You May Need NFT's To Get Into The Next Trendy Restaurant

Being a crypto investor might just help diners out at date night. Here's how. 

Restaurants — ranging from fast-food chains such as Burger King to upscale NYC eateries — are implementing digital payments into their marketing strategies and as a form of compensation. But here comes the next stage. Cryptocurrencies are becoming a way to access quick seating and service.

A recent New York Times article, titled, "The Era of the Paywalled Restaurant Is Upon Us," shares how multiple restaurants in big cities have already explored this route. Labeled "paywalled restaurants," establishments such as Dame in New York's West Village have begun accepting NFTs purchased from the website Front of House. However, this doesn't come without a lofty price tag — Dame's NFTs came priced at $1,000 each, according to The Takeout.

This is higher than even the most expensive bottle of wine (Chapuis & Chapuis, Corton Charlemagne, Chardonnay 2020, costing $388) that the popular seafood spot has to offer.

But for people wanting to book birthday dinners at popular businesses, using NFTs to bypass long queues may be worth it. Some other restaurants that Front of House partners with include Hanoi House, which is located in the East Village. The NFT package of this trendy Vietnamese restaurant includes tokens such as, "Papaya Salad 1" and "Bun Cha 4." They are both priced at $300, but give holders a reservation within 24 hours — in addition to a complimentary drink and a soft-serve ice cream pie for birthday meals.

Another partner, Wildair Donut Friends, has a different list of perks. With the purchase of $100 to $400 NFT, diners can access exclusive merchandise and events (via Front of House). Major foodies might consider this deal to be worth the hefty price tag. With people paying hundreds of dollars for events such as the New York City Wine and Food Festival to get exclusive tastings and swag from their favorite chefs and vendors, there definitely is a market for eaters to do the same thing with digital payments. The food industry will see if this trend will continue to grow in the near future.