NZ Startup Cracks 200 Restaurants for Early Bird Dining

NZ Startup Cracks 200 Restaurants for Early Bird Dining

28 April 2016
New Zealand startup First Table now has more than 200 restaurants in its network from which diners can get half-priced meals.

The milestone has been reached today, with the launch of the service in the Hawke’s Bay with 12 restaurants onboard in the region.

First Table signs up restaurants who want more patrons in the typically quieter early hours of evenings. They offer a 50% discount to attract First Table users, who can sign up for free and make bookings at firsttable.co.nz.

“We’re incredibly proud to reach the 200 restaurant milestone,” says Mat Weir, who launched the startup in September 2014 with eateries in his hometown of Queenstown.

“In under two years we’ve grown through 15 cities here and in Australia, with an increasing number of restaurants approaching us to get onboard. For them, it’s a great way to market themselves to new clients and create a good atmosphere at the start of the evening. For users, it’s a great way to be rewarded for being an early bird.”

Weir launched First Table after noticing a rise in restaurants offering early bird deals.

“Happy hours have been around since before prohibition and they’ve long been recognised as a great way to get people in the door. What we find is that diners will try out new places thanks to First Table, then happily return and pay full price on their next visit.”

He says the vision is for First Table to become a global platform for restaurants all over the world to use as a marketing tool to potential customers.

“Moving to a new city and discovering a new favourite place to eat is an incredibly satisfying experience,” says Weir. “But it can be a daunting experience too, so our goal is to make it an easy and enjoyable one. We’re also very excited about showing off the best of New Zealand cuisine to foreigners moving here, as we grow our user base overseas.”

ENDS

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