Most people think restaurant reservations are about demand. They’re not.
Today, Sammi breaks down the quiet power struggle happening behind your hardest-to-get dinner reservations — and why credit card companies, not restaurants, increasingly call the shots. From OpenTable’s early dominance to Resy’s cultural takeover and American Express acquisition, Sammi explains how reservations became a tool for loyalty, data, and consumer control.
Once you see how the reservation system really works, you’ll never look at “fully booked” the same way again.
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Here’s what Sammi covers today:
00:00 The Hidden Controllers of Restaurant Reservations
01:33 The Rise of OpenTable
03:14 Resy's Disruption
05:14 The Credit Card Wars: Amex vs. Visa
06:55 DoorDash Enters the Arena
08:22 The Bigger Picture: Control and Influence
09:03 Next Episode Teaser
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