SAN FRANCISCO –July 23, 2013 –OpenTable (NASDAQ: OPEN), the world’s leading provider of online restaurant reservations, today announced that it has become the House Purveyor of Hospitality Solutions for the James Beard Foundation (JBF), a non-profit organization at the center of America’s culinary community, dedicated to exploring the way food enriches our lives.
In its role as House Purveyor of Hospitality Solutions, OpenTable now serves as the reservation and guest management provider for the historic James Beard House, which hosts dining events showcasing culinary artists and renowned guest chefs from around the world. In addition, OpenTable is honored to serve the Foundation’s Greens events, Chefs & Champagne®, and the JBF Gala: Women in Whites.
“At the James Beard House we’re continually striving to bring extraordinary culinary experiences to our guests,” said Kristopher Moon, Director of Charitable Giving and Strategic Partnerships for the James Beard Foundation. “The OpenTable guest and floor management solutions and real-time, online reservation capabilities enable us to further enhance the booking and dining experience for our guests while at the same time simplifying our front-of-house operations.”
“We are honored to be working with the celebrated James Beard Foundation and the James Beard House,” said Brandon Bidlack, Senior Director of Restaurant Marketing for Open Table. “We’re excited about the opportunity to demonstrate how our powerful hospitality solutions optimize operations and provide a heightened level of service for guests of the James Beard House and JBF’s eclectic fundraising events throughout the year.”
Experiences at the James Beard House include dinner, brunch, tea service, literary gatherings, gallery events, and a discussion series that support the mission of the James Beard Foundation to celebrate, nurture, and honor America’s diverse culinary heritage through programs that educate and inspire. Diners can book reservations and learn more about upcoming events at the James Beard House by visiting JBF Events.
About OpenTable
OpenTable is the world’s leading provider of online restaurant reservations, seating more than 12 million diners per month via online bookings across approximately 28,000 restaurants. The OpenTable network connects restaurants and diners, helping diners discover and book the perfect table and helping restaurants deliver personalized hospitality to keep guests coming back. The OpenTable service enables diners to see which restaurants have available tables, select a restaurant based on verified diner reviews, menus and other helpful information, and easily book a reservation. In addition to the company’s website and mobile apps, OpenTable powers online reservations for nearly 600 partners, including many of the Internet’s most popular global and local brands. For restaurants, the OpenTable hospitality solutions enable them to manage their reservation book, streamline their operations and enhance their service levels. Since its inception in 1998, OpenTable has seated more than 450 million diners around the world. The Company is headquartered in San Francisco, California, and the OpenTable service is available throughout the United States, as well as in Canada, Germany, Japan, Mexico and the UK. OpenTable also owns and operates toptable, the leading consumer destination site for restaurant reservations in the UK.
About the James Beard Foundation:
Founded in 1986, the James Beard Foundation’s mission is to celebrate, nurture, and honor America’s diverse culinary heritage through programs that educate and inspire. A cookbook author and teacher with an encyclopedic knowledge about food, James Beard, who died in 1985, was a champion of American cuisine. He helped educate and mentor generations of professional chefs and food enthusiasts, instilling in them the value of wholesome, healthful and delicious food. Today the Beard Foundation continues in the same spirit by administering a number of diverse programs that include educational initiatives, food industry awards, scholarships for culinary students, publications, chef advocacy training, and thought-leader convening. The Foundation also maintains the historic James Beard House in New York City’s Greenwich Village as a “performance space” for visiting chefs. In September of 2012, the Foundation launched the Diplomatic Culinary Partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Protocol and helped create the American Chef Corps as a way to champion American chefs abroad, promote American food products and foster an interest in American culinary culture and history through international programs and initiatives. For more information, please visit www.jamesbeard.org. Find insights on food at the James Beard Foundation’s blog Delights & Prejudices. Join the James Beard Foundation on Facebook. Follow the James Beard Foundation on Twitter and Instagram.
