$1,000 NFT VIP Dining Experience Causes Controversy

While they might seem like an unlikely combination, the world of restaurants and NFTs are fast becoming commercial companions. The most famous examples of this are probably the restaurants that have been opened by NFT owners such as Snoop Dogg that leverage the image and likeness of popular assets. 

From meals named after popular NFTs to decor that pays tribute to the metaverse, NFT enthusiasts and foodies alike are able to get their fix. But even as NFTs are becoming a part of our eating experience, not all the responses are positive. 

Take Dame, a New York-based restaurant that launched an NFT which offered entry to an “Affable Hospitality Club” which promised holders access to its services without needing a reservation. Soon after this NFT offering was made public, it drew criticism from social media users and sparked discussion about NFT use, in general.

Dame Takes a Hit 

According to screenshots shared on Twitter, the Greenwich Village-based restaurant offered the $1,000 NFTs as a way to get around needing reservations. The usual procedure, the page says, would be to book online 12 weeks in advance or physically appear at the restaurant on Mondays to get a reservation form. 

By using the NFTs, patrons could skip all of this and get access to tables that would be booked 24 hours in advance. 

“If showing up on a Monday sounds too exhausting, you can also just buy an NFT that allows preferential booking (not kidding),” the page says. 

Apparently, this isn’t a new development per se as several other high-profile restaurants in New York are also offering these sorts of NFT benefits. But the internet wasn’t having it, with several users declaring this as a cash grab. 

“i will bravely say it: nyc restaurant reservation culture has gone too far,” said Journalist Maya Kosoff on Twitter. Others agreed with her, questioning the value of this sort of project. 

But while the internet took the chance to dunk on NFTs as usual, there is something to be said for this. According to Front of House, an NFT company that is selling these assets, a table at Dame is one of the most coveted in the city. 

After all, there must be a reason why the restaurant can afford to have such stringent conditions for getting a table; clearly, there is a lot of demand for it. Also, many restaurants and other establishments have paid membership programs and passes that let people skip the line. 

All things considered, what Dame is doing is simply putting an NFT twist on things. 

NFTs are Served!

All the internet debate aside, this shows that NFTs are being more utilized in the restaurant industry even beyond themed restaurants. Soon, many of us could be buying NFTs as membership passes for our favourite establishment and this is just another use case for them. 

If Dame and other restaurants like it continue with this NFT revolution, this could very well be a possibility.