The rise of private restaurants

Getting a table at most of the world’s top restaurants is not easy. Most of them are booked months ahead of time or have limited seatings that can only accommodate a relatively small number of diners. A new wave of eateries is making fine dining even more limited. Some chefs and proprietors are turning to private restaurants to control costs and meet consumer demand.

As you might expect, these establishments are not accessible to most of the dining public. Only the well-heeled will be able to devote a large chunk of money on a regular basis to secure a seat. These restaurants operate rather like a country club, only there is no golf, just dinner and drinks. While most of the ones currently operating across the U.S. do not feature world-renowned chefs, that is about to change. Celebrated chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten plans to open a private restaurant in New York City, in the same building where hedge fund magnate Ken Griffin paid $238 million for his apartment. I assume he can afford to pay a monthly fee to be guaranteed a table.

Some of these exclusive restaurants operate on a semi-private basis. The general public (at least those with enough spare cash for a lavish meal) can occasionally snag a seat at the bar or an open table, but in the main, if you aren’t a member of the club you do not get to eat there. While I likely wouldn’t dine at such a place even if I could afford it, I wonder if some of them will try to extend their brand by writing a cookbook or two. If one of them generates enough interest in their food, it is a possibility.