Restaurant Reservation Flipping

A college sophomore at Brown University created a profitable side hustle flipping high-end restaurant reservations, particularly for exclusive New York restaurants like Carbone, generating $70,000 in the last year.

Key Points:

• Reservation Acquisition Strategy:

  • Creates multiple accounts on reservation platforms (Resi, OpenTable)
  • Uses different names and voices when calling restaurants
  • Books reservations months in advance at popular restaurants

• Revenue Model:

  • Flips individual reservations for $750-$1500 each
  • Focuses on high-end, hard-to-get restaurants
  • Generated $70,000 in revenue over the past year

• Target Market:

  • Exclusive restaurants with hard-to-get reservations
  • People willing to pay premium for guaranteed tables
  • Focus on high-end New York dining establishments

• Operational Approach:

  • Manages multiple reservation accounts
  • Constantly monitors and books new reservation slots
  • Describes it as "playing dinner reservations" instead of mobile games

Note: The business operates in a grey area and could potentially be shut down if restaurants or booking platforms crack down on the practice.