Covid-19 has changed the paradigm of many industries. In the restaurant industry, it has resulted in a luxury and entertainment aspect. The urgent need for people to socialize has merged with the economic uncertainty of restaurants.
In creccendo’, consumers are looking forlong-term experiences over objects that satiate their short-term happiness. With these cards on the table, the first membership programs in the most luxurious restaurants were born. By paying a certain fixed amount of money per year, which oscillates up and down depending on the restaurant, their diners can enjoy exclusive deals.
Quince Restaurant: membership in a Michelin three-star restaurant
This restaurant that has no more and no less than three Michelin stars has joined the membership program initiative. According to the restaurant Quince‘s website, its subscription capacity is currently sold out, but it gives you the option of receiving a notification when it is no longer full.
Interior of Quince restaurant. Photograph by Dora Tsui.
The fact that the capacity is already full means that the experiment has been a success. Today’s society needs to relate safely, and membership programs not only bind you to the restaurant, but also create bonds between diners.
The membership apart from social relations also invites you to exclusive menus to which you can only access with this, so it feeds the succulent that is to join.
Menu de Quince. Photograph by Joseph Weaver.
The restaurant, whose chef is Michael Tusk, uses a very close collection of products, since they have their own farm. This farm is called “Fresh Run Farm”. Having a farm that only provides products, approximately 40 varieties, to the restaurant and its team is another exclusive point that Quince has.
The Farmhouse at Quince Restaurant. Photograph by Joe Weaver.
Restaurant members receive exclusive boxes, exclusive menus, and visits to the farm so they can observe and see where the products they consume are born and grown.
Price: $5,000 per year, which is about $416.67 per month.
Address:
Omar’s La Boite: a change of paradigm
The club Omar’s also has a membership plan. In his case we are not talking about a catering program, but rather he surprises us with a club membership. This idea is forged through the fact that at Omar’s they don’t want the consumer to arrive, have a drink and leave, thus making the club mainstream. The goal of the membership is to create experiences, shows, and that the fun doesn’t end as soon as the diner finishes the drink. This has managed to distance it from the conventional and differentiate it from the rest.
Omar’s club room.
Apart from the relationship between the club members themselves, there are also closer ties between customers and owners. With the global pandemic, the catering industry has suffered a chaos in terms of restrictions and economy, and therefore, it helps its owners to receive a more predictable economic income than what they were receiving so far.
Seats at Omar’s club.
At Omar’s they are betting on rapprochement. Because of the pandemic we have become very distant from each other, and this can be a great initiative that saves us from this affective-social lack, in a safe way and with all the security measures.
Price: $3,000 per year, which is about $250 per month.
Address: 302 Broome St New York, NY 10002
The Battery: The exclusivity of feeling like home
The Battery is a space that actively proposes a weekly series of plans, both online and in person, so that diners with membership can enjoy it exclusively. There are events that you can access without being a member, but there are other events that are hidden on the website itself and are only visible to those affiliated with the restaurant.
The Musto Bar “Cocktails” at The Battery restaurant in San Francisco.
This San Francisco restaurant differs from the previous ones because diners who have this exclusive access can access private readings and concerts. In addition to its premium cuisine, the club also has a garden, a spa and a gym. This restaurant also has enabled spaces where you can telework, or study, so it plays with the magnetism of “feeling at home”.
“The Wine Cellar at The Battery in San Francisco.
With more than 6,000 followers the restaurant transmits via Instagram its plans for premium members. In this way, all its followers can receive the information quickly and efficiently. In fact, by doing so through this platform, your followers can activate notifications from this account to know instantly when you post new content. So they will receive a notification on their smartphones as soon as The Battery has new news.
Penthouse workspace at The Battery restaurant in San Francisco.
The restaurant pursues compliance with safety measures in its membership programs, and as it says on its website, masks may only be removed for drinking or eating. It also promotes hand hygiene on an ongoing basis. This feature again emphasizes that it is possible to have a social life with all the safety measures.
Price: The Battery membership program is priced at $2,400 per year. Monthly the cost is $200.
Address: 717 Battery Street, SF, CA
All images have been provided by the aforementioned spaces.
