OpenTable fights for its place in reservation tech

Reservation apps are duking it out. And the chicken tender battles are heating up, too. It's a dog-eat-dog business sometimes so let's get into it in today's edition of The Prep. But first, something we can all agree on: These dogs employed by cafes are just adorable.

On the menu:
💠 Will you be our FoodFriend?
💠 A gift for restaurants this holiday season
💠 What TikTok has done for L.A.
💠 Do diners really hate QR codes?

What we’re keeping an eye on: The restaurant and small business issues that states are voting on in November, from minimum wage to marijuana legalization. 

What we’re joining: FoodFriends, an online restaurant community started by Nabeel Alamgir, CEO of Lunchbox.

Plus: Pickleball restaurants are the latest addition to the "eatertainment" trend.

OpenTable won't give up reservation clout without a fight

OpenTable may have launched the online reservation segment, but it’s been facing fierce competition from upstarts Resy and Tock for a while. Now, the tables have turned. A handful of high-profile and award-winning San Francisco restaurants, including Commis, Nisei, and Four Kings, have been persuaded to work with OpenTable. And the company is capitalizing on the news. Two features — one in the San Francisco Chronicle and the other in the San Francisco Standard — went live on Tuesday, announcing OpenTable’s comeback.

Eater also published a reservation story on Tuesday. This piece featured restaurants that eschew tech entirely and rely on pen, paper and phone calls to keep track of their reservations. It seems the reservation wars are fought on many fronts. 

The chicken tenders battle heats up 

In New York City, a handful of chefs are experimenting with sophisticated takes on chicken tenders; a dish that's beloved but usually reserved for the kids' menu. Take the truffle mayo and sweet chili dipping sauces at 375 Chicken 'N Fries. Or the curry-flavored tenders with Chungyang mayo at Ariari. And chains are trying to get in on the tender trend, too. When it launched a new chicken tender campaign earlier this month, KFC declared the chicken sandwich wars are over, but the chicken tender battle has just begun. (GrubStreet) 

Holiday retail sales could be a gift for restaurants

Restaurants are looking to retail products to boost revenue for the holidays. And for some restaurants, gifts like jarred sauces, tinned pastries and cocktail bitters can be made in-house with minimal extra work for restaurant staff.

Pammy’s in Cambridge, Mass., sells bolognese and limoncello — two menu favorites — over the holidays. “Offering a couple of items for a limited amount of time felt like a fun way to dip our toes in the [retail] market on a micro-scale,” says Chris Willis of Pammy’s. “From a production standpoint, they pull from ingredients we already have in-house for other dishes…This is important because, at the end of the season, we’re not left with unusable inventory, and if stored properly, the items have a long shelf life.” (Plated) 

"I think a very experienced critic gives a lot of context and holds restaurants to a high standard in a way that’s really important in order for a city to be its best."

-Leslie Brenner, restaurant consultant, author, and former food critic, on the power of good restaurant criticism (🎧Maître d’ Diaries)

💠 Chipotle taps AI hiring platform Paradox 

💠 TikTok is transforming Los Angeles’s dining scene 

💠 McDonald’s works to avoid food-safety scandal

💠 Eric Adjepong is opening a Ghanaian restaurant in DC 

90%

Diners who prefer print menus over QR codes  (US Foods)

Thank you for reading The Prep.

We bring you the latest news, trends, business tips and analysis for aspirational independent restaurants. Have a story idea or a business you think we should spotlight? Contact us. Interested in advertising, contact our advertising department.

If you'd like to read more, check out our Hidden Menu exclusives.