The premise here is that planners have an almost limitless number of restaurants from which to choose for event/meal get-togethers, all offering appropriate function space and plating excellent food. So
what makes some of them burst out of the clutter of other similarly qualified choices? The operative word is uniqueness - in sales training parlance; their unique selling propositions.
Examples of such uniqueness abound. This publication’s readership, for example, is spread far and wide throughout one of the nation’s
most historic regions. Planners need look no further than a few miles almost anywhere in the Mid-Atlantic to find inns, taverns and converted homes to meet their needs.
In Philadelphia and its countryside, think icons of fine dining like the Blue Bell, GeneralWarren and Joseph Ambler inns.
Blue Bell Inn,Blue Bell,PA,owner Scott Dougherty’s restaurant has been pleasing palates and hosting gatherings since 1743. “Following a recent,multi-million dollar renovation,”he said,“the property re-opened,capturing and preserving its incredible historic ambience with exposed and dramatically illuminated original walls and displays of excavated china and bottles,while still offering the food and meeting opportunities that have kept more than two centuries of customers coming back.”
While not“historic”in the same context, some restaurants exude the same warmth and comfort representative of those above,but with a different feel.
Maggiano’s Little Italy, with numerous Mid-Atlantic locations,delivers that feel through OldWorld Italian cuisine, served in a Post-WorldWar II NewYork setting,
18 January February 2016
complete with piped-in Sinatra,Vargas prints and family portraits on the walls.
Steve Olson,general manager of the Maggiano's in King of Prussia,PA, said, “Maggiano’s is devoted to wonderfully prepared, large portion Italian comfort food…the kind our customers may recall enjoying at their grandmothers’homes.”
Unique here is that it’s delivered to ban- quet and events customers the same way it is to individual and family diners: family-style,at large tables that encourage interaction between guests - be they fel- low employees,clients or seminar atten- dees.
Olson noted,“Our meeting space is ample and varied and the company pur- posely designs its new locations with meeting and event planners’needs in mind.”
Along Philadelphia’s Delaware River waterfront planners can tap into another expression of unique at Panorama
Restaurant,housed within the boutique- ish Penn’sView Hotel.
The local (and fabled) Sena family of restaurateurs operates this dining staple that represents fine wine obsession on steroids. Specifically, Panorama is the largest wine keeper in the world,offering diners and event-goers 150 wines by the glass on any given day.
“Along with private dining and event space,”said general manager Carlo Sena, “Panorama offers groups four and five course meals,each course paired with a wine on its current list. We also make available our wine steward or one of five Level One Sommelier-certified servers to explain the libations in as deep a detail as each group wishes.”
Memorable indeed.
While gaming in the Mid-Atlantic is no longer unique in its own right, the num- ber of options for fine dining and unique cuisines it has brought to the table for
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