Resy And American Express Reimagine Restaurant Programming For A New Era Of Dining

NEW YORK CITY (September 22, 2020) — Resy, the NYC-based reservations platform used by many of the world’s best restaurants, along with parent company American Express, shares plans to adapt their experiential programming for the remainder of 2020 in light of the current dining landscape and in support of the industry. To continue creating special events that give diners an insider’s lens into the world of restaurants, as well as partner with restaurants in innovative ways, the companies are pivoting to a lineup of out-of-restaurant experiences that lean into takeout, digital ticketing, and virtual events.

The upcoming programming – anchored by brand new concepts The Resy Drive Thru (LA, October 15 and 16) and The Classics Remix (8 cities, October) — utilize Resy At Home, the company’s suite of tools that give restaurants the ability to expand their offerings beyond dine-in, and allow diners to book pickup and ticketed experiences on the Resy platform.

“In addition to creating our own Resy-led programming, we are enabling restaurants to create their own events by using Resy technologies, which unlock a new revenue stream in a time where everything counts,” says Ben Leventhal, VP/GM American Express Global Dining Network. “We are building this new category of restaurant experiences into our product, because we believe these kinds of non-traditional dining experiences are part of the future.”

Resy and American Express have long been advocates and supporters of restaurants and trusted sources for diners, and are committed to evolving with the industry, including when it comes to access and experiences. This evolution includes creating new technologies, as well as collaborating with restaurants on innovative ways to deliver unique experiences to their customers, while also opening up additional revenue streams for restaurants’ businesses.

“Our Card Members have come to expect incredible access and experiences from American Express, particularly when it comes to dining,” said Chris Cracchiolo, SVP & GM, Global Membership Rewards & Loyalty Benefits, American Express. As people settle into this new normal, what makes for an engaging experience is ever-changing, but American Express in partnership with Resy is innovating to ensure we keep alive the magic, discovery and connection that is inherent to our Card Member experiences and events.”

Resy At Home (which includes Pickup, Ticketing, and coming soon: Add-Ons) empowers restaurants to add additional revenue streams to their businesses, without adding another technology platform. Restaurants can create curated takeout offerings for pickup by building a menu in their Resy OS dashboard and customizing pickup time slots. Pickup is fully integrated with restaurants’ reservation pages, so diners see RESERVATIONS on one tab and DINE AT HOME on another. Additionally, ticketing is now available to all Resy partners in Resy OS, allowing them to concept and create their own events, from virtual cooking classes to wine tastings to curated discussions. This tool will be used to power Resy’s Fall-Winter Programming.

Ungrafted, a wine bar in San Francisco, has embraced this new norm and is finding very welcome success. “Our wine classes are more successful virtually than they’ve ever been before,” says owner Chris Gaither. In Atlanta, Miller Union Chef/Owner Steven Satterfield says, “the more opportunities we have to reach people and different ways that they can engage with us, the better off we’re going to be.”

Resy’s Fall-Winter Programming Lineup

Starting in October, in partnership with the American Express® Gold Card, Resy will bring to life The Resy Drive Thru in Los Angeles and The Classics Remix in eight cities, two ambitious Resy-created concepts that aim to reimagine restaurant programming. Each event will offer special perks for American Express Gold Card Members.

“Resy’s investment in programming is part of our commitment to backing restaurants, empowering them to innovate, and being a true partner. That is all more important than ever, and our new slate of programming gives participating chefs a platform to share their creativity and hospitality with guests, even if the format is to go,” says Victoria Vaynberg, Resy Chief Marketing Officer.

The Resy Drive Thru is a first-of-its-kind restaurant drive-thru experience created specifically with Covid safety protocols in mind. Taking place at The Hollywood Palladium on October 15th and 16th, 2020, the event will be a whimsical outdoor labyrinth featuring some of the top culinary players in Southern California including chefs Nancy Silverton (Mozza), Curtis Stone (Gwen), Keith Corbin (Alta Adams), Mei Lin (Nightshade) and more. While in their cars, guests drive from “restaurant” to “restaurant”, each socially distanced, to receive the dishes of their curated 10-course takeout-based tasting menu. Tickets on sale beginning September 28th for American Express Card Members and September 30th for the general public.

The Classics Remix, a new flagship series coming to eight cities in October, pays homage to classic restaurants. This takeout series will have top chefs in each city — Tom Colicchio in NYC, Edouardo Jordan in Seattle, Michael Solomonov in Philadelphia, Deborah VanTrece in Atlanta, Kwame Onwuachu in D.C., and more — take over their choice of iconic restaurant institution for the weekend and create packages that represent a remix on that place’s famous dishes. The classic remix packages will be available to reserve for pickup only exclusively via Resy. Tickets on sale beginning September 22nd for American Express Card Members and September 24th for the general public.

Additional Resy Partner Series throughout the fall include a return to London for a travel-inspired takeout series with chef Margot Henderson and restaurateur Melanie Arnold, owners of the singular Rochelle Canteen, and a bi-coastal collaboration between Chef Brandon Jew, owner of Mister Jiu’s, and Chef Nick Curtola, of Brooklyn’s The Four Horsemen. Despite the physical distance between them, the friends will collaborate on four weeks of multi-course take-out meals that celebrate Chinese banquet dining, available for pickup at their respective restaurants exclusively via Resy.

American Express in partnership with Resy has also curated a lineup of live streamed cooking classes with world renowned chefs, available exclusively to American Express Card Members. Card Members have the opportunity to participate in these one-hour events – which include an interactive cooking demonstration, Q&A with each chef, and a special gift -from the comfort of their homes. All ticket proceeds benefit Rethink Food, a nonprofit that utilizes restaurants to create an infrastructure to feed those impacted by food insecurity, in an effort to create a sustainable and equitable food system. American Express Card Members can purchase tickets to the virtual experiences – which range in price from $50-$150 – exclusively via Resy here.

The first wave of these experiences which included intimate cooking demos with Massimo Bottura, Nancy Silverton, Mario Carbone and more, nearly sold out within 24 hours and have seen waitlists via Resy’s Notify feature. Tickets for additional events with chefs including the Roca Brothers, Mauro Colagreco and Jason Atherton will be available exclusively for American Express Card Members on Resy on September 30th.

Resy has become known for creating and producing one-of-a-kind dining programs in cities across the US and abroad that transcend traditional dining events. Resy events give chefs a platform to cook-outside-the-box, and give diners a peek inside the world of restaurants and the people who run them. Programming has spanned Resy flagship brand series such as The Women of Food and Off Menu Week and partner series such as The Franks’ Backyard Chef Series and Mission Chinese Food’s Secret Special with Danny Bowien and Friends. Chef-collaborators are some of the most prominent culinary figures across the world and have included Dominique Crenn (Atelier Crenn), David Chang (Momofuku), Asma Khan (Darjeeling Express), Enrique Olvera (Cosme, Pujol), Sean Brock (Husk), Missy Robbins (Lilia, Misi), Erick Williams (Virtue) and countless others.

All Resy events include exclusive early ticket access for American Express® Card Members. Diners who have an American Express® Card on file in their Resy wallet will get to book reservations and purchase tickets 48 hours before they become available to the general public. American Express® Gold Card Members will enjoy additional exclusive event perks.