Join the club
New innovative dining club connects Houston young professionals to deals
Houstonians love to dine out. And they love being part of something, especially if it's something that gives them something. Houstonians, meet EaterPass.
It's the brainchild of Courtney Steinfeld, who describes it as "a hip, fun, local membership community." While her target audience is millennial young women, ages 24-34, membership is open to all. For an $8 monthly fee, EaterPass members get "Insider Pricing" at a host of participating restaurants, which translates to 20 percent off the total bill, including drinks.
"The Insider Pricing is available any time with the exception of happy hour or special events," said Steinfeld. "And we also offer Insider Perks. These are time-specific perks with even more value than 20 percent off. The best part is, members can choose Insider Pricing or Perks.
Some of the current perks include EaterPass members receiving happy hour pricing on drinks any time they visit the Original Ninfa's Uptown, or getting $5 pricing on a Field and Tides burger, a dozen oysters, draft beer or house Champagne at Field and Tides.
EaterPass is a month-to-month membership, and Steinfeld estimates that if members spend $40 at a partner restaurant, the membership essentially pays for itself.
She's curated a list of some of Houston's top restaurants, including BCK Kitchen, Blackbird Izakaya, Brennan's Houston, Bungalow Heights, Field & Tides, Helen Greek Heights, Helen Greek Rice Village, Kanaloa, Moxie's, the Original Ninfa's Uptown, On the Kirb, Poitin, Sweet Paris Highland Village, Shun, Tikila's, and Wicklow Heights. Also new to the mix are 8th Wonder Brewery, 8th Wonder Distillery, and La Grange.
Those who want to join can pay their membership fee online and get instructions on how to download the electronic membership card, which they show when they dine at participating restaurants.
"Our Partner list serves as an easy go-to guide," said Steinfeld. "So, we have to be choosy about who we invite in. My focus has been to grow the bar segment with recent additions such as Tikila's and La Grange, which will be available in early March. Now I am shifting back to expanding our food offerings. Barbecue and Italian options are my next focus."
Occasionally, Steinfeld says, EaterPass will host meetups at its partner restaurants, but the majority of the community's social engagement happens on Instagram.
"Members can find our latest news posted via our Instagram Stories," said Steinfeld, who also uses the platform for share news with members about announcements, gift card giveaways, and member features and tips.
Steinfeld has been passionate about growing the business and ensuring good food and drink fits for her clients.
She's also got a special one-month free deal for CultureMap readers. Use code VIP20 to sign up.
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This article originally ran on CultureMap.