Dorsia

Dorsia operates a members-only mobile application through which approved members book reservations at high-demand restaurants and nightlife venues and access invite-only cultural events. Prospective members download the "Dorsia Members Club" app from the Apple App Store and complete an application that the company's membership team reviews, with referrals from existing members given priority. Bookings are confirmed by prepaying a locked-in minimum spend, which is applied in full to the final bill; the minimum spend is set by a supply-and-demand pricing model that factors in urgency, timing, availability and periods of high demand, and any spend above the minimum is settled at the end of the meal along with tax and gratuity. Tables typically open 30 days ahead of the reservation date, and members can submit custom requests for times, dates or party sizes not shown, with a credit-card pre-authorization released if the restaurant declines.

The platform layers a loyalty currency called Fun Coupons, priced at 100 Fun Coupons per US dollar, which are credited to a member's Dorsia Wallet monthly or quarterly depending on tier, are spendable on anything bookable in the app, and expire on a use-it-or-lose-it basis (30-day drops with 90 days of validity for Premium; a single upfront drop valid 12 months for Premium Plus). Cancellation rules return 100% of the minimum spend as Dorsia credit when cancelled 8 or more hours before the booking, 50% inside 8 hours, and nothing for no-shows, subject to venue-specific windows. A member code of conduct requires the named member to attend, prohibits transferring, selling or trading reservations, penalizes chronic lateness and requires adherence to venue dress codes. Beyond dining, the company has moved into events, and press coverage reports a patented payment feature, Dorsia Pay, intended to remove the wait for the bill at the end of a meal.

On the supply side, Dorsia positions itself to restaurants as a revenue-optimization channel: guaranteed minimum spends, elimination of no-shows and cancellations, diner insights and marketing support. Press coverage as of February 2025 described a network of more than 300 partner venues.

Founding story

Press coverage describes Dorsia as founded in 2022 by serial entrepreneur and chief executive Marc Lotenberg, framed around the premise that access to top restaurants and social venues is governed by inefficient and opaque systems, with the company aiming to make guaranteed access bookable in an app.

Business model

Dorsia intermediates between high-end restaurants and vetted consumer members. Members pay recurring subscription or membership dues for access and prepay a minimum spend to lock in each reservation, with 100% of the prepayment applied to the bill. Restaurants receive guaranteed minimum spends, reduced no-shows and cancellations, diner analytics and marketing support in exchange for supplying authorized inventory. Forfeited prepayments (late cancellations and no-shows) and premium tier dues, partly returned to members as Fun Coupons credit, are further elements of the model.

Tiered annual membership fees plus reservation prepayments. Company FAQ lists a basic subscription at $200 per year (noted as increasing), Premium at $5,000 per year including $4,000 of Fun Coupons value, and Premium Plus at $25,000 per year including $20,000 of Fun Coupons value; access for unsubscribed users is to be discontinued. Earlier press reported an entry-level tier at $175 per year and Premium Plus at $25,000 per year, launched in November 2024. Subscriptions are cancellable at any time without refunds, and access runs to the renewal date.

Traction

February 2025 press coverage reported more than 300 partner venues, revenue tripling in 2024, membership applications up 75% year over year, and record increases in bookings, restaurant GMV and revenue since the launch of paid membership in November 2024. The company's New York page lists 53 restaurant partners. Dorsia acquired the city-guide app Welcome and its ChatGPT-based trip planner Tripnotes in 2023.

Latest developments

Following the February 2025 funding announcement, Dorsia has been expanding its city roster and events business, with a Mexico City launch and a planned Mykonos debut in summer 2025. Membership terms have been revised: the basic subscription is listed at $200 per year with an increase flagged, access for non-subscribers is to be discontinued, loyalty benefits are planned for 2026, guaranteed 48-hour advance inventory for Premium members is listed as coming soon, and crypto payment for dues is described as not yet available.