I just started using the inkind app. For the uninformed, use the app at one of the restaurants in the app and receive 20% credit for use at another restaurant (in the app). We swing by the botte happy hour once in a while, tried it last week and it worked perfectly. Then I figured out that costco has $100 gift cards for $75, so I suppose that’s like 25% off. Apparently, costco also runs sales on the gift cards, they’ve been as low as $60 for $100 of value.
Turns out Da Michelle has a $50 off a meal over $150 coupon, used it yesterday along with the costco gift cards for our family dinner.
I’m probably the last to know about this, I sent my kids referral codes and they’ve been using the app for over a year
I’ve seen it but had not known anyone using it until you posted.
If you want to share your (or their) referral code via DM, I’ll gladly try it out!
(My issue with these types of things is usually that instead of choosing a restaurant based on my usual criteria, I get tempted by a “deal” and eventually disappointed. But if there’s an overlap of places on their list and places I would want to eat at anyway, that’s a happy confluence!)
The first time I used it I got a straight-up discount off a meal at a Jose Andres restaurant. I think it was $30. The next time I got a pretty big discount as well. Now mostly I see the normal 20 percent goes into your account to use later.
In the DC area, a lot of prominent restaurants use the app. I’ve only used it one other time, and another time I forgot to use it. I don’t think I’ll get a lot of use out of it, but I am impressed with the ease of use.
I’m sure that’s part of their model, but I think the way it works is they purchase credit from restaurants at a discount, and the restaurants receive the money up front.
I’m kinda surprised at some of the names, the modern is there, grammercy tavern was there (I think), I dunno, worth poking around, I see lore, laut and Kati roll! The modern at 40% off is interesting…
so does that mean you’re coming back to nyc someday?
I feel uncomfortable about these discounts for some reason - why should I let some sort of online platform peel off some of the money that would otherwise be received by the business I am patronizing? I avoid grubhub instacart etc for the same reason. I used the app once when I took my group to the pizzeria. Tell me why I shouldnt feel this reluctance again.
I must say I was lazy and wrong. I didnt read the articles or look at the why from the restos’ situation I just downloaded the app, received a discount and then felt uneasy about it! This does seem like a unique financing approach.
I can definitely see folks using the app instead of not going out at all.
It’s critical that nobody has to know you are using it. You just pay through the app once you get your check. No need to “bring along my coupon book whenever I’m on a date.”
the costco gift cards offer a nice discount, recently inkind had a 43% off in-app credit. also, some of the restaurants offer a free discount for your first visit, I believe una was $50 off first visit.
the financing model seems crazy expensive, I guess restaurants have a hard time obtainng a credit line.
