pay with an iDine-registered card.
Sep 14, 2006, 3:12 pm
#10
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Originally Posted by VIP
If I understand correctly...
- the restaurants take a bunch of money upfront, and have to repay it in time
- the restaurants don't pay 50% of gross payments from ALL clients, just the ones who pay with an iDine-registered card.
- the restaurants take a bunch of money upfront, and have to repay it in time
- the restaurants don't pay 50% of gross payments from ALL clients, just the ones who pay with an iDine-registered card.
Sep 16, 2006, 8:27 am
#12
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 23
No Loan Necessary
I beleive Idine also has a plan for the resturants where no loan is involved, they just get the advertising benifit (additional customers), and pay a lower, much more reasonable rate to Idine.
This is more likely the case for the resturants who have been around a long time. The places that take the loan, pay it off, and leave quickly.
This is more likely the case for the resturants who have been around a long time. The places that take the loan, pay it off, and leave quickly.