Using Restaurant as Reception

EMarie777 · October 2009

Has anyone ever used a restaurant as their reception? My fiancee and I had our first date at this old-style New York Italian restaurant, and would like to use the entire place for our reception. I know they already rent out a banquet room for baby showers, wedding showers, etc. so I'm hoping that after I speak with them, they will be willing to let us use their restaurant. It really is perfect for us! I was wondering if anyone has done this, and if it's been cheaper than using a banquet center. A friend's mom did this, and said she saved money. Anyone tried this?

ExpatPumpkin · October 2009

We didn't do that, but it sounds like a great idea. Restaurants will usually require a food and beverage minimum to close for a private function, but that may be less than your more typical options. Hope it works out for you

lyndausvi · October 2009

It sounds like a great idea. But Expat is right, most restaurants will have a 'buy-out' price. Which means if you want the restaurant to yourself you will have to pay close to what they would make if their restaurant is open. The food part is not really the big deal. Liquor is where the money is at restaurants. Depending on the place it may not be a cheaper option.

laurening · October 2009

It doesn't hurt to call and ask and they may offer it as an option, but it may cost you a ton. You'd have to compensate them for closing down the place on a Fri or Sat night since those are typically a restaurant's busiest nights.

chryse · October 2009

I did it for my August wedding. It saved us a ton of money.It depends on on the restaurant. With ours, we had no contract and no minimums, just reservations and plans. We dropped off decorations the day before, walked through the setup then as well and they had the wing we were using set up before we got there exactly the way we wanted. We did not close the restaurant, just used the one wing on the main floor that they normally use for special occasions. We paid only for the food that was served and our guests were able to order any drink from the bar, in effect an open bar, but we only paid for the actual drinks ordered. We did have to make our own menus, picking and choosing appetizers, soups, and entrees for our guests to order from, instead of the entire menu. This let the restaurant order extra of just those items for the kitchen for the day. They also helped with the cake cutting and accommodated our sake toast (it was a Chinese/Japanese restaurant) by buying enough sake cups for it. They didn't have enough for 40+ people and they didn't charge us for that either, it went into their own inventory. We had no dancing, but it was a lunch reception and we had a great time and enjoyed good food. Talk to the management about what they can do to further reduce costs as well. It was August, and ours was the first special occasion they had done all year (they normally do at least 5-6 by then), they were really helpful because they really wanted the business.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown · October 2009

I am considering this, or considering using part of a restaurant. However, I've talked to some where the buy-out option is $15k or more. So it might depend on your budget and the restaurant.I think restaurants feel cozier than a banquet hall, and require less in the way of decorations. Plus, the food is usually pretty good!

Bobbysprncss · October 2009

My dad and step mom did this after their beach wedding. They rented the 2nd floor and it worked great. I think using a party room or renting part of the restaurant would be a good idea, and probably save money.

janasb · October 2009

we did this and for us it was cheaper than renting a place for the reception and hiring a caterer. I absolutely loved everything about the reception. However, the restaurant we used also does catering so we rented the place for a flat fee and used their catering menu. I would say yes, definitely talk to them but I'm sure they'll want enough to cover what ever they would have made if they were open. Many places are hesitant to close on one of their busiest work days. Some things to consider though, What about dancing? if you're going to be dancing do they have an area for you to use? What about the cake? will they allow someone else to bring it in? Alcohol? The place we used did not have a liquor license so they could not sell it which meant we had to bring our own which saved even more money.

bharnett · October 2009

We had ours at one of the best restaurants in Boston. We were supposed to have it at one of their sister restaurants (which unfortunately closed down)...so they offered to host it for half the price. Rather than the typical buy out of 29k, they gave it to us for 15k, and they closed the entire restaurant for us. I know they cut a loss just for having us on a Saturday -- so it makes it even more special for us. So, in the end, it really was cheaper for us. Since it's one of our favorite restaurants, we go there every few months or so -- now we have another reason to go, our anniversaries. I totally recommend it if you can swing it.

mrgyll · October 2009

I am using a restaurant for my reception and it seems to be cheaper than the other options I researched. They are letting us use the entire restaurant, and we are not paying a room rental fee. They are closed on Saturday for lunch, so we are having a lunch reception which means they do not have to close their restaurant for us. We are just paying for the meal and a cake cutting fee. They have agreed to roll the drinks into the food price. I like it because it is cheaper than what we expected and we don't have to worry about setting up or cleaning up. The food is also great and they offer a variety of foods. I hope this helps!

EMarie777 · October 2009

Money saving sounds good to me! lol We wouldn't be having alcohol at the wedding so that would cut some spending out anyways. I love their menu so that wouldn't be a problem either. Thanks for all the info!

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