SoupNextDoor Makes Underground Dining Simple
By Anthony Todd in Food on Apr 6, 2012 4:00PM
Underground dining is an ever-growing trend, both in Chicago and across the country. But it's also kind a pain in the neck. In order to join one of these fancy secret supper clubs, you often have to know someone who knows someone, pass an interview, make a secret hand gesture, or get through some other complex and arcane system. A few of the more professional supper clubs make it easier, but mostly it takes quite a bit of work on the part of the curious diner. No more - SoupNextDoor, launching today in Chicago, will make finding unique private dining experiences as easy as making a reservation.
SoupNextDoor launched earlier this year in New York and was quite successful. According to founder Dave Gunnoe, they listed 20 events within the first month in NYC and almost all of them sold out. Gunnoe believes that his service allows smaller, chef-driven supper clubs to survive. "A lot of them don't achieve the size or distribution to get out there. Friends come to the first few, but they can't keep coming every single week, so they need a new venue." SoupNextDoor provides that venue. Users log in to the site and can see a list of all the upcoming events. Each is labeled with special icons, making it easy to figure out which are vegetarian-friendly or support other dietary restrictions.
Another problem with underground dining? Price. These events are often very expensive, and plunking down that kind of money on an untried chef can be a stretch for some. Most of the events on SoupNextDoor check in at around $40 mark, and first-time users get a 10% discount. One brunch event listed for Chicago costs only $25 for a decadent brunch spread that includes a cocktail!
The pickings are a tiny bit slim right now, since the service just launched - but bookmark the page and sign up for the newsletter. You can sign up through Facebook, which lets you brag to all of your friends about your fabulous dining adventures. If you're a chef or an aspiring chef, you can also join the site and start recruiting diners.