New Year's partiers are spending big bucks for dinner near the iconic Times Square ball drop
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- You won't find any Dollaritas here.
- Applebee's locations in New York's Times Square are charging hundreds for New Year's Eve bashes.
- Nearby restaurants, hotels, and lounges are also selling pricey tickets for parties to ring in 2024.
Eatin' good in the neighborhood will cost these New Year's Eve revelers a whole lot.
With 2024 around the corner, restaurants in New York City's Times Square are selling pricey packages for exclusive celebrations marking the new year.
Applebee's, which has two locations in Times Square, sold tickets starting at $650 a pop for its New Year's Eve celebration, The New York Post earlier reported. Ball Drop, the event's producer, said tickets have sold out as of Wednesday, but the priciest ticket was $850, as it uses a dynamic pricing model.
A ticket to the party at the 42nd Street Applebee's includes a buffet, passed appetizers, an open hour, DJ, champagne toast at midnight, and a street-level view of the city's famous ball drop.
Passed appetizers include ceviche, boneless wings, and empanadas, while the buffet dinner includes sirloin, salmon, pasta primavera, and more. There are also sides like mashed potatoes and breadsticks, as well as assorted desserts.
Other chain restaurants in the ball drop vicinity are also hosting their own New Year's fêtes.
A Times Square Olive Garden is selling $450 tickets that also include a buffet, open bar, DJ, and champagne toast, though a view of the ball drop isn't guaranteed.
A similar package at seafood restaurant Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., which also doesn't promise a view of the Times Square ball, costs a whopping $1,015 per person.
Local hotels and lounges in the area are also offering their own party packages. Among the splashier options are rooftop party tickets at the luxury Knickerbocker Hotel, which range from $1,395 to $3,995 apiece, and spots at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square, which offers options from $1,350 for general admission all the way up to $12,500 for a VIP couple's package.
For those not willing to ring in the new year in debt, consider marking the iconic ball drop the cheaper way: just watch it on TV.