Holiday Parties in NYC Resturants
It's that time of year where companies take to the streets of NYC to hold that perfect holiday event. Whether it's a lunch or a dinner or a full-on party, the holidays mean big business for venues. At work, I've been tasked with finding a restaurant for a party of 14 to celebrate a holiday team lunch. Funny enough, my friends have also asked me for suggestions on where they should hold their holiday event. So I thought I'd write about my process in choosing an ideal restaurant location.
Budget - How much do have to spend on each person? For some companies, December is when the money runs dry and holiday festivities are limited, if not cancelled. For others, no expense is spared - private venue, open bar, dancing light shows and costumed elf servers are just the beginning. It's important to know what budget you've got to work with so that you don't upset the top execs or your group. A moderate budget of $40 - $65 could be a lunch outing whereas $100+ per person sounds like dinner with drinks. Not to sound basic, I would take the budget and divide it by the number of people to accommodate. Then I'd take a look at the cost of the menu and factor in the cost of at least 2 drinks per person at $15 per drink (NYC is expensive!). Also, don't forget to take note of taxes and tipping when figuring out your cost per person...the venue will have no problem advising you of either one.
Location - In theory, it is ideal to hold your holiday event near the location of the office or at least a location easy to get to via subway from your office. My team prefers something within walking distance but was willing to get on the 6 line to any stop where the venue was a short distance away. A friend of mine wanted a place in the city that was easy to get to from Jersey City, where his office is based. Think of the office as "home base" for your group because they know how to get there AND get home from there.
Menu - I have a friend who loves Italian cuisine. Whenever we go out to eat and I choose the restaurant, I look for anything Italian - rustic, farm to table, molecular gastronomic - doesn't matter so long as it resembles an Italian dish. While you may be a die hard sushi fan, your group may not. So when choosing your restaurant or even your catering menu, it is about them - not you. As I mentioned, I'm searching for a restaurant for our holiday team lunch. One of my colleagues is lactose intolerant so Italian or even a pizzeria will not work for us. I like looking at menus on the restaurant's Web site or on OpenTable to get a sense of variety. Are there at least two option on the menu that are vegetarian? Try to think about the dietary needs of your group or just ask them ahead of time. It will make the event much more enjoyable.
Regarding the menu, some restaurants may require you to have a prix-fixe menu and dine in a private room if you have a large group. Don't feel locked in to this option if you have a group of 20 or less. Ask the restaurant if there's room in the main dining room where your group order a la carte. It never hurts to ask!
Reserve Ahead - I strongly recommend you make reservations one to two months ahead of the holiday season, otherwise you'll find a lot of closed doors. If you're not sure about the budget, ask anyway and make the the point that it's difficult to book any venue a week before the holiday event date.
This year, I've noted a few restaurants that were bought out for a company event in NYC. Just some ideas to consider for this year or the next year:
The Ainsworth Midtown - http://theainsworth.com/midtown
Barbounia - http://barbounia.com/
Catch Restaurant - http://catchrestaurants.com/catchnyc/
Craftbar - http://www.craftbarnyc.com/
Bryant Park Grill - http://arkrestaurants.com/bryant_park/
Whatever you do, enjoy yourself this holiday season!
~T~
