Fodor's Travel Talk Forums

Fodor's Travel Talk Forums (https://www.fodors.com/community/)
-   United States (https://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/)
-   -   Great Discounts on Restaurants (https://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/great-discounts-on-restaurants-435338/)

KennyOB May 26th, 2004 08:13 AM

It seems to me that it doesn't matter if you put in code 93935 or not. It always gets you $25 certificate for $10 or for 50% off. How do you get $25 certificates for only $3? Thanks.

LN May 26th, 2004 08:33 AM

I've used these gift certificates and found the restaurants to be fine but those I've tried were in Annapolis, Baltimore, and Washington DC. A lot of other people are learning how good it is to get $25 dollars off a fairly large bill and if it helps the restaurants - so much better.

I've also found them to be great little gifts - stocking stuffers - gifts to kids at college since a nice meal out helps a lot.

Keith May 26th, 2004 09:02 AM

GoTravel, How many restuarants have you visited using coupons to have made this sweeping opinion?

Particularly post 9/11, almost all restuarant business is down. Many of both the good ones and bad would like more business.

Restaurant business depends on many factors, for example location or the economy. Offering a discount may have nothing to do with how good or how bad the food is.

Have been in restaurants with great food, that were nearly empty and ones with poor food that were full.

Keith

rb_travelerxATyahoo May 26th, 2004 01:26 PM

I noticed that many of the certificates had restrictions, like "for parties of 4 or more after 5pm", etc. So many of these offers may be more a way of filling all 4 seats at a table than that there's anything wrong or lacking with the company. Each empty seat is potential revenue lost, so discounting the bill a little to fill up each seat, rather than each table (often only parties of 2) is a good business move.

TxTravelPro May 27th, 2004 05:22 AM

The best coupons I have used are 50% off the final food bill.
I always buy them on eBay.
The gift certificates were harder to use for me.
BUT, I have used restaurant.com certifs maybe 35 times and have only had a few bad experiences and they were in NYC and were unrelated to the food.
The restaurants either decided not to honor, or in one case I had to hear about people abusing the cerif by not buying enough... hello? the restaurant can set any rules they want.
Anyway, almost all my experiences have been great.

rb_travelerxATyahoo May 30th, 2004 05:13 PM

JJason - just wanted to thank you for the promotion code. I decided to try it out, found a place I visit often anyway, and used the first (of 4 I purchased) certificate today. Also got some for some places I've been thinking of going too. And some for places I know nothing about, but will seek them out in some upcoming trips.

Getting $21 off ($25 less the $4 cost to purchase the certificate) is a damn good deal.

The promotion code is entered on the very first screen ... it was about 1/2 way down on my browser.

JJason Jun 3rd, 2004 07:31 AM

Glad you liked them, RB. I have yet to use mine. do you present them before or after the meal?

rb_travelerxATyahoo Jun 3rd, 2004 10:29 AM

JJason - of the 9 I purchased, 2 require the cert. to be presented before the meal. The restaurant that I already go to (I bought 4 of their certs.) does NOT require presenting it ahead of time, nor any other restrictions. 1 was valid only after 5pm Sun-Thurs, another only after 5pm anyday, and two were not valid on Saturdays and required the purchase of 2 or more entrees. One restriction on any of the certificates was that they could only be used once per month at any given location.

I decided to buy some more, but the promotion code is no longer valid! Where did you get the code? Of course one can always purchase them at $10, but $4 sounds so much better!

Jed Jun 4th, 2004 07:18 AM

This is the first I heard of this site, and when I checked it out, it has many of the restaurants to which we have gone many times over the past 20 years. It sounds almost too good to be true.

Of course, some of the places need help because the food is sub-par. But then it is up to you to check out the places with other people or with guides, such as your newspaper or Zagat's. ((F))

rb_travelerxATyahoo Aug 17th, 2004 01:42 PM

Here's a promotion code for 30% off that should be good thru the end of August:

83500

www.restaurant.com

While not as great a discount as the 60% posted by JJason last May, it's still not a bad deal: usually $25 worth of food for $7 Some of the restaurants that participate we already went to, and we've found some new ones that we now go to withOUT a discount, but each dollars feel so much better in MY pocket!


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 10:30 PM.