Tock
Tock came out of Chicago in 2014, built by Nick Kokonas of Alinea to solve one problem: guests who book a tasting menu and never show. The answer was prepaid tickets, deposits and dynamic pricing by time slot, a model the fine dining world adopted quickly and wineries followed. Squarespace owned it from 2021, then American Express bought the business in 2024, and Amex has since announced plans to bring Tock and Resy onto one platform.
Best suited to chef's counters, tasting menus, ticketed events, winery flights and anything where a missing party of four costs hundreds. Ordinary a la carte restaurants can use it too, though the prepayment culture puts off some guests, and payment processing fees apply on top of the plan. Anyone signing now should ask directly how the Resy transition affects their contract.
Pros
- Prepaid tickets and deposits kill no shows
- Dynamic pricing by day and time slot
- Made for tasting menus and events
- Works well for wineries and pop ups
- Detailed guest and revenue reporting
Cons
- Prepayment puts off some guests
- Payment processing fees on top of the plan
- Future shaped by the move to Resy
- Narrow fit for casual dining
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