1.

HILARIOUS!!! What's next, people charging others for saving them a seat? Maybe I should go stand in line at Pizzeria Mozza, grab two seats at the counter, then break out my laptop and post an ad on Craig's List: "Come down to Mozza right now - two great seats for $10!!"

What is the world coming to?

2.

I'm guessing the foodie traveler (whether for impromptu weekend or for business) or people entertaining sudden out-of-towners might be willing to pay a jackson or two for reservations, especially if they don't have to pay for the meal themselves.

But Osteria Mozza and very recently opened restaurants aside, I can't imagine a place in L.A. where one would be hard-pressed to get a reservation with a few days' advance (and some flexibility in scheduling).

3.

What if people book a party of 10 just to turn around and sell it, but never intend to actually GO to the restaurant.

What if reservationists start telling people they are booked out, when in fact, the restaurant is wide open?

I would be pissed if I bought a reservation and then walked into an empty restaurant

This system is horrible for LA. The only places that warrant this is Chez Panisse, Gary Danko, and French Laundry. Possibly, Manresa.

4.

what happens if no one buys? they just cancel it?

5.

I agree this is stupid, but could see it coming in handy if you are an exec assist dealing with a Devil Wears Prada type of situation. Or, as another person said, need to impress an out-of-town business associate. I can totally see how last minute reservations could be needed, but what does this all mean? Should I be making random reservations in the hopes of selling them later, EBay style? There are so many unanswered questions, now.

6.

Hello everyone, Antoine Powell here, I am the founder of TablePronto.

Thanks for the feedback. I've surfed the pages of "Eater" many times and feel honored that my little company has been featured.

I am hearing concerns about our members potentially abusing the service and making bogus reservations just to make a quick buck. The website was created in the spirit of wanting to help those who need last minute reservations. I myself love eating at great restaurants but working in financial services makes it impossible to try anticipating when I’d have time to enjoy a nice meal, as such, TablePronto was created to try and service those who need a last minute solution to the eternal question “What’s for dinner?”.

You’ve beat us to the punch, the site has just come out of the friends and family phase and our official press release will be on Tuesday.

Here’s how we mitigate against the people abusing the service.
-We are limiting the number of sellers in each city.
-There is a limit to how may reservations that can be sold per restaurant per day (3 at most).
-We monitor sells of reservations taking note if frequent sells for potential inappropriate selling practices.
-Only 2 and 4 tops will be allowed for sale.

It’s good to see people talking about the service. I am eager for people to try it out. So for this weekend I have arranged that all reservations will be free to try …….well almost free, we have to charge $1 to cover the credit card processing fee.

Email me at antoine@TablePronto.com with any additional questions.

Thanks!
Antoine Powell & TablePronto Team
http://www.TablePronto.com

7.

What happens if someone buys the reservation and doesn't show up. Does the restaurant find out the name of the true no show?

8.

Hey Rick,

Great question!

If someone buys the reservation and does not show up, the restaurant does not ever have knowledge of the identity of the person who purchased the reservation.

Buyers personal information is kept confidential at all times and not shared with restaurant staff.

Thanks!

9.

Why not just use opentable? Last time I checked, its free, and you can make last minute reservations.

10.

it's not THAT tough to get reservations in LA

11.

Isnt this just a ripoff of Tablexchange.com, launched months ago? Seriously guys come on. I saw that on CNBC, guess Antoine the "genius" was watching the same segment.

12.

No! It's not tough to get reservations but it would be really nice to have a last minute option here in LA.

Who cares which company came first anyway as long as the service meets my needs that's all I care about.

13.

Why pay this idiot to do what you can do online yourself? Many of thise time slots can still be booked on open table today. For free.
idiot.

14.

I really don’t understand why everyone thinks this is so “stupid” or “ridiculous”. So what if there is another website out there that does something similar to this? Isn’t there a ton of dating sites, a ton of job searching sites, etc? It’s the internet and it’s bound to happen! It’s called having options. Just go with the site that provides the better service. Next time I have unexpected dinner plans come up with an important and finicky client (believe me it happens pretty often) I will be more than happy to cough up a couple of bucks for a reservation at a great restaurant.