Loading Preparing Cameras

Nick Kokonas

About

Before starting Tock, Kokonas tested a similar system at his three establishments—Alinea, Aviary, and Next. After he opened Alinea to international fanfare in 2005, he was spending $140,000 a year on staff dedicated to managing the constantly ringing reservation line. He was also losing an average of $260,000 a year on cancellations and tables with partial no-shows. Convinced there had to be a better way, he developed an unsophisticated ticketing program in 2010. “I didn’t make all this up because it was exciting to me to build this software company,” he says. “It was driving me nuts.” In 2011 he decided his new restaurant, Next, would offer reservations exclusively via the online platform. Happy with the results, Kokonas eventually rolled over his other places to the system. Since it switched to tickets, Alinea’s net profits have gone up 38 percent, a stat Kokonas crowed about last June in a 6,000-word essay arguing that ticketing was the future of restaurants. The post went viral among avid diners and chefs who wanted to adopt the program. “I was getting 10 restaurants a day e-mailing me,” Kokonas says. Kokonas has a prediction. In five years, he says, the tipping landscape will be very different, with most restaurants including mandatory service fees in their bills. “Everyone is so afraid to be the first to change something,” he adds. But ticketing or service fees? “This is so easy, it’s unbelievable,” he says, eyes wide and hands in the air, as if he can’t fathom how the rest of the industry hasn’t already figured this out.
Videos (1)
What Can You Break Today?
Company Spotlight in Tech
Codal
videos (1)
Keval Baxi
Ocient
videos (1)
Chris Gladwin
Wi-Tronix, LLC
videos (1)
Larry Jordan
Cision
videos (1)
Kevin Akeroyd
Champion Healthcare Technologies
videos (1)
Peter Casady
Avail
videos (2)
Ryan Coon
BCD Meetings & Events
videos (1)
Scott Graf
Rippleshot
videos (1)
Canh Tran
RedShelf
videos (1)
Greg Fenton
KOMET of America, Inc.
videos (1)
Jan Pflugfelder
Broadwind Energy
videos (1)
Peter Duprey
Belmont Trading Company
videos (1)
Igor Boguslavsky
Forte Group
videos (2)
Steve Kreynin
Kamea Networks & Technology
videos (1)
Chach DalSanto
Business Technology Partners
videos (1)
Todd Perlman
ExerciseBuddy
videos (1)
David Geslak
Jiobit
videos (1)
Encompass AV
videos (1)
Pro Material Solutions
videos (1)
Jerry Freeman
NowSecure
videos (1)
Andrew Hoog
ActiveCampaign
videos (1)
Jason VandeBoom
Infutor Data Solutions
videos (1)
Gary Walter
Hireology
videos (2)
Sunderland Coaching
videos (1)
Debra Sunderland
One North Interactive
videos (1)
John Simpson
Scout Security, Inc.
videos (1)
AAron Dannenbring
Savvo Digital Sommelier Solutions
videos (1)
Joseph Sheahan
Addison Group
videos (1)
Tom Moran
ADP
videos (1)
Chris Collins
Clear Automation, LLC
videos (1)
John DeBlasio
Dealer Inspire
videos (1)
Joe Chura
Infiniteach
videos (1)
Katie Hench
Jobbatical
videos (1)
Karoli Hindriks
Nexus A.I.
videos (1)
Phil Alexander
Mediafly
Carson Conant
CALIBR Merchant Solutions
videos (1)
Raymond Siffel
Elements Holdings Group & Subsidiaries
videos (1)
Rick Hammell
Jellyvision
videos (2)
Tom Haley
Earlybird Software
videos (1)
Andrew Parnell
Blue1647
videos (1)
Emile Cambry
Vertex Software
videos (1)
Dan Murray
Peanut App
videos (1)
Michelle Kennedy
Lightstream
videos (2)
Stu Grubbs
Charlie
videos (1)
Aaron Frazin
ObjectWave
videos (1)
Sam Cinquegrani
Label Insight, Inc.
videos (2)
Dagan Xavier
HubTran
videos (1)
Matt Bernstein
Elevate
videos (1)
Larry Bak