Why DoorDash Will Now Pay You to Eat at a Restaurant

"Access is the main asset," wrote food writer Helen Rosner in a recent New Yorker review of The Eighty-Six. "The product is the door, and what a door! An impossible door!" This characterization captures how exclusivity itself has become the primary value proposition of elite restaurants, where obtaining a reservation represents a significant achievement and status symbol."

"After acquiring hospitality tech company SevenRooms last year, DoorDash has plunged whole-body into a raging war with competing tech companies such as Resy and OpenTable for control over an increasingly scarce asset: seats at some of the most exclusive restaurants in the country."

"We're offering value to customers to discover new restaurants for casual dining," DoorDash CEO Tony Xu told investors in a February 2026 earnings call. "We're also doing it in the form of access- where we're offering reservations to some of the best restaurants.""

DoorDash has entered the competitive market for exclusive restaurant reservations by acquiring hospitality tech company SevenRooms. The platform now offers access to some of the country's most exclusive dining establishments, including New York's The Eighty-Six, an 11-table luxury steakhouse known for its scarcity and exclusivity. DoorDash competes directly with Resy and OpenTable for control over high-demand restaurant seats. Exclusive partnerships extend to other premium venues like Or'esh, The Corner Store in New York, and Michelin-recognized restaurants in Miami such as Cotoa and Sparrow Italia. The reservation service has launched in 13 major U.S. cities including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Chicago, with plans for further expansion.

Read at WIRED