"Do you have any advice for giving restaurant gift cards as holiday presents?" —Suzie N., St. Louis
“Everybody eats,” as the saying goes, so naturally restaurant gift cards make great gifts. There are several ways to go about this, and several options that buyers might not have considered.
First off, restaurants love to sell gift cards, especially during the holidays. They can be the first step in gaining a new customer and always provide a substantial bump in year-end revenue. (Plus, 20 to 50 percent of gift cards are never redeemed, making them a no-lose deal for restaurants.)
Here are seven suggestions, in no particular order:
1. If you know the dining habits of the recipient (or really want them to try a particular place), order the card directly through the respective restaurant, especially since at this time of year many have a "buy one, get some more" type of deal, i.e., spend $100, and get a $10 or $20 or $25 card for yourself. Be sure to ask about such deals, as some restaurants may not otherwise offer them.
2. Many local restaurant groups sell multiple restaurant gift cards that can be honored at any of their restaurants, such as Baileys Restaurant Group (Bailey’s Chocolate Bar, Baileys’ Range, Rooster, Bridge Tap House & Wine Bar, The Fifth Wheel, and Shift, Test Kitchen & Take Out); Fiala Food (The Crossing, Acero); Hamilton Hospitality (Vin de Set, Eleven Eleven Mississippi, PW Pizza, 21st Street Brewers Bar, The Malt House Cellar, Grand Petite Market); MDP Restaurants (Sugo's, Babbo's, Tavolo V, Via Vino); Niche Food Group (Sardella, Porano, Pastaria, Taste, Brasserie by Niche); and OG Hospitality Group (The Tavern Kitchen & Bar, Corner Pub & Grill, The Shack); Tilford Restaurant Group (Tortilleria, Milagro Modern Mexican, Mission Taco Joint); and Kevin Nashan's two restaurants (Sidney Street Cafe and The Peacemaker), among others. Some of the above are offering discount deals as well (see #1 above).
3. Or consider independents with multiple locations of the same restaurant, which ups the convenience factor: 5 Star Burgers (3 metro locations); The Block (2); Charlie Gitto's (3); Crushed Red (3); Drunken Fish (4); Joey B's (4); Llywelyn's (7); Pi Pizzeria (5); Robust (2); Sauce on the Side (3); Sugarfire Smoke House (6); Three Kings Pub (2).
4. Want even more choice? St. Louis Originals, a group of 23 independent restaurants, offers a gift card that’s good at all of them. There's no discounting at this time of year, but the recipient does get a lot of choices—and you are supporting local businesses. Plus, many of the better restaurants in town are members (see the complete list here).
5. The deep discount providers sell gift cards as well. Restaurants.com and Groupon.com, among others, offer both a wide choice of restaurants at major discounts, but restrictions sometimes apply.
6. If the recipient is into restaurant delivery, consider purchasing a gift card to a local delivery service, such as GrubGo, or others.
7. As in year’s past, gift cards to chain restaurants can be purchased at local grocery, warehouse, and drug stores.
And while I should not attempt to influence a gift purchase, I will here: Independently owned local restaurants have so much to offer—on all levels—that local dollars should be spent on them first. Such purchases contribute to their long-term livelihood, which benefits all of us, in every season.
Follow George on Twitter @stlmag_dining or send him an email at gmahe@stlmag.com. For more from St. Louis Magazine, subscribe or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
