How to host a corporate lunch with a view in NYC

All you need to know.

June 28, 2023

The primary goal of negotiations and corporate events at a business lunch is to seamlessly blend business and pleasure. If you're going to host a business lunch, you should strike a balance so that you don't let the meal consume all of the business activities. Additionally, even if the business issues you intend to discuss are extremely pressing for you, you shouldn't let your team or partners go without food after inviting them to a restaurant and spending the entire time in a contentious discussion, completely ignoring the delights of a top-notch restaurant's cuisine.

All New Yorkers love rooftops! Here they arrange noisy parties, romantic evenings, and on hot summer days they drink refreshing cocktails without leaving the pools. But also rooftops are ideal for stylish corporate lunches. Today, business meetings or negotiations that take place in a cafe or restaurant are very popular. On the one hand, solving business issues not in the office, but in a restaurant, turning a beautifully set dining table into a negotiating table, is not an easy task, but, on the other hand, it has been a tradition for a long time: a meal brings people together. Having meals together is a great opportunity to make contact. Therefore, today, in this article, we will discuss the main points that should be considered when organizing a corporate lunch in a rooftop restaurant.

1. Choose a restaurant

Such a location as a rooftop restaurant will definitely make your corporate lunch original. But despite the fact that there is a huge variety of rooftop restaurants and bars in New York today, you should choose and book it in advance. When choosing the right place for a corporate lunch, consider the following factors:

- The reputation of the restaurant

She must be flawless. This is an indicator of the status of the host of the meeting and a tribute to the guest.

- The level of service. First-class service increases the chances of a successful outcome of negotiations.

Therefore, it is better to visit several restaurants in advance and evaluate how the waiters:

• meet and see off guests;

• navigate the menu;

• accept and take out orders;

• serve a table;

• clean the dishes;

• respond to customer requests;

• count guests.

2. Food

The variety and volume of dishes depend on the scale of the event. For serious events, you need to organize a wider list of dishes. In the menu of the corporate table, in addition to drinks, there can be:

• snacks;

• salads;

• sandwiches;

• hot dishes;

• cold cuts;

• cheese cutting;

• dessert.

What else can you eat for a corporate party?

Instead of sandwiches, restaurants often offer assorted crispy bruschettas, prepared on the basis of a French baguette with various fillings. When organizing a rooftop corporate event, it is important to choose food and drinks that are served in sustainable containers, as sudden winds can cause trouble at your corporate lunch.

3. Security measures

Safety first! Sometimes guests at a rooftop corporate event can have so much fun that many lose their coordination. It is important to be smart about site selection and make sure rooftop safety measures are in place.

4. Logistics

Make sure guests have easy access to the restaurant. Detail contact and location of the restaurant for employees/partners, or even better, organize a charter for everyone, for example, using the services of BCS Charter Bus Rental NYC.

5. Etiquette

The business lunch format was originally designed for business people who are engaged in active negotiations and need a quick but tasty snack. There are a number of rules, following which you can make a business lunch a pleasant process:

- it is worth having lunch with partners at a time convenient for both parties, while being late is not welcome,

- at the table it is worth having a secular, but relaxed conversation without talking about politics, health,

- the phone should be turned off during lunch and negotiations.

Before proceeding to the official part of the conversation, talk about distant things. It is good to know a little more about a partner than is necessary in the framework of business etiquette. For example, a couple of words about the family will set the interlocutor in a complacent way, placing him towards you. Let your guests enjoy their meal at a leisurely pace, in a comfortable environment. You can start business negotiations already over coffee or dessert.

Professionalism and business is an area in which gender and sex do not matter. Don't forget that you are not on a date. At a business lunch, the party is led by the one who organizes it. Conduct yourself accordingly. Whether you are a man or a woman, the activity and initiative must come from you, from choosing the menu to the final word in the deal.

6. Plan B

Any location for corporate events is booked in advance. It is almost impossible to predict what the weather will be like on the day of the event. You should find out in advance whether the site provides for the installation of tents or tents. Also remember that wind gusts are much stronger at altitude. Check if there are blankets or heaters for guests.