How to Choose a Venue for a Lunch Meeting

The face-to-face business lunch is an important way to build and develop your professional relationships. If you are meeting local contacts scheduling a follow-up over lunch can be a great way of following up with contacts which wil help strengthen your relationship with them and at the same time ensure you get a proper break from work (and from the computer screen) and eat healthily.

So.. Who Chooses the Spot?If you’re inviting, offer up some suggestions and let your guests pick the venue. If they don’t care, you can choose for them…. but make sure to be careful and anticipate their preferences (dietary and otherwise).

Tips for Choosing the Right Venue (or making appropriate suggestions)

• Stick to the tried and tested restaurants. Unless you are taking out a connection that you know is a foodie and is just dying to try a particular restaurant stick to a restaurant you know.
• You want to be able to offer good food, good service and a good atmosphere.
• Have a few tried and testing venues, but don’t be afraid of adding to this list. Particularly if your connection is a local contact or you meet up regularly – you don’t want to go to the same place time and time again. Even if it is amazing.
• If you do not know the connection wll enough to pick a restaurant based on your knowledge of their preferences choose a restaurant with a varied menu with a variety of choices to suit a wide range of dietary preferences.
• Choose a venue with a moderate price range (and a moderately priced wine-list). Pricing should be affordable.
• Choose a central and convenient location.

Follow these tips and have a lovely lunch with a contact as part of your follow-up strategy. Share any tips (and/or experiences) in the comments.