The super-secret Usher app has been helping a tight-lipped clique of well-connected bon vivants sidestep the restaurant reservation process for several weeks now. Rumor has it that some of the early adopters may not be able to go back to living without it.  

The homegrown hospitality aid launched in “stealth mode” — a closely guarded roll-out extended to “influential” people in D.C., including an undisclosed number of Capitol Hill denizens — in early September.  

“My boss says it’s like the Uber of restaurants,” our tipster shared. “He says that he was initially skeptical, but hasn’t used OpenTable or Yelp since.”  

Per the tipster, Usher somehow enables users to “get access to exclusive clubs/restaurants without a reservation.”  

Team Usher declined to comment on how many people have enrolled in the stealth cohort or which local restaurants have embraced the line-cutting program. But the clandestine company sounds like it’s almost ready to come out of its shell.  

“Service is throughout D.C. with the intention to expand soon after public launch,” an Usher aide shared via email. Those who attempt to sign up now are immediately alerted that the VIP ranks have been filled until the beta testing officially begins. The Usher aide said that us little people could get a taste of the action early as this January — or not.  

“The public launch will not happen until our team and our investors are comfortable with our ability to quickly expand outside of the D.C. market,” the Usher aide warned.  

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