Courier Post – May 7, 2003

Online sites give discounts to diners, exposure to eateries

By EILEEN SMITH
Courier-Post Staff
CHERRY HILL

Dining out is even more appetizing when the patron also is savoring a good deal.

Web sites offering discounts and gift certificates can slice the cost of eating at many restaurants. The biggest site is Restaurant.com, with more than 110 member venues in the Greater Philadelphia area.

One is Amea, a cozy spot focusing on fresh, Mediterranean cuisine at Village Walk on Route 70.

"The industry has been slow lately and this has helped a lot," said owner-chef Eric Gantz. "People buy a gift certificate and try us out - or they give them as gifts and more new people come."

Still, there was an initial downside for Gantz amid the consumer glee. The restaurateur learned there really is a free lunch - and patrons were using their gift certificates to eat it at Amea.

So Gantz refined the rules. Certificates can't be redeemed at lunch, on Saturday nights and on holidays. Similar restrictions apply at most Restaurant.com members.

There are two ways to obtain discounts, said Steve Savad, marketing director of Long Island, N.Y.-based Restaurant.com. Patrons can take the easy route and go directly to the Web site to get a 50 percent break on a gift certificate. There is a 50 cent transaction fee.

Adventurous types can take their chances on eBay and bid on certificates, which frequently go for less than half price.

"If you're heading out to dinner, it makes sense to just print one from Restaurant.com," Savad said. "But if you can wait until the end of the auction, you can get a great deal on eBay."

Another site, DinnerBroker.com, operates under a strategy of supply and demand. At the Mad Batter in Cape May, one of more than 275 member restaurants, patrons get a 10 percent discount by making an online reservation for an off-peak time, such as 5 p.m. But the diner pays a $10 premium to reserve a table at a prime time, such as 7:30 p.m.

Copyright 2003 Courier-Post.