Need proof that Chicago diners have bought into the hype surrounding Grant Achatz' new Chicago restaurant, Next? Check Craigslist. Fans of Achatz' brand of avant-garde cooking are literally paying thousands of dollars for the privilege of eating at his newest outpost. The restaurant operates on a ticket system -- secure a ticket and you're in for a meal. But demand drives up prices, and since the seats are limited, scalpers are having a field day. Recent Craigslist postings have the coveted tickets listed for as much as $3,000 . Achatz proved his cooking chops at Alinea, but he's going to have to put out some pretty impressive food to satisfy diners who ponied up that much dough. Read the full story at The Huffington Post. 

 Just a day after tickets to Grant Achatz’s new restaurant, Next, went on sale, tickets have popped up on Craigslist starting at $575. That low, low price gets buyers two seats at a four-top table with two other strangers. But, hey, there are wine pairings. 
 
 Really big spenders might be more interested in dining at the restaurant’s chef’s table, which features a 16-course meal for six people, including wine pairings. Face value on the tickets—including tip—is $165 per person. Craigslist price? $3,000. 
 
 Most tickets are going for $800 to $1000 for two diners, and include the confirmation e-mail the original purchasers received. Of course, that’s not to say some sleazy ticket broker didn’t make up a fake e-mail address, buy tickets, and then sell them 30 times under a fake name—but, hey, that’s the risk buyers take, right? 
 
 For its part, Next is kind of shirking responsibility. Co-owner Nick Kokonas told Eater, “We cannot help ticket re-sales any more than the Cubs.” True, but do Next’s confirmation e-mails have holograms on them? Maybe that’s something to look into on the menu’s next iteration—Bangkok 2312, anyone? 
 
 Editor's note: Kokonas commented on this article (see below) and noted that, "Actually, the entirety of my comment to them was that we do not want scalping, that we require confirmation of BOTH parties – buyer beware -– and that we will not honor tickets that have not confirmed the sale with us. THEN I said that I wish I could stop it but we cannot legally do so any more than the Cubs. The tickets are required to be transferable by law for face value. We are not shirking responsibility -- we are trying hard to ensure that the tickets are real, which is all we can do. When we can send holograms by email, let me know." Fair enough, Nick. Thanks for commenting! 

 Having trouble getting tickets to Grant Achatz's new Chicago restaurant, Next? You could try Craigslist, where there's a hot black market trade in tables going on. Of course, you'll end up paying a lot more than if you just went through the restaurant, but hey! Grant Achatz doesn't open a new restaurant every day. 
 
 The official prices for Next vary depending on what time you make your reservation, but are around $85 per person for the current menu (plus wine, tax and gratuity). The resale prices, on the other hand, can be anywhere from a $500 mystery reservation to a $3,000 ticket for six to the "kitchen table," which features an expanded 16 course meal. The average ticket seems to hover around $1,000 for a table for two. 

 Grant Achatz's Next Restaurant just opened and already tickets have popped up on Craigslist and eBay, selling from $500 to $3000. Co-owner Nick Kokonas told Eater Chicago that he was "surprised how quickly" tickets showed up. 
 
 We're not. For those lucky enough to score reservations, certainly some of them must have had the intention to re-sell their tickets all along, especially with the potentially high profit margins. The crop of Craigslist tickets range in perceived value, as some include wine pairings, while the $3000 ticket advertises the much-coveted chef's table. Original ticket prices are as low (relatively speaking) as $85 per person. (This whole secondary market for Next tickets makes us wonder: does food taste better when you know you'll never be able to have it again?) 
 
 The jury is out on whether this ticketing system will be a successful reservation concept, even for such a high-demand, rotating-concept restaurant (read more about the concept here, here, here and here). With tickets selling for such high prices, the process currently seems to favor those who are willing and able to spend top dollar to secure a seat. Kokonas tells the AV Club that they are not encouraging scalping and Next requires the confirmation of both parties of any ticket transfers. "I wish I could stop it but we cannot legally do so any more than the Cubs," he says. 
 
 Clearly hearing it from those who sense their chances of enjoying the 3-month Escoffier run at Next dwindling, Achatz echoed this same messaging over Twitter on Friday: 
 
 So, just think of Next as sort of a perpetual World Series! Games every night, new teams every three months.
– Want to eat at Next, the highly anticipated new restaurant from top Chicago chef Grant Achatz? Then expect to pay quite a bit for the experience. Unless you can snag your own ticket (which isn't cheap at $85 per person), a ticket bought on Craigslist or eBay will set you back $500 to $3,000, Slashfood notes. The difference in prices for the scalped tickets can be explained by what options they include, the Huffington Post reports: Some include wine pairings, while the most expensive are at the chef's table. Eater notes that the average ticket price seems to be around $1,000 for a two-person table. Co-owner Nick Kokonas tells the AV Club the restaurant doesn't encourage scalping and adds, "I wish I could stop it but we cannot legally do so any more than the Cubs."