I'm a big Next fan, but the fact that selling season tickets at face value forfeits your right to renew is ridiculous. I can't transfer my tickets to a friend if something comes up last minute without forfeiting my tickets for next year? That just doesn't make any sense. I hope they come up with some sort of workaround.

RAB wrote:From a reliable source, email from Next to season ticket holders says:

Tickets for each menu are fully transferable via our ticket transfer system, however transferring tickets to any of the three menus will void your right to renew your subscription next year.

--Rich

Fascinating. The renewal policy is going to give people an incentive to hide the transfer of tickets and, I'm guessing, perversely (since they know they're breaking rules anyhow), risk scalping.

jesteinf wrote:I'm a big Next fan, but the fact that selling season tickets at face value forfeits your right to renew is ridiculous. I can't transfer my tickets to a friend if something comes up last minute without forfeiting my tickets for next year? That just doesn't make any sense. I hope they come up with some sort of workaround.

I'm inclined to agree. Those are the most severe restrictions I've ever heard of being placed on season ticket holders in any setting. And I don't really get the point of demanding that kind of loyalty. That said, given the demand, I was surprised to learn that season ticket holders were going to get the right to renew each year.

Tickets for each menu are fully transferable via our ticket transfer system, however transferring tickets to any of the three menus will void your right to renew your subscription next year.

Jeez, even Bill Wirtz allowed Blackhawk season "reservation" holders to sell off their tickets without such heavy-handed draconian repercussions. Good thing he never came up with something like this! (We can but hope that Jerry Reinsdorf doesn't read this site. )

Does this mean that a person who has purchased season tickets for this year will have first rights to purchase them for next year, essentially excluding anyone who was not fortunate enough to be quick enough to purchase tickets?

Also, I gather if someone is ill, they either have the opportunity to sell the tickets and lose the opportunity for future tickets or perhaps must simply "eat" the cost of the meal.

This system is more complex than it might appear.

Nick had recently stated that this is still an evolving issue that he is giving thought to; the details have not been formally worked out as of yet so anything at this point is just speculation. My understanding is that he is trying to minimize the risk of scalping; within hours of season ticket sales there were already posts on Craig's list of people offering their tickets to the highest bidder. I believe that Next is trying to find a way to enable those truly dedicated to Next to be able to renew their tickets, but weed out those looking to make a quick dime. In doing so, there has to be a balance between making the transferring of tickets somewhat difficult, but enabling those with legitimate reasons to be able to do so. As this is a complex issue it will take some time to sort out.

GAF wrote:Does this mean that a person who has purchased season tickets for this year will have first rights to purchase them for next year, essentially excluding anyone who was not fortunate enough to be quick enough to purchase tickets?

Yes, that has been the message so far - the lucky few that scored season tix this year get first dibs next year.

Kman wrote:

GAF wrote:Does this mean that a person who has purchased season tickets for this year will have first rights to purchase them for next year, essentially excluding anyone who was not fortunate enough to be quick enough to purchase tickets?

Yes, that has been the message so far - the lucky few that scored season tix this year get first dibs next year.

I would assume that there will be more season tickets available next year...as long as the menus are 'normal,' meaning that there is more than 1 seating per night for all of them. elBulli definitely has limited the amount of season tickets that could be made available.


Also, the no transferring rule does seem a bit absurd, especially considering how far in advance you have to pick your tables. Though, I do understand it from the standpoint of eliminating/reducing scalping. Anyone who has dined there before should be able to figure out how to transfer/sell them to a friend, should something arise last minute.

I was just thinking that, unless something has changed, how would they KNOW if you took someone else's reservation? They aren't issuing photo IDs...everything is paid for in advance so no need to provide a credit card...

Unless someone specifically busted you, how would they know you aren't me if I sold you my res???

Ticket system designed to encourage scalping in an effort to curtail scalping shockah!

Getting tickets is like a parttime job so of course people will treat it as a paying part time job!
I thought the ticket idea was cool at first but seriously I miss the time when to make a hard reservation all I had to do is waste only one hour of my time on a specific time and specific date.

So if I buy tickets and give one to my parents for their anniversary, no dice? What if I can make the start of the dinner but have to leave after the amuse? If I sit through it but my tablemates hand me cash at the end for their proportionate share of the meal's cost, is that OK? If I were to purchase tickets at an estate auction, or a bankruptcy 363 sale, would I be able to enjoy the full benefits? Also, do the bathrooms at Next have bidets similar to El Bulli? Are they complimentary? Can they accommodate a fairly heavy carriage, the bidets?

Jeff,

Nice to see you channeling Ted Nancy!

The way they would know your tickets were sold is if you formally "transferred" the ticket to a new owner (on Next's website, there is an option to formally transfer the ticket and put the reservation in someone else's name). If you cut a deal with somebody whereby they give you cash and show up at the restaurant saying that they are you, then Next would not likely know the tickets had been sold (unless you are a regular diner there and they would recognize you based on your name). The other way they would know is if you advertise (i.e. Craig's List or what not) the sale of your tickets at a higher than face value price; they are being proactive at figuring out who is doing this and cancelling those tickets (with no refunds) if anybody is caught scalping.

JeffB wrote:So if I buy tickets and give one to my parents for their anniversary, no dice?

Haven't they said that you're not required to transfer your tickets, it's simply a service to that people who are buying tickets in the secondary market can be assured that they're not getting scammed? Presumably there's enough of a trust level between you and your parents that none of you have to worry about a transfer.

Since I was the one who originally raised the question re. transfers: I'm buying tables from someone (who I don't know personally) who lives out of town & was most interested in dining at El Bulli. I get the sense that long-term subscription ownership wasn't a goal.

I personally have mixed feelings re. season ticket holders getting first dibs on future subscriptions. I'm against it because it shuts out those who were unlucky the first time around--so we don't just lose out once, but we lose out over and over again. On the other hand, I admit to being a season ticket holder for NU football. (And NU does not terminate my seat privileges for gifting or selling my seats to friends.) Would I remain a season ticket holder if they told me I had to reapply with no guarantee of getting the same seats each year? Probably not. But...NU doesn't sell out, either. I might feel differently if I there were a long waiting list for seats.

I guess my perspective depends on whether I'm a "have" or a "have not."

If Next decides to give season ticket holders dibs on future seasons, maybe they should start a waiting list for next season right now. At least then those of us who were unsuccessful--but still interested from day 1--would have some priority over the additional folks who might show interest next year. I'd even pay a small (but refundable) fee to secure my spot on the waiting list.

If all these people bought season tickets, but want to give them away; why did they bother buying them in the first place? The difference between these tickets and season tickets to the Hawks is that anyone can go and buy tickets for most of the games during the season. Sure, there are games that are sold out and people need to go to the secondary market if they really want to to. But for all these people who bought season tickets to Next only to give them away and then still want to buy the next season pass, it doesn't really seem like it's you, who bought them, are using them so why should you enjoy the benefits compare to someone who actually is using them for the intended purpose?

The sense of entitlement with the elBulli and season tickets has been astounding (and yet highly entertaining for an outsider.) Nick has laid the rules out pretty clearly. If you don't want to follow them or feel like your situation is "special" so you should get "special" treatment, eat elsewhere.

Go volunteer at Children's Memorial one Saturday and see if not getting to buy next years season pass because you sold a set off to a friend really matters any more.

This misses the point. Having a season ticket guarantees me a seat 6 months from now. Let's say I have unexpected work travel come up the night before, or I get food poisoning, or whatever. I'm then penalized for transferring my tickets via a system that the restaurant itself put in place? How does that make any sense?

To be fair to these silly consumers (I'm just an observer here too), their "sense of entitlement" likely comes honestly and flows from the Anglo-American system of private property ownership and the reasonable expecations associated with that system that reach back into the mists of time before Internets and black truffle explosions. The flip side is the equally hoary Anglo-American sanctity of contract. It seems like the terms of these Next contracts are fairly clear, if dumb.

I haven't seen this posted on here yet, but a blog I follow has a brief review and some pictures of the menu in a facebook gallery and a smattering of other pictures in a review.

Review and story of how he got in:http://jetcitygastrophysics.com/2012/02/15/roses-in-chicago-experiencing-elbulli-at-next/

Facebook Gallery, for the tl;dr set:https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2366511500819&set=a.2366511020807.89280.1791385121&type=1&permPage=1

Another blog post, with some more commentary on the pictures in the above gallery:http://foodisapersonalchoice.blogspot.com/2012/02/elbulli-at-next.html

So now you can all see what you're getting/scalped/desperately trying to get tickets to, or are avoiding to keep spoiler-free. I didn't get tickets, and as this is well outside the affordability range, I won't be trying to on facebook either. But I am envious of anyone who gets to go.

Josh, the purpose of the system is to not penalize people in situations as you describe. Nick is working on coming up with a format whereby someone in such a situation can "trade" dates with another season ticket holder (without penalty) or possibly sell (at face value) or gift their tickets (without penalty). What the revocation of season ticket privileges rule is meant to discourage is scalping as well as people that purchase season tickets only to experience elBulli with no vested interest in the overall Next experience. Nick has indicated he will provide the details soon once he figures out the best way to allow reasonable ticket exchanges but discourage uncouth exchanges.

79 (now 80) posts and not one rundown of the food, experience, etc. Sad people...sad.

As annoying as these process posts are, and they are annoying (I'd much rather hear about the food too), I hope they at least serve as helpful to Nick as he continues to refine how this all works (I don't know, maybe this could all be split off somewhere). The Next Facebook page is useless for this sort of thing, as it seems like anyone who is the least bit critical of the restaurant is immediately declared a witch and burned.

justrnr500 wrote:I haven't seen this posted on here yet, but a blog I follow has a brief review and some pictures of the menu in a facebook gallery and a smattering of other pictures in a review.

Review and story of how he got in:http://jetcitygastrophysics.com/2012/02/15/roses-in-chicago-experiencing-elbulli-at-next/

Facebook Gallery, for the tl;dr set:https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2366511500819&set=a.2366511020807.89280.1791385121&type=1&permPage=1

Another blog post, with some more commentary on the pictures in the above gallery:http://foodisapersonalchoice.blogspot.com/2012/02/elbulli-at-next.html

So now you can all see what you're getting/scalped/desperately trying to get tickets to, or are avoiding to keep spoiler-free. I didn't get tickets, and as this is well outside the affordability range, I won't be trying to on facebook either. But I am envious of anyone who gets to go.

Thanks for posting, but lets try to keep the food out of the oh so dynamic discussion of ticket transfers :::SARCASM:::

What do you think this is, a food site or something?

Oh, wait...

I fully expect this post to be deleted.

boudreaulicious wrote:79 (now 80) posts and not one rundown of the food, experience, etc. Sad people...sad.

I'm going tonight and I fully expect to rundown the food. (Did I say that right? ) But give me some time.

Signing on again to join and support those posters criticising those who aren't posting about the food. Holla. There's no way we'll learn anything about the food at Next if someone doesn't file a photoblog here on LTH stat, and there are more obvious places to talk about the ticket experience that is such an insignificant and impertinet issue anyways, though it is billed as one of the revolutionary aspects of the whole enterprise but whatevs. Also, still wondering if the bathroom experience is going to mimic what I've read about elBulli.

I would like to post photos and a review from Opening Night but can't figure out how to post pics...

More photos here and here.

Snark wrote:I would like to post photos and a review from Opening Night but can't figure out how to post pics...

Bill,

Instructions for posting pics can be found here.

Thanks,

=R=

LTH,

The unique ticket protocol is an intrinsic part of the Next experience and we feel it's reasonable to allow discussion of it on this thread. Meanwhile, tonight is only the 6th night of El Bulli service. As LTHers begin to take their tables, there will undoubtedly be posts about the dining experience there, just as there have been for all the previous Next menus.

That said, if someone who dines there would prefer to start a new thread, we'd have no problem with that, either.

Thanks,

=R=
for the moderators

I will see if I can figure out how to post some pictures of my meal (I had the privilege to dine at elBulli opening weekend). It was an all around amazing experience. Five hours of creative, interesting, beautiful, and tasty course after course. The staff at Next is truly top notch and really pampers you and makes you feel special. Despite it being such an extraordinary meal though, there atmosphere is laid back and you feel like you are at a dinner party. About my only complaint (if you can call it that) was that there was too much booze. By the the 20th or so course, I was feeling the booze enough that it did impact my ability to focus on and enjoy the food. I strongly recommend pacing yourself with the alcohol (they will fill your glass the second it runs low if it is not time for the next pairing).

Thanks Gonzo70--for both the pics and the description!