Why Getting A Restaurant Reservation In Tampa Can Be Challenging

Have you noticed lately that you really have to plan things out in advance if you are wanting to enjoy a night out of fine dining in Tampa?

I was chatting with my friend Meredith from our sister station, Wild 94.1. We've both realized how difficult it is to book reservations in Tampa and specifically, how far in advance you have to plan.

Well, she did a little investigating and found out that there is a website that buys up reservations at fine-dining establishments around the Tampa area and then holds them so that they can sell them. this operation is separate and unrelated to these restaurants. In other words, the restaurants are not getting any side action from this particular website.

Meredith looked into how this has been happening at Bern's, for example. You can book a Bern's res 60 day out, and booking opens at 12:00 A.M. You used to be able to book a couple of weeks out, but now you have to book months ahead of when you want to dine. Supposedly, bots were buying up these reservations.

Here's where things get funky. The website, AppointmentTrader.com, was selling reservations to Bern’s Steak House for $160 a night or more. Crazy!

AppointmentTrader.com put out a press release that said: “Their website was built to make it easier for consumers to trade unused restaurant reservations, theme park tickets or government appointments and allow other consumers to get a reservation or appointment at the place and time they need it.”

Bern's representation responded as follows: “We take this matter very seriously. As such, added measures have been taken with our reservation software company, Open Table, that is actively investigating AppointmentTrader.com with both their fraud and legal teams to ensure that our reservation process is not misrepresented or compromised by any computer-generated agents / bots.”

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Florida's 'alpine snow park' is back for another season. The fun returns for nearly four months. Here's what you can experience at Snowcat Ridge Dade City.

Florida's first snow park opened in 2020 in Dade City. It has since grown, and tickets for 2022 are now available. Ticket prices online range from $26.95 to $42.95, depending on the date of visit.

Here are the attractions you can enjoy at Snowcat Ridge:

Grab a tube and get ready for the ride of your life! You can grab a single, tandem or family tube.

Bet you never thought you could throw a snowball in Florida. This is where you can do it and build a snowman!

Crystal Ribbon, as described on the Snowcat Ridge website, "The Crystal Ribbon is an outdoor ice skating ribbon and beginner oval. Ice skating is the quintessential winter pastime and now you can enjoy it right here in Florida. Lace up your skates and get ready to glide across the ice under Florida’s sunny skies during the day and under our magical music & light show at night! Each General Admission ticket includes all-day access to the Crystal Ribbon."

Eskimo Post, as described on the Snowcat Ridge website, "Private use of a festively decorated 500 square foot igloo for 2.5 hours, for up to 20 guests, with indoor and outdoor seating. Private fire pit that is perfect for roasting s’mores. Unlimited bottled water for all guests at Refreshers: Beer, Wine & Drinks, located in the Eskimo Outpost."

Hungry? Check out the Alpine Village. It features a variety food, drinks, beer & wine. They also have a gift shop to do a bit of shopping, too!

It's also a great place to watch the Snowy Slopes music & light show.