Call me old fashioned but this trend in LA [Restaurant Trois Mec] of selling tickets to attend their restaurant at certain times sounds a bit extreme. While it certainly appears to be working for them at the moment, no one can tell if it will continue to be successful.
Miss the time slot and kiss your money and your booking goodbye, yikes!
Hopefully this will never take hold in Australia.
While I do appreciate that bums on seats is what makes restaurants profitable, good service and great food is really at the core of their success. Plus, for many customers the real experience is with the people that they dine with. As it should be!
Most of the local restaurants that I know that have survived the test of time are still happy to fill their restaurant at every sitting. If they turn over any tables that is like the icing on the top of the cake.
Let's leave the selling of tickets to the theatre companies and to go to the movies!