Your 3rd Spot, the new dining and gaming concept committed to helping people make connections and foster a sense of community, will utilize a technology-forward approach to hospitality when it opens in The Works in Atlanta’s Upper Westside this fall.

The cornerstone of that cutting-edge vision is the Your 3rd Spot smartphone app (available on Apple and Google Play stores) that allows guests to order food and drinks; choose from more than 70 games ranging from bowling to darts, classic arcade video games and board games; and make connections by way of the Match and Connect feature. This feature facilitates game-centric meetings between guests based on their personalities, game preferences and the type of connection they are looking to make.

“The app is a big advancement in this eatertainment space as traditionally, disparate systems are run in parallel, which puts a significant and confusing burden on our guests and our team. Our goal is to eliminate that friction by integrating those technologies to create an intuitive and efficient user experience that is less stressful and provides for more connecting among guests,” says co-founder and chief innovation officer Doug Warner.

Besides matching guests based on their interests, the app allows guests to order food and drinks and reserve games, making for a more seamless experience. “We like to say the app is the server in everyone’s pocket,” says Warner. “Guests do not have to wait for a server to come to the table so they can order something or bring the check at the end of the night and then come back again with the credit card or change. For games, a separate card is no longer required as guests can tap-to-play right from their phones utilizing NFC technology.”

And while some guests might balk at having to download yet another app to their mobile devices, Warner says the platform ultimately creates a richer experience. “Some people might say, ‘The whole reason I’m going out is to not have to be on my phone! I want the human aspect of hospitality,’” he continues. “And so do we. We believe that hospitality and technology aren’t mutually exclusive. The technology allows the hospitality to shine by allowing our team to connect more meaningfully with guests rather than focusing on redundant, error-prone tasks.”

Your 3rd Spot’s plans to incorporate the latest technological innovations extend beyond the app. In the near future, it will have the capability to accept cryptocurrency as payment.

“We know that crypto is something that people are going to be utilizing more and more, and it has aleady become a more accepted form of currency,” Warner says. “We want to get ahead of that. We already have a cashless, all-digital payment system so it just makes sense. And guests don’t have to cash out their cryptocurrency to spend it.’”

Your 3rd Spot has big plans for another high-tech frontier—the metaverse, the emerging virtual world popularized by Meta, the company behind Facebook, as well as several online games.

“With Match and Connect, we can match people based on interests inside our four walls—but wouldn’t it be great if we could create this safe, welcoming community space in advance, online?” Warner asks. “People can make connections there and then meet up in the brick-and-mortar spot. We think it’d be silly not to plant a flag in that space early. And since we’ve started a brand from scratch, we still have the flexibility to do that.” The company also is developing ways to make NFTs a part of the Your 3rd Spot experience.

“We’re all about helping people, bringing people together and building a community,” Warner adds. “And all these advances are a crucial part of that. We’re really excited to see all of these different features roll out and for our guests to see how they all work together to create this one-of-a-kind experience.”

Your 3rd Spot is located at 400 Chattahoochee Row NW in The Works mixed-use development and is due to open in fall 2022.