Travis Lowry never thought he could snag a table at Strip-T's last minute. So, he made a reservation for six two months in advance. The problem? He then had to cancel that reservation last minute, wearily well aware he was putting the Watertown favorite in a tough spot.
"I probably really burned them," the Tufts alumnus acknowledged.
Flash forward a few months, however, and what Lowry did was actually make matters more convenient for the restaurant revelers in need of a table at an upscale spot the day-of.
Lowry partnered with fellow Tufts alumnus Conor Clary to launch Soon Spoon, a Web-based service notifying interested foodies of unexpected restaurant openings around Greater Boston. To Lowry, the goal is to "promote spontaneous dining at a restaurant." The ability Soon Spoon has to serve the city's procrastinators, though, is undeniable. What was once a forgotten promise to a significant other suddenly transforms into a reservation at one of Boston's best restaurants.
The incentives even add up for individuals not necessarily looking to dine out on a specific night. If they have selected restaurants of interest to them, Soon Spoon will send a text message or email whenever an opening arises. Users can also track availability on Twitter, if they're reluctant to sign up for notifications.
Lowry said Soon Spoon has already raised $90,000 from an impressive list of investors, including Ian Tzeng, managing director at L.E.K. Consulting; Will Crawford, head of Fitbit's Boston office; financial writer Andrew Tobias; Paul Grossinger, member of New York Angels; and Liz Roberts, member of 37 Angels and the Pipeline Fellowship. With that money raised, Lowry and Clary spent three months just talking to restaurants to try and understand how hospitality works.
"We're a technology second and hospitality first," Lowry explained.
Soon Spoon, currently based out of the Seaport District's Space with a Soul, will go live in mid-February with roughly 15 upscale restaurants in tow, including Strip-T's, Journeyman in Union Square, Farmstead Table in Newton and Lineage in Brookline. Lowry describes the participants as "small, very creative type restaurants," also referring to why he chose to start Soon Spoon in Boston.
"Boston is very special in that there's a really high density of chef-influenced restaurants," Lowry explained. "There's a culture of innovation. These owners are super willing to work with technology and work with a young company like us."
By the end of 2014, Soon Spoon is expected to be featuring "a small group of elite restaurants" in New York City, Miami, Chicago and Las Vegas, which Lowry admitted will likely require another round of financing.
"There's just a lot of missed opportunities for spontaneous dining," Lowry said.
And Soon Spoon is prepared to capitalize on them.
