12 NFT restaurant inspirations
No more pseudo-NFT trend analysis, just look at what's been created by real food people!
Before we dig in, If you’re sitting here thinking ‘hold up, what the hell is an NFT?’ This article has got you covered. https://www.nrn.com/technology/why-every-restaurant-operator-should-care-about-nfts-and-metaverse-right-now
A venue’s success thrives off of reputation and exclusivity, and the relationship between restaurants and celebrities is one of symbiosis, so it’s unsurprising to see the culinary world join the NFT circus. This newfound romance is more than just a flash in the pan, with the relationship burning as hot and bright as Ramsey’s temper tantrums. NFTs are here to stay.
The psychological impetus for wanting to acquire a scarce NFT isn’t all that different from the obsession with “scoring a res” from a restaurant that’s impossible to get into, just ask Oobah Butler.
Chefs across the world are tapping into the goldmine that is restaurant NFT’s as a way to celebrate their culinary journeys by providing the ability to reach global audiences, and create social impact. Marketers everywhere are hungry for a slice of the digital pie that and one of the trailblazers to the concept is none other than Gary Vaynerchuk himself. Wine critic come digital marketer, and early NFT evangelist.
Before we deep dive into our top 12 NFT restaurant concepts, here’s a taster of how we suggest restaurants can capitalise on the NFT wave sweeping the world.
As NFT’s become more commonplace, and we dive head first into Web3, we are seeing an explosion of chefs and restaurateurs pioneering the concept. Here’s a look at our top 12 :
Chefs Tom Collichio and Spike Mendelson officially launched the CHFTY Pizza NFT project with the official “mint” and release of its 2777 unique pizza designs kicking off on March 23, which are now open to public sale.
Our first NFT. Hotman is for pleasure not for war #1. With 100% of proceeds going to @cookforukraine Proceeds will support @unicef UKs Ukraine appeal for children and families fleeing Ukraine. Each edition is £25 : the price of a meal at BAO.
Founded in 2013 by restaurateur Kurt Zdesar, Chotto Matte has restaurants in locations including Miami, Toronto and London. Now, the entrepreneur is selling a unique NFT that “allows the owner the access and lifestyle, uniquely enjoyed by founder Kurt Zdesar’’. Zdesar explains that “This exclusive membership represents our first, but not our last, leap into the metaverse, with perks including exclusive and phenomenal benefits” such as being invited to all future restaurant openings in the likes of London Marylebone (opening May 2022), Doha, Riyadh, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
After infiltrating pretty much every other industry, NFTs have finally entered the world of private dining. VCR Group, a company helmed by American entrepreneur and Resy co-founder Gary Vaynerchuk, has started selling membership to what is being billed as the world's first NFT restaurant; a member's only private dining club where membership is purchased on the blockchain as an NFT and owned by the token-holder to gain access to our restaurant and various culinary, cultural and social experiences. The exclusive club, is set to open in New York City in 2023.
Food has a language of its own, making the world a happier place. Everyone has a favourite food - Chicken soup to comfort you on sick days, or cupcakes that make you smile. Your grandma’s famed Lasagne recipe, or the Pad Thai you crave from your Thailand trip. To celebrate this love for food, GAURAV GUPTA & SUPREET RAJU are building the first tokenization layer that celebrates Food in Web3 - creating an immersive & gamified experience for users worldwide. Let’s foodify the Blockchain !
The fast-craft restaurant concept famous for serving crispy, hand-cut chicken tenders in a freshly made waffle cone – is now announcing its entrance into the world of NFT's. The brand’s ‘Chick'nCoins’ - now available for purchase, will allow holders to secure benefits at specific Chick’nCone locations, and build royalty while the brand continues to expand it’s locations.
The initial collection consists of 1000 chefs. The team consists Chef Tasty, Chef Yummy, Chef Nasty, Chef Delivered, and Chef BTC. Each chef will have their own restaurant in the Crypto Food Hall, with some establishing virtual restaurants on delivery apps. Led by culinary experts and celebrity chefs, you are invited to own your piece of the Crypto Food Hall.
The Michelin-starred restaurant that went viral for serving foam in a mold of the chef's mouth is turning its controversial dish into an NFT. “A citrus foam - was served in a plaster cast of the chef’s mouth. Absent utensils, we were told to lick it out of the chef’ mouth.
Part of this innovation is the swing to NFTs as part of restaurant’s promotional campaigns. Pizza Hut Canada, for example, recently introduced its ‘1-Byte Favourites’ NFT collection, which is linked to the chain’s $10 Favourites pizza promotion range. The NFTs represent digitized images of pizza slices, valued at $0.0001 ETH (about 16c USD) Pizza Hut referred to the initiative as ‘the world’s first non-fungible pizza (NFP).
McDonald's offers Big Mac and fries NFTs—but you can't buy them, instead, the NFTs will be put up as prizes for a social media contest. The NFTs in the format of videos published by McDonald’s will be tokenized by the agency DDB and uploaded to OpenSea, an NFT marketplace. There will be five copies of each of the four works, making up 20 unique works in total.
Taco Bell has released and sold out the first set of its taco-themed NFTs on the Rarible marketplace. Now fans can own their favorite tacos and hold them in their hearts and digital wallets. All profits will be donated to the Taco Bell Foundation to help empower youth to discover and pursue their career and educational pathways. NFT’s for social impact!
Ottawa’s own Brad Miller begins NFT-based restaurant venture
Their idea, though, is different from typical NFTs, such as Lazy Lions or Bored Apes. Miller and Tabit’s NFTs have utility, a benefit to ownership that extends beyond the internet. Miller and Tabit will occasionally drop a special NFT that works like a coupon for free food, whether that means fries and a drink or a burger.
As always the restaurant industry is ever optimistic and resilient, and with the emergence of these early NFT adopters, we are hopeful that the industry is set for a new wave of revival. By dipping our toes into the vast possibilities of the metaverse, restaurateurs and marketeers alike are cashing in creativity for the slice of the digital pie.
Get it while it’s still hot.
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