Income Tax, a 55-seat neighborhood bistro in Chicago, has found a way to draw diners past the by-the-glass wine menu for a look at the extensive full-bottle list. The secret is letting them share the bottle with other customers.
The restaurant, which opened late last year, doesn’t call out the bottle-sharing program on the menu. But servers tell each table about it, and a growing number of customers are taking advantage of it. Essentially, they pay for half the bottle, and the rest is up for sale by the glass.
“You’re not forcing people to commit,” says Income Tax general manager Collin Moody. “It allows them to take a test run and we can be trusted in our recommendations, which builds trust.”
Here’s a look at how Income Tax’s program works.