Next (restaurant)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Founded | April 6, 2011 |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
Key people | Grant Achatz (chef), Ed Tinoco (executive chef), Nick Kokonas (ticketing technology) |
| Products | Food and beverages |
| Website | www |
Next is a restaurant situated in Chicago, which opened its doors on April 6, 2011. It attracted significant media coverage due to chef Grant Achatz's acclaim from Alinea and its pioneering "ticketed" dining approach, where guests purchase pre-paid tickets for specific dates and times, similar to event tickets for concerts or theater performances.
Location
Next is positioned within Chicago's historic Fulton Market, just north of the West Loop's renowned "Restaurant Row" along Randolph Street. The establishment features two bars on-site: The Aviary, previously managed by Charles Joly and currently overseen by Micah Melton, and The Office, a speakeasy-style bar with limited seating for 14 guests, accessible only via an unmarked door in the basement and by invitation.
Menus
The menu at Next undergoes a transformation every few months, each season highlighting distinct eras, geographic influences, or conceptual themes. Executive Chef Ed Tinoco collaborates with Grant Achatz in crafting these menus, beginning the creative process several weeks before the launch of each new season. Typically, upcoming themes are revealed toward the conclusion of the prior season.
Examples of past and present menus include:
| Start Date | End Date | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| April 6, 2011 | June 30, 2011 | "Paris: 1906" |
| July 8, 2011 | October 9, 2011 | "Thailand" |
| October 22, 2011 | January 29, 2012 | "Childhood" |
| February 8, 2012 | May 27, 2012 | "elBulli" |
| June 2, 2012 | September 9, 2012 | "Sicily" |
| September 15, 2012 | December 31, 2012 | "kaiseki" |
| January 9, 2013 | April 28, 2013 | "The Hunt" |
| May 8, 2013 | August 24, 2013 | "Vegan" |
| August 31, 2013 | December 31, 2013 | "Bocuse d'Or" |
| January–April 2014 | April–August 2014 | "Chicago Steakhouse" / "Chinese:Modern" |
| September–December 2014 | January–May 2015 | "Trio" / "Bistro" |
| May–December 2015 | January–March 2016 | "Tapas" / "Terroir" / "The Alps" |
| April–December 2016 | January–April 2017 | "Tour of South America" / "The French Laundry: October 28th,1996" / "Ancient Rome" |
| May–December 2017 | January–April 2018 | "Hollywood" / "World's 50 Best" / "French: Cuisine Classique" |
| April–September 2018 | October 2018 – January 2019 | "French: Cuisine Nouvelle" / "Alinea:2005-2010" / "Alinea:2011-2015" |
| January–August 2019 | August 2019 – January 2020 | "Silk & Spice" / "Italia" / "José Andrés: World Central Kitchen" |
| January – April 2020 | August – September 2020 | “Tokyo” / “Mexico City” |
| September 2020 – December 2021 | January – October 2022 | “The Fat Duck” / “10th Anniversary Menu” / “World’s Fair Menu” |
| October 2022 – April 2023 | August – December 2023 | “Seafood” / “Paris:1906” / “Tuscany” |
| January – September 2024 | September – December 2024 | "Julia Child" / "Bobbie Flay" / "Charlie Trotter" |
Ticketing
During the period when the "Childhood" menu was featured, Next introduced ticket sales in batches through their website, with announcements made via Facebook and Twitter. These tickets sold rapidly and could be transferred but were non-refundable. This system led to a secondary market where tickets were resold at prices significantly above their original cost.
To combat ticket scalping, Next implemented a season ticket model in 2012 requiring customers to purchase tickets for all seasonal menus offered throughout the year. Season ticket holders gained exclusive perks such as entry to the invitation-only bar The Office; however, these benefits were revoked if tickets were resold. For that year’s season, over 6,600 individuals attempted to secure roughly just over 900 ticket packages during a sale window lasting only eight to ten seconds.
Additionally, Next provides daily "Same-Day" tickets via their Facebook page to guarantee availability of at least one table each day.
Together with Alinea and The Aviary, Next served as a platform for Nick Kokonas’s proprietary ticketing technology that enables dynamic pricing for restaurant reservations. This system evolved into Tock, now commercially available and utilized by prestigious restaurants including Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry and Per Se as well as Daniel Patterson’s Coi.
Awards
- AAA Four Diamond Award
- Forbes Travel Guide Four Star Distinction
- Michelin Star, awarded from 2020 to 2024
- Zagat's 50 Best Restaurants in Chicago, 2017
- Zagat's Best Restaurant Service in Chicago, 2016
- Elite Traveler's Top 100 Global Restaurants: Ranked #38 in 2016 and #41 in 2018
- James Beard Foundation's Best New Restaurant Award, 2012
- Jean Banchet Awards for Best New Restaurant, 2011
- Jean Banchet Awards for Best Fine Dining, 2011