The Meet and Eat

Business dining is more than just another night out—the intimacy of eating together can build trust and loyalty. In a lot of ways, doing business over dinner is a kind of courtship: You can woo and impress clients, develop relationships, and celebrate sealing the deal.

If most of your meals are eaten in front of the TV, in the car, or with your kids, the idea of hosting a business dinner might ruin your appetite. But we’ve talked to some local restauranteurs and etiquette experts to bring you some do’s and don’ts of business dining.

Before You Book

Restaurants can work with you to plan a meal down to the timed arrival of after-dinner coffee, but there are some things you should do before you call. Michael Gentile, the general manager at D’Amico Cucina in Minneapolis, suggests asking coworkers to recommend a restaurant if you don’t already have one in mind. “Consider the reputation of the restaurant,” he advises. “Ask colleagues about places where they’ve had good business dinners.”

Nicole Arnfelt, who manages private dining at the Minneapolis restaurant La Belle Vie, recommends setting the date and size of the dinner party as soon as possible. This allows the restaurant to start the planning process with some degree of certainty. Although it sounds like a no-brainer, make sure the dinner is set for a time that’s good for you. Showing up late to a dinner that you are hosting makes a bad impression, to put it mildly.

Arnfelt and Gentile both stressed the importance of setting the budget. If you have a restricted budget or you want to create a very specific menu to showcase a restaurant’s specialty, work with the manager to select a special menu.

Consider your guests’ food allergies and restrictions as you plan the dinner. Susan Marino, of the Etiquette Center in Richland Center, Wisconsin, suggests giving the guests a choice of at least two restaurants. “In that way the guest can immediately offer ‘Seafood is not my favorite.’ Or ‘I’m a vegetarian.’ Or ‘I need to tell you that I have an allergy to beef.’ Or ‘I don’t care for Chinese food.’ Yes, a guest does have the responsibility for this.” Teri Gustafson of the Protocol School of Minnesota in Shoreview suggests simply asking the guests if they have any food restrictions. If you are pre-selecting a menu for a group, keep in mind that many people nowadays expect a vegetarian option.

Before the Guests Arrive

Plan on getting to the restaurant early. Check in with the on-site host or staff to make sure everything is going according to plan. Now is a good time to give them your credit card, so that there’s no need for the bill to be brought to the table.

Be dressed appropriately. This means business attire. Not casual, not business casual—business. “If the purpose [of the dinner] is business, all must dress in business attire,” Marino says. “The host should always dress according to the purpose of the meal and the level of the restaurant. Even if the guest arrives dressed casually, if the host is in appropriate business attire, it sends the signal that business will be conducted.”