Dining Service Offers Corporate Discounts

<I>San Francisco</I> - Business travelers who find themselves in the Bay Area can save on their companies' T&E budgets when dining out without the hassles that are often part of discount dining plans--embarrassing coupons and less than preferential service.

VIP Dining of San Francisco provides corporate travelers with automatic 15 percent savings and preferred treatment at nine of the city's finest restaurants, at no extra cost to their company.

"This is a service providing benefits to businesspeople traveling to San Francisco who might not be aware of the city's fine restaurants and want to keep a handle on expenses," said David Reeves, president of VIP Dining.

San Francisco is known as an expensive restaurant city--and with over 3,500 restaurants to choose from, decision making can be difficult. "Our intent was to distill those restaurants down to the critics' choices for the nine best in the city," said Reeves. In addition to being known for their cuisine, a few of the restaurants are famous as choice locations for a power lunch, for example, or for having the best views of the city.

VIP Dining began as a convention service for planners who wanted to offer delegates a way to negotiate dining out around San Francisco. "It turned out to be a very popular service with the meetings market," said Reeves, "so we decided to expand it to corporate travelers."

Travel managers simply can order and distribute the flyers to their travelers. "In most cases, just mentioning the program to the maitre'd or waiter is fine," said Reeves.

For the participating restaurants, VIP channels out-of-town business through their doors. All the restaurants are, for the most part, moderately priced and located close to downtown. Establishments remain in the program unless their ratings drop and another restaurant takes their place.

For more information about VIP Dining, call 800-214-3463.