What to Look for in an Outstanding Restaurant for a Private Dinner
By Ken Alan, Corporate Concierge for CBRE
Give a Strong First Impression Just as diners who are walking into any restaurant for the first time will usually expect an initial greeting that entices them to want to return again and again, I look for imme- diate cues from my private events coordinator that say to me, right off the bat, “I want this to be one of many future events we’ll work on together.” Relationship building from the get-go translates into future bookings - plain and simple. Always look toward the long term with clients.
Let’s Stay in Touch Without a doubt, my biggest professional pet peeve is a lack of communication by those I rely on to give my clients exactly what they want and place them specifically where they need to be. Sure, I get that we’re all busy, but if a sales director isn’t responding to my repeated phone calls or emails and too much time (more than a day) goes by, then this stark silence is really saying, “I’m too busy for your clients’ business.” Communication is the key.
Personalize Each Event I’ve booked two very similar dinner meetings at two very similar venues, where they’ve turned out having two completely different outcomes: Restaurant A’s staff took the time to find out what the company they’re hosting actually does, and who some of the key decision makers are (so they could refer to them by name throughout the function), plus, they have made sure to copy my client’s company logo on the menu for an added personal touch. Meanwhile, restaurant B got ‘em in, fed ‘em, and then let ‘em go. Guess who’s getting that group back again the next time around?
Follow Up! Along these lines, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve booked a group dinner and then, once it was over, my restaurant contact disappeared from the scene as soon as the client’s credit card had been processed for payment – never to be heard from again. Post-event what I hope for is to hear, “How was their meal?” “Did they have any favorite items?” “Is there anything we can improve upon?” “Would they be inter- ested in me saving this date for them at this time next year?” More often than not the follow-up has a boomerang effect: Return of Business.
Show Me What You’ve Got If I tell a private dining manager that I haven’t been to the restaurant before - even though I’ll never invite myself in - I always hope an invitation to tour and/or dine there will be offered. In my line of work, where I’m booking scores of parties in the course of a week, I’m apt to recommend a restaurant with which I am familiar; one where I know its lay of the land. Out of sight means out of mind, but familiarity and an internal connection invariably equals a future contract.
18 January February 2017
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