Tell us a little bit about SE Productions.
We launched SE Productions in 2013 and have produced events all over the country. From our brunch festival ‘Bacon Eggs & Kegs’ to our ‘Sumo + Sushi’ concept, guests can always expect that we will bring in great food and quality service. We specialize in food and beverage—our true passion is anything to do with food.
You started the pop-up dining series Field to Table as a way to support chefs during the pandemic. Tell us how this idea got started.
Field To Table was one of the first event concepts we pitched to Lumen Field and the Seahawks in 2020, but the team was focused on bringing fans back to the stadium. [However], we received a call in late January of 2021 asking if we would still be interested in building our dining experience on the field. And in just a few short weeks, we made it happen. We were able to build a safe and unique dinner experience that served many purposes: support our local chef and restaurant community, provide jobs for people in the service industry, and ultimately, bring people together to bond over great food.
How was Tock able to get you ready for the big day?
We have produced many events over the years, but we had never opened a restaurant before. We immediately gravitated towards Tock due to how user-friendly the platform is and all of the features offered. We had less than a week to become comfortable with the platform, build out the floorplan, and get reservations live. The team at Tock spent hours training us and truly listened to our needs to give us something that was tailored to our business. I am amazed with the level of service we were provided during this process—they always answered our calls and got us up and running in under a week. I don’t know any other platform that would have made that possible. When we launched reservations, we sold out much quicker than anticipated. The team at Tock helped us open more dates and navigated the process seamlessly. It’s been turnkey ever since.
Any memories that come to mind when thinking back?
When we first held this event in February of 2021, it was an emotional rollercoaster. Chefs had been serving their food in to-go boxes for over a year with little to no interaction with guests. Field To Table was one of the first opportunities for our chef partners to serve 300+ guests and plate their food the way it was meant to be enjoyed. It was a heartwarming reminder of what the dining experience should be. Almost every single night, we had to pinch ourselves as a reminder that this was really happening.
You have featured a number of notable chefs from the Seattle community—John Sundstrom of Lark, Kristi Brown of Communion, and Melissa Miranda of Musang. How do you go about choosing who to feature?
Rachel, our culinary team member, is constantly scouting out new restaurants and discovering new up- and -coming chefs. A great example that comes to mind is chef Wes Yoo of WeRo. After eating at his restaurant, Rachel knew that he had to be on the Field To Table lineup. To date, his Field to Table event is the biggest dinner he’s ever served. We are so proud of how he executed his menu and are honored to be part of his success story. You’ll see his name and restaurant are all over the must-try lists, and we’re happy that we are part of introducing hundreds of new guests to his food.
We are always on the lookout for chefs that are creative, innovative, and excited to share the same field where the Seahawks and Sounders play. We also like to focus on restaurants that have an important story to tell. For example, chef Aaron Verzosa of Archipelago has a unique mission. Their entire dinner was built around the current Filipino American history curriculum currently being offered in Seattle public schools. Chef Aaron and his team worked tirelessly to create a multi-sensory experience—including hosting the first ever sound bath in the dining room—that engaged guests in the history, art, and influence of Filipino Americans. We are excited to offer the opportunity for restaurants to tell their story on a larger stage.
At the end of the meal, do guests get a chance to score their own goal?
We bring out the footballs at the end of the meal and guests can actually kick a field goal for charity! With a donation of $50 to nonprofit Big Table, you get three attempts at kicking a field goal. This was such a fun way for us to give back to Big Table and give guests a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
How has Tock helped your business?
Tock helped us bring Field To Table to life in record-time. This platform has allowed us to book reservations for a multi-week experience and keep bookings organized. We are able to see, at a glance, if a guest has attended Field To Table before—we even have some guests that have been to 20+ dinners with us! Tock is also willing to implement changes and features based on partner feedback, which has been tremendously helpful for us. It feels great to have a reservation platform partner that actually listens to our needs and integrates our ideas and feedback.
Any particular feature you like the most?
The online waitlist is one of our favorite features. Field To Table dinners are very popular and fill up quickly with hundreds on the waitlist. We love that we are able to fill open tables at the click of a button and immediately alert guests.
What is the future of Field to Table?
We hope to bring this event to more cities and fields. We have a few cities on our scouting list and are excited to further explore our growth to new markets.
Photos courtesy of Field to Table.
