Pay for customers, not promises with BEST RESTAURANTS
The only customer acquisition tool in New Zealand that charges you only when you get a customer.
From big celebrations to casual catch-ups, New Zealanders love gifting a dining gift card
Growing 30% YoY, these could be your diners; and they typically spend 2-3 times the gift card value, which translates to boosting cover spend.
Reach more of the right diners, and convert them when intent is highest
- Drive foot traffic by showcasing unmissable specials to hungry diners.
- Promote Specials & Events by putting your promos in front of guests who are looking for fun.
- Book private functions by connecting with customers actively looking for venues on our platform.
- Capture already spent money with our gift cards, corporate rewards, loyalty redemptions that you can’t access with paid ads or SEO.
- No customer, no fee and no catch.
Create and Sell Experiences
Design unique, high margin moments and sell them directly through Best Restaurants.
- Package set menus or 2-3 course dinners, chef’s table’s, tasting flights & pairings, long lunches, master classes, private dining packages or even dinner for 2. You name it, we sell it, because it makes a great gift.
- Control booking windows, blackout dates and lead times. I’m hearing perfect for mid-week diner boost!
- Get featured in our Experiences tab, occasion pages (birthday, anniversary, corporate), email and social (for free, sshhh).
Our badges speak for us
Our active customer base is ready to spend – you might be surprised at just how much.
Diners typically spending between two and three times the card’s value on each visit.
Revenue Story (why gift cards matter)
- We boast the highest gift card value in the gift card industry - $190; 2-3x of that, you do the math.
- We don’t rely on discounting your offering to send you customers like other programs; that’s a race to the bottom and conditions the customers to wait for your deals. We are the deal.
- You can track every single customer you get through Best Restaurants, every single one of them.
- We also throw in multiple layers of free advertising across Instagram reels, EDMs, collaborations, influencer coverages and editorials – when your brand shines, we shine.
- The Best part – no lock-in contracts – that’s how confident we are.
How it Works
- Apply - Tell us about your venue.
- Onboard - We set up your listing, train you for gift card acceptance, and range experiences (optional).
- Go live – Appear across our website, email, social, and marketing channels.
- Welcome high intent diners – Attract corporate, loyalty and gift card customers, looking to spend their card; promote events & specials.
- Track results - see exposure and redemptions in your fortnightly reports.
What You Get (Inclusions)
- Premium listing with imagery, features, description, contact and booking links.
- Create & sell experiences through set menus, chef’s tables, tastings, master classes, private dining packages and more.
- Gift card acceptance via physical and digital Best Restaurants gift cards.
- Corporate exposure through our corporate clients.
- Access an intentional foodie audience via our website, email marketing and social channels.
- Occasion placement on high intent editorials for birthdays, anniversaries, corporate events, Christmas, Easter and more.
- Promote specials & events through our website.
- Take advantage of our free lunch club where we send influencers to cover your venue and food.
- Control how your venue is marketed, full price and without discounts.
When and why people buy Best Restaurants gift cards?
Kiwis generously spend over $20Bn in gifting every year, we happen to be a gift of great taste for these occasions.
Make their special occasion unforgettable with the gift of fine dining.
Celebrate love with a dining experience they’ll cherish.
Welcome them home with a unique dining treat to mark their fresh start.
Say ‘well done’ to celebrate their milestone moment.
Express your gratitude to make them feel appreciated.
Brighten their day with an unexpected indulgence they’ll remember.
Reward your team with a dining experience that shows they’re valued.
Impress clients and colleagues with a gift that leaves a lasting impression.
How we’re different to (and complement) reservation systems, discount apps, agencies, your team and your gift card.
We’re not a booking system, not a discount app, and not an agency; we are a demand engine. We did the homework so you don’t have to.
| Best Restaurants | Reservation platforms (eg OpenTable) | Discount marketplaces (eg EatClub) | Agencies (hospitality marketing) | Your in‑house marketing team | Your own venue gift card | |
| Primary value | Incremental demand via gift cards, corporate & loyalty; occasion‑led | Reservation + diner marketplace | Last‑minute deals using dynamic discounting | Paid strategy, content, ads | Content + socials + ads to grow awareness | Sell primarily to current guests |
| What it costs you? | Pay‑on‑redemption (no customer, no fee) | Subscription and/or per‑cover fees; must pay to rank higher | Your margin; % off the bill (often 10–50% off) | Retainer + media spend | Salaries/tools + media spend | Processing fees; promos to sell cards |
| Audience reach | National + email / social + corporate & loyalty networks | Their diner network | App audience driven by discounts | Depends on spend & execution | Limited to your channels & paid reach | Primarily your existing audience |
| Brand impact | Premium; no discounts; highlights experiences | Neutral; depends on presentation | Trains price‑sensitive behaviour; devalues venue | Depends on creative & ROAS | Depends on strategy | limited to new customers |
| Value for Money | Encourages overspend | Per‑cover/platform fees – doesn’t care about bill amount | Direct margin loss from discounts | Variable; depends on ROAS | Variable; depends on ROAS | Redeemed like cash/ slow growth |
| Works with your stack | Yes (keep OpenTable / SevenRooms / ResDiary | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (we can even promote your gift card) |