Did you have your shower at a restaurant? Have you been to a shower at a restaurant?
My mom wants to host a lunch/shower at a restaurant to make it easier on herself. Anything she should watch out for in the planning process? We are getting a quote from a local restaurant but if that doesn't work out cost wise she mentioned Olive Garden as an option.
I've never been to a shower at a restaurant so just wondering if the hive has had any experiences, thanks!
hostess / wonderful watermelon / 39513 posts
My shower was at a restaurant and it was great. It was held on a Sunday in a private room.
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
Yup mine was as well and it wasn't a private room but it was on one side of the restaurant. I also went to a shower at a restaurant as well.
It's actually really common!
ETA: My bridal shower was also at the private wine room of a restaurant.
pomegranate / 3032 posts
Restaurant showers are great for for those that dont have the right house to host these types of gatherings or dont want to deal with the prep and clean up.
I've found they work best when the guest list is smaller as cost per meal can be a little more expensive and you usually only get the room for a certain number of hours so if the guest list is big and your crowd likes to see the honoree open gifts it may take longer than the time you're allotted for the space. In my personal experience there seems to me a lot less movement/mingling of guests at a restaurant people take their seat and usually just stay there.
grapefruit / 4085 posts
I've only ever been to showers (bridal and baby) at restaurants - never in a home. Always in a private room/space. Perhaps it's a regional thing?
grapefruit / 4442 posts
Ours was at a local restaurant. We had a private room and it was early Saturday (brunch) and we had a wonderful time. My in laws had a bar tab and it came out cheaper than doing an open bar since not everyone drank at the shower. We had the room for 5 hours and it was wonderful we had our own waitress who got drinks and served us food. It was very relaxed and everyone had a lot of fun. The valet even helped with loading the car with our presents.
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
We hosted a brunch at a restaurant and it went well! It was a beautiful day and the restaurant had a courtyard so we ate out there. We had a side table set up to put the gifts on, and brought balloons to attach to chairs to make it more festive. Each guest ordered their own plate of food and we all got separate checks so it worked out nicely. The bridal shower hosts paid for the guest of honor of course. The shower wasn't very big - about 12 girls total!
clementine / 943 posts
My bridal shower was at a restaurant. It worked out well.
It works best to have it in a private room, unless the group is very small (ie, 8 people or less). That way, you will ensure good service to your group, which most likely will entail either a limited group menu or a special buffet setup. Either way, I would recommend telling the restaurant that you're going to be celebrating a baby shower, so that they can be prepared (put your group at a quiet table, have an extra table for gifts, etc).
papaya / 10560 posts
Ours was at a restaurant and it was AMAZING. Great service about 30 people, they took care of serving/cleaning up, trash from gifts. We had it at Buca di Beppo in a private room.
coconut / 8430 posts
@Mrs. High Heels: oh interesting! I thought that the hosts would have to pay for everything like a wedding.
coconut / 8279 posts
My shower was at a restaurant in a private room. I loved it! They let my friends and family decorate it but other than that, everything else was 100% taken care of. I think there were about 40 people.
pomelo / 5073 posts
I've been to one that was in a private room at a restaurant. It was great!
cantaloupe / 6669 posts
My shower was in a private room at a restaurant. There was about 50 people. It was great, though different than what most are used to in the South (smaller showers at people's homes).
grapefruit / 4584 posts
I've also been to showers in restaurants where guests were expected to pay their share of the tab. I think this is totally fine, but it's nice to warn guests in advance, and if possible, to try to get the restaurant to do a set menu (with a few choices of appetizers/entrees) so that cost is kept under control, and no one ends up feeling like they're paying for someone else's champagne and steak when all they ordered is a salad.
What about a place that does afternoon tea? Cheaper than a full meal, very girly, lots of fun, and doesn't necessarily require as much space.
wonderful pea / 17279 posts
A quick search yielded the correct way to invite people to a pay tyour own way event:
First, you won't call it an "invitation" or use the words "invited," since you are requesting payment. It needs to be an "announcement."You would call it a "no host" or "Dutch treat" event."We'd like to announce that we are honoring "who ever" at a Dutch Treat dinner on date and time, at place."Include the reservation card for dinner with prices and selections...when they return it you know how many people will be there.I advise against having people let you know and then pay at the door. You will likely run into a problem with people not showing up and you have reserved/confirmed a dinner that you will have to pay for.Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/411850
wonderful pea / 17279 posts
@MrsH: great. My contribution to the thread was more so for future people strumming through topics. I like seeing all parts of a topic explored in one place. Hope you don't mind.
wonderful grape / 20453 posts
Mine was at a restaurant! And my mom picked up the tab. It was at a little french bakery that offered a special menu (3 items) and cake and it was in a separate room
honeydew / 7667 posts
@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: I don't mind just wanted to make clear for posters that follow 
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