Foodie Registry is a gift registry where bridal couples or anyone else can register to receive gift certificates to upscale restaurants. Right now, gift certificates are available for restaurants in Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Denver, Miami and Las Vegas. The website launched about a year ago with restaurants only in Chicago, so it’s grown nicely. I would guess it will continue to add cities.

 

I like this idea of bridal couples registering for restaurant gift certificates. Here’s why.

 

Many couples don’t need half of the stuff they register for. It’s not as common as it used to be for an engaged couple to go from their parents’ homes to their first home together where they need everything from linens to cookware to a vacuum cleaner. Usually at least one of the people getting married has been on his or her own, often both of them.

 

Couples frequently register for items they already have, often to make sure there are enough items on their gift registry to cover most of their guests. This registry for restaurant gift certificates gives couples an option to register for something they can really use instead of a set of towels to go into an already full linen closet.

 

Another reason why I like this idea is that many couples during their first year of marriage are on a tight budget. These gift certificates can be saved to make a birthday or even the first anniversary a special occasion without breaking their budget. It could mean the difference between spending the occasion at a chain restaurant at the mall or at a nice restaurant.

 

I’m sure that a couple looking through the restaurant choices in their city could find a few upscale restaurants that support local and sustainable foods. Registering for gift certificates to those particular restaurants not only benefits the newlyweds, it benefits local and sustainable food producers, too.

 

For the gift giver, it’s an easy idea that doesn’t cost any extra money. If the buyer wants to purchase a $50 certificate, it costs $50. There are no fees. Additionally, if the couple registers for a $200 gift certificate, a buyer doesn’t have to purchase the entire $200. Several people can go in on a gift together and make their purchases separately on the website. Have you ever gone in on an expensive gift with friends and been the one to layout the initial money? It’s a hassle getting reimbursed by the others, isn’t it?

 

What’s your opinion of a restaurant gift certificate registry?